Fabric Yardage Calculator

Fabric is sold by the running length (yard or meter) across the full width of the bolt. Total yardage equals the sum of all piece lengths you need, plus extra for shrinkage, pattern matching, and mistakes — typically 10–15% for garments, more for plaids.

Square area (yardage × width) helps compare different bolt widths. A 2-yard cut from 45-inch-wide fabric covers less area than 2 yards from 60-inch-wide fabric. Wider bolts can reduce seams in large projects like quilt backs or circle skirts.

Pattern envelopes list yardage requirements by garment view and fabric width. If your bolt is 44 inches but the pattern assumes 60, you need more length because fewer pattern pieces fit side by side on the narrower cloth.

Worked example with the default fields: 108 inches total length on 44-inch-wide fabric converts to 3 yards (108 ÷ 36). Fabric area = 3 × 44 = 132 sq ft, or about 12.3 m² in metric terms. That is enough for many skirt or quilt-block layouts — add 10–15% before buying if the fabric will be pre-washed.

Pre-washing cotton and linen can shrink 3–5% or more. Buy extra length if you wash before cutting, or buy the calculated amount and accept risk if you cut unwashed. Nap, one-way prints, and large motifs need additional yardage so pattern pieces align at seams.

When switching between US and metric, this tool converts length and width together so area stays consistent. Enter total cut length as the sum of every pattern piece laid along the grain — not the finished garment measurement alone.

Limits: this calculator does not lay out individual pattern pieces, account for directional prints, or compute binding separately. For complex garments, compare your sum against the pattern chart and round up to the nearest quarter yard at the store.