Fabric Yardage Calculator

How the Fabric Yardage Calculator Works

The calculation answers one question first: how many of your project pieces fit side by side across the width of the fabric bolt? If each piece is 18 inches wide and your fabric is 45 inches across, two pieces fit per row. The calculator divides the usable WOF by the width of each piece and rounds down — you cannot use a partial width.

Once the calculator knows how many pieces fit across, it works out how many rows you need. Four pieces at two per row means two rows. Each row consumes one cut length of fabric, equal to the height of your piece.

If the fabric has a pattern repeat, the cut length increases. A 14-inch piece on fabric with a 12-inch repeat becomes a 24-inch cut — rounded up to the next full repeat so every piece starts at the same point in the pattern. For a thorough explanation of how repeats affect cutting, read our guide to understanding pattern repeat in fabric.

Total yardage is simply rows multiplied by cut length, converted from inches to yards. If you enter a shrinkage allowance, the calculator adds that percentage on top. The final purchase amount rounds up to the nearest ⅛ yard (or 10 cm for metric) because fabric shops do not sell in fractional inches.

Grain, Nap, and Directional Prints

Fabric grain runs in three directions. The lengthwise grain (warp) follows the selvage and has the least stretch. The crosswise grain (weft) runs perpendicular to the selvage with slight give. True bias sits at 45 degrees to both and stretches the most — this property is used in bias binding strips to wrap smoothly around curves.

Most sewing patterns require pieces cut along the lengthwise grain, meaning your project length runs parallel to the selvage and your project width runs across the bolt. Cutting against the grain causes seams to pucker, hems to ripple, and the finished item to hang poorly.

Napped fabrics — velvet, corduroy, brushed cotton, and some satins — have a surface texture that looks different depending on direction. All pattern pieces must be cut in the same direction on napped fabric, which typically adds 10 to 15 percent to total yardage. One-way prints follow the same rule. This calculator includes a shrinkage field you can use to approximate that extra allowance by entering 15 percent when working with directional fabric.

The width of fabric at your shop matters more than you might expect. Quilting cotton at 42 to 44 inches gives far fewer pieces per row than 60-inch wide home decorator fabric. Always check the bolt end for the actual width and use that number rather than guessing. The selvage edge is not usable for most projects, so subtract about an inch from the labelled width if you want to be precise.

What You Need to Measure

Accurate measurements prevent wasted trips back to the shop. Before you open this calculator, gather four numbers.

• Project length — the finished length of each piece plus seam allowances. For a cushion cover, add 1 inch to the cushion height for two ½-inch SA edges. For curtains and roman blinds, the measurement includes mounting and hem allowances — our guide on calculating fabric for curtains walks through drop, fullness, and heading allowances in detail. For a garment panel, the dress yardage estimator handles style-specific adjustments.
• Project width — the finished width of each piece plus seam allowances.
• Number of pieces — count every identical piece. A pair of pillowcases needs four pieces (front and back for each).
• Pattern repeat — the vertical distance between identical points in a printed or woven pattern. Fabric shops label this on the bolt, or measure it yourself between matching motifs. Leave it at zero for plain fabric.

Getting these right saves money and frustration. A single inch of error per piece compounds across multiple rows.

Working with Pattern Repeats

Pattern matching is where yardage estimates go wrong. When you use a patterned fabric, every cut must start at the same point in the pattern, so each cut length rounds up to the next full repeat. The fabric between the end of your piece and the next repeat is waste.

A 14-inch piece on a 12-inch repeat becomes a 24-inch cut — nearly double the fabric. A 25-inch piece on a 12-inch repeat becomes 36 inches. The smaller the piece relative to the repeat, the higher the proportional waste.

Half-drop repeats, where alternating columns of the pattern are offset by half the repeat distance, do not change the total yardage calculation. The cut length still rounds up to the next full vertical repeat. However, half-drop repeats require more careful alignment during cutting.

If you are making items that will sit side by side — such as curtain panels or dining chair seats — pattern matching between pieces is a separate consideration. The upholstery fabric calculator factors in pattern matching across multiple furniture sections, and the curtain fabric calculator accounts for matching between fabric widths.

Shrinkage and Pre-Washing

Cotton fabric shrinks. The amount varies by weave and finish, but 3 to 5 percent is a reasonable working assumption for quilting cotton and dress-weight fabrics. Linen can shrink up to 10 percent on its first wash. Polyester and synthetic blends typically shrink less than 1 percent.

If you plan to pre-wash your fabric, you have two options. Pre-wash first and enter the actual post-wash dimensions in this calculator. Or add a shrinkage percentage to the calculator and cut from unwashed fabric, relying on the extra allowance to cover what you lose in the first wash.

For quilting projects, pre-washing involves a trade-off — some quilters prefer slight shrinkage after finishing for a crinkled texture. The quilt backing calculator includes specific guidance on backing fabric shrinkage.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced sewists occasionally buy too little fabric. These errors account for most of those frustrating return trips.

• Forgetting seam allowances in measurements. Your finished cushion is 18 inches, but you need to cut 19-inch squares to account for ½-inch seam allowances on all sides. Enter 19 in the calculator, not 18.
• Using the wrong fabric width. Do not assume your fabric is 45 inches wide. Check the bolt. Quilting cotton is typically 42 to 44 inches; decorator fabric runs 54 to 60 inches. Two inches of difference can change your total by a full row.
• Ignoring the selvage. The selvage is not part of the usable width. On quilting cotton, each selvage is about ½ inch, reducing 44 inches to roughly 43 usable inches.
• Not accounting for straightening cuts. The cut end of a bolt is rarely straight. You may need to trim 1 to 2 inches from each end before cutting pieces.
• Rounding down instead of up. This calculator rounds your purchase amount up to the nearest ⅛ yard. Rounding down to save money risks being short — and a mismatched dye lot from a later bolt is always visible. If you prefer working in metric, use the yards-to-metres converter to cross-check.

Buying an extra ⅛ or ¼ yard is far cheaper than returning for more fabric and finding the bolt sold out.