Fabric Yardage Calculator
Wider fabric helps in steps, not proportionally. A 22in piece fits twice across 45, 54 and 60 inch fabric, so the wide bolt buys nothing.
How it lays out
The same project on every width
Watch where the number moves and where it does not.
Wider fabric helps in steps, not proportionally
Yardage is decided by how many pattern pieces fit across the bolt, and that is a whole number — you cannot lay out two thirds of a skirt panel. So the saving arrives in jumps, and between the jumps a wider bolt buys you nothing at all.
| Piece width | 45″ fabric | 54″ fabric | 60″ fabric | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10″ | 4 across | 5 across | 5 across | wider fabric gains |
| 14″ | 3 across | 3 across | 4 across | wider fabric gains |
| 18″ | 2 across | 2 across | 3 across | wider fabric gains |
| 22″ | 2 across | 2 across | 2 across | wider fabric gains nothing |
| 28″ | 1 across | 1 across | 2 across | wider fabric gains |
| 34″ | 1 across | 1 across | 1 across | wider fabric gains nothing |
A 22″ piece fits twice across all three widths, so paying more per yard for 60″ fabric buys literally nothing. A 28″ piece goes from one across to two between 54″ and 60″, and the yardage halves. Same two bolts, opposite answers.
This is why a pattern envelope prints a separate figure for each width instead of a rate per inch, and why "I'll get the wide one and use less" is sometimes right and sometimes exactly wrong. Work out which before you pay the difference.
Two things that cost extra
- Nap costs about 15%. Corduroy, velvet, satin and any one-way print shade differently end for end, so every piece has to lie the same way up and cannot be nested head to tail. It is not optional — a reversed piece is visible across a room.
- Pattern matching costs one full repeat per piece. Each piece that has to match must be free to slide up to a whole repeat to line up. A 6″ plaid over eight pieces is four extra feet of fabric, and this one is genuinely never on the envelope.
- Large repeats compound with everything. A 24″ repeat on a curtain is two feet per drop, which is often more than the curtain itself costs in labour.
- Buy the whole lot at once. Fabric runs vary in shade between bolts in the same way yarn does between dye lots, and the shop will not have your bolt next week.
What this estimate is
A rectangle-packing estimate, one piece type per row, which is deliberately conservative. A good layout nests pieces together and will beat it — sleeves tuck beside a bodice, small pieces fill the gaps. That is the right direction for an error to run when the alternative is a second trip to the shop for fabric from a different bolt. If your pattern envelope gives a figure for your width and your size, that figure was worked out on the actual layout and it beats this one.
How to use
- Pick a project or enter your own piece sizes.
- Compare every bolt width before paying more for the wide one.
- Tick nap for corduroy, velvet, satin or any one-way print.
- Add the repeat if the fabric has a pattern that must match.
Frequently asked questions
How much fabric do I need?
It depends on how many pattern pieces fit across the bolt, which is a whole number rather than a proportion. Work out how many of each piece fit side by side in the usable width, divide the quantity by that, and multiply the resulting rows by the piece length. This page does that for a set of common projects or for your own measurements.
Is wider fabric always better value?
No, and this is the useful part. Yardage falls in steps as pieces start fitting side by side, and between the steps a wider bolt buys nothing at all. A 22 inch piece fits exactly twice across 45, 54 and 60 inch fabric, so paying more per yard for the wide one is money for nothing. A 28 inch piece goes from one across to two between 54 and 60, and the yardage halves.
Why does the pattern envelope list each width separately?
For exactly that reason. There is no rate per inch to convert between them, because the relationship is a floor function rather than a ratio. The envelope figures were worked out on the actual layout for each width, which is why they beat any general formula including this one.
What is nap and why does it cost more?
Nap is a direction in the fabric — the pile on corduroy and velvet, the sheen on satin, or simply a one-way print. Pieces shade differently depending on which way up they lie, so they all have to be laid the same direction and cannot be nested head to tail. That typically costs 10 to 20 per cent more fabric, and it is not optional: a reversed piece is visible across a room.
How much extra do I need for a plaid or a stripe?
About one full repeat for every piece that has to match, because each piece needs to be free to slide up to a whole repeat to line up with its neighbour. A 6 inch plaid across eight pieces is four extra feet of fabric. This is the allowance that is genuinely never printed on the envelope.
How do I measure the repeat?
Find a distinctive feature in the print and measure to where it appears again, along the length of the fabric. Check across the width too — some prints repeat at a different interval in each direction, and a half-drop repeat offsets alternate rows, which makes matching harder still.
What is the usable width?
The bolt width minus the selvedges, the finished edges running down each side. Allow about an inch in total. Selvedges are often more tightly woven than the rest and can pucker if included in a piece, so they are trimmed off rather than used, and a piece that only just fits the nominal width will not fit the real one.
Is this estimate generous or tight?
Deliberately generous. It packs rectangles, one piece type per row, and a good layout nests better than that — sleeves tuck beside a bodice and small pieces fill the gaps. Running over is the right direction for an error when the alternative is a second trip for fabric from a different bolt.
Why does buying from a different bolt matter?
Because fabric runs vary in shade between bolts, in the same way yarn varies between dye lots. The difference can be invisible in the shop and obvious in daylight on a finished garment. Buy the whole quantity at once, and if you must add to it later, use the new fabric for pieces that do not sit next to the old ones.
Should I pre-wash before or after calculating?
Calculate first, then buy, then pre-wash — and buy enough to survive the shrinkage. Fabric can lose 3 to 10 per cent of its length in the first wash and its width as well, so a piece that only just fitted the width beforehand may not fit afterwards. Check pieces against the washed width rather than the label.
How do I work out yardage for my own pattern?
Measure each pattern piece at its widest and longest, including the seam allowances and hem, and count how many of each you need. Those numbers go straight in. Measuring the widest point matters, because that is what decides how many fit across even if the rest of the piece is narrower.
Does this send anything anywhere?
No. Everything is calculated in your browser and nothing is stored or uploaded.
🔒 This tool runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter is uploaded, logged, or stored.