It's hard to say because mattresses come in so many thicknesses now. I think mine is about 12-13", so for me it would have to be about 88" wide. Many of them are even thicker than what I have. I like the look of it going a couple of inches past the top of the box spring (I use a dust ruffle. A bedspread (to the floor) would be too heavy for me. I hate the weight on my feet.

I make my quilts "comforter" size - mainly because we use quilts for blankets (we don't own a store-bought blanket of any kind)..... back in the day, when central heat was not available to most (any) people, quilts were made huge to cover beds and bodies, with a 'drape' to keep cold drafts out - and they were HEAVY, especially when you got enough of them on the bed to stay warm at night!
I have made bigger quilts - but the size I can quilt on my Lil' Gracie II frame is under 98 inches (it says 98 inches but you can't really go that wide)...
If you are making the quilt for yourself - hey - may it ANY SIZE you want... there are no rules... and no quilt police!

I am a bed ruffle person my self........ like the look with quilts.... like them to come down on the ruffle about 2"

I make my queen size quilts cloest to 90 in. wide as I can...the length varies according to what pattern I use. I don't tuck the quilt under the pillows, so don't make them extra long, 104 or thereabouts.
I use a dust ruffle and that size works for me.

i have a tall mattress and tall box spring and a side rail. i make mine to cover the sides down to the bottom of the bedrail. on my queen that brings it to 94". in the fashion of my furniture, i don't use a dust ruffle. same length for tucking at the foot. everyone likes it different. big people need more for more
coverage :mrgreen: . they're smaller after the first washing. boy, was that a surprise! :roll:

It's all in how you like it.

I like mine to be big enough to cover the mattress and go down the sides to the boxsprings.

me too. that gives enough to cover the lump in the middle called david.

[img]http://www.pic4ever.com/images/funny.gif[/img]

I made mine to just cover the top of the bedskirt, and long enough to cover the pillows. I used "warm and natural" batting, and the darn thing is so heavy we can't use it at all.

I've heard that the heirloom batting is not as heavy.