Fabric Yardage Calculator
Work out how much fabric to buy for a sewing or quilting project. Enter the size and number of each piece, the fabric width, seam allowance and pattern repeat, and get the yardage and meterage, plus a cutting layout that shows how the pieces fit.
Width minus selvages: 44 in quilting cotton ≈ 42 in, 60 in apparel ≈ 58 in.
Width is measured across the fabric, length along it. "Pillow: 2 x 18 x 18" also works; two numbers mean one piece.
Leave 0 if your sizes already include it (⅝ in = 0.625).
0 for solids or small prints that don't need matching.
Cotton often shrinks 3–5% when pre-washed.
How to use the Fabric Yardage Calculator
- Choose inches or centimeters and enter the usable fabric width (without selvages).
- List your pieces, one size per line, as quantity × width × length, for example 4 x 10 x 12.
- Add seam allowance if your sizes don't include it, and a pattern repeat if the print must match.
- Set shrinkage and extra allowance, and untick rotation for napped or one-way fabric.
- Read the yards and meters to buy and check the cutting layout and rows.
How the fabric calculation works
Fabric comes off the bolt in a fixed width, so the question is how long a piece you need. The calculator:
- Adds the seam allowance to both sides of each piece (width + 2 × allowance, length + 2 × allowance).
- Sorts the pieces from longest to shortest and fills rows across the usable width, first-fit decreasing, trying rotated layouts if allowed.
- Rounds each row up to a whole number of pattern repeats, if you entered one.
- Adds the rows, then shrinkage and extra allowance: total = rows × (1 + shrinkage) × (1 + extra).
- Converts to yards (inches ÷ 36) and meters (inches × 0.0254) and rounds up to the next ⅛ yard or 10 cm.
Example: four 10 × 12 in pieces on 42 in fabric fit in one 12 in row (four across uses 40 in). With 10% extra that is 13.2 in, or 0.37 yd, so you would buy ⅜ yd.
Common fabric widths
| Fabric | Bolt width | Typical usable width |
|---|---|---|
| Quilting cotton | 44–45 in (112–114 cm) | 40–42 in (102–107 cm) |
| Apparel fabric, linen, knits | 54 in (137 cm) | 52 in (132 cm) |
| Home decor, fleece, many knits | 58–60 in (147–152 cm) | 56–58 in (142–147 cm) |
| Wide quilt backing | 108 in (274 cm) | 104–106 in (264–269 cm) |
| Sheeting | 90–120 in (229–305 cm) | varies |
Yard fractions
| Yards | Inches | Centimeters |
|---|---|---|
| ⅛ yd | 4.5 in | 11.4 cm |
| ¼ yd | 9 in | 22.9 cm |
| ⅓ yd | 12 in | 30.5 cm |
| ½ yd | 18 in | 45.7 cm |
| ⅝ yd | 22.5 in | 57.2 cm |
| ¾ yd | 27 in | 68.6 cm |
| 1 yd | 36 in | 91.4 cm |
The layout is a fast, practical estimate. Real patterns with curved pieces nest better or worse than rectangles, so always follow the pattern envelope when it gives a yardage.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate how much fabric I need?
Lay out your pieces across the usable width of the fabric in rows, add up the lengths of the rows, then add allowances for shrinkage and straightening. Divide inches by 36 for yards, or centimeters by 100 for meters, and round up to the next ⅛ yard or 10 cm. This calculator does the layout for you.
What is the usable width of fabric?
Usable width is the fabric width minus the selvages, the tightly woven edges you should not cut into. Quilting cotton sold as 44 in wide usually has about 42 in usable, 60 in apparel fabric about 58 in, and wide quilt backing 108 in.
How does a pattern repeat change the yardage?
When a print or motif must line up across seams or panels, each length you cut has to start at the same point in the pattern. The calculator rounds each row up to a whole number of repeats, so a 96 in curtain with a 25 in repeat uses 100 in of fabric per drop.
How much extra fabric should I buy?
Many sewists add about 10% for straightening the grain, mistakes and test pieces, and another 3% to 5% for shrinkage if the fabric will be pre-washed. Napped and one-way fabrics need more because pieces cannot be rotated.
How many inches are in a yard of fabric?
One yard is 36 inches (91.44 cm). Fabric is often sold in ⅛ yard steps: ⅛ yd = 4.5 in, ¼ yd = 9 in, ½ yd = 18 in and ¾ yd = 27 in. A fat quarter is a ½ yard cut in half across the width, about 18 × 21 in.
Can I rotate pieces to save fabric?
Only when the fabric has no nap, pile or one-way design and the pattern does not specify grain direction. Velvet, corduroy, faux fur and directional prints must keep every piece pointing the same way, so untick the rotation option for them.