Fabric Yardage Calculator
Cutting a bunch of same-size pieces (squares, rectangles, or panels)? Enter your dimensions and quantity to find out how much fabric to buy, including a smart comparison of both cutting orientations.
How to calculate fabric yardage
The core question, how much fabric do I need?, comes down to fitting your pieces onto the fabric width. First find how many pieces fit side by side across the usable width (WOF), then how many rows that takes for your total quantity, then multiply the rows by your piece length. Add a waste allowance for squaring up and cutting, and convert the result to yards. Because rotating non-square pieces can fit more per row, the calculator tests both orientations and reports the thriftier one. The "How it's calculated" panel above shows the formula.
Fabric inches-to-yards conversion
Fabric is sold by the yard (36 inches) in the US, usually in ⅛-yard steps. Use this quick reference, or let the calculator round your exact length up for you:
| Inches | Yards | Inches | Yards |
|---|
| 9" | ¼ yd | 54" | 1½ yd |
| 18" | ½ yd | 72" | 2 yd |
| 27" | ¾ yd | 108" | 3 yd |
| 36" | 1 yd | 144" | 4 yd |
Metric: 1 meter = 100 cm ≈ 1.09 yards. Switch the unit toggle in the header to work entirely in cm and meters.
Why width of fabric (WOF) changes everything
The same pieces can need very different amounts of fabric depending on how wide the bolt is. Quilting cotton runs 40–42 inches, dressmaking and home-décor fabric is often 54–60 inches, and wide quilt backing reaches 108 inches. Wider fabric fits more pieces across each row, which means fewer rows and less total length. Always set the usable width to the fabric you're actually buying for an accurate estimate.
Common questions
How much fabric do I need for a sewing project?
Enter your piece dimensions and quantity below and the calculator will tell you. The key variables are your piece size, how many pieces you need, the usable fabric width (WOF), and a waste allowance for squaring up, off-grain cuts, and small errors. 10% waste is a reasonable default when cutting from a full bolt.
What is WOF and why does it matter?
WOF (width of fabric) is the usable width after removing selvages and straightening the grain. More pieces fitting side-by-side across the width means fewer rows and therefore less total fabric. Quilting cotton runs 40–42 inches (100–107 cm); home-décor fabric is typically 54 inches (137 cm); wide backing cloth runs 108 inches (274 cm).
Should I rotate my pieces to save fabric?
For non-square pieces, rotating them (swapping width and length) can sometimes save a significant amount of fabric. This calculator automatically checks both orientations and uses whichever one requires less yardage. It will tell you which orientation it chose.
What is the difference between fabric width and usable width?
Fabric width is the full measurement edge to edge as it comes off the bolt, including the selvages (the tightly woven, often printed strips along each side). Usable width (WOF) is what's left after you trim those selvages off and straighten the grain, usually an inch or two narrower. Always plan your cutting from the usable width, since the selvages can't be used in the project.
Why should I add a waste allowance?
No layout is perfectly efficient: you lose fabric squaring up the cut end, to off-grain and crooked cuts, to the gaps between pieces, and to the occasional mistake. A waste allowance (10% by default) adds a margin on top of the bare minimum so you don't come up one piece short. Increase it for slippery fabric, fussy cutting, or fabric you haven't pre-washed.
How do I account for pre-wash shrinkage?
Cotton fabric typically shrinks 3–5% on the first wash. The waste allowance field already captures this: a 10% waste setting covers light shrinkage plus normal cutting variation. If you're pre-washing, 10% is comfortable. If you're not pre-washing, add an extra 3–5% as insurance.
Can I use this calculator for fat quarters?
Yes. A fat quarter is typically 18 × 21 inches (45 × 53 cm). Enter 18 or 21 as your usable width depending on which direction you'll cut. Just note that the short dimension limits how many pieces fit across, so yardage estimates will be conservative, which is exactly right for planning purposes.
How do I convert inches of fabric to yards?
There are 36 inches in a yard, so divide the length in inches by 36. For example, 54 inches ÷ 36 = 1.5 yards. Fabric is usually sold in ⅛-yard increments (4.5 inches), so this calculator rounds the final length up to the nearest ⅛ yard (or 0.1 m in metric) so you never come up short at the cutting counter.
Does this calculator include a seam allowance?
Enter your piece sizes as the cut size you actually need, including any seam allowance you've added to the finished dimensions. The separate waste allowance (10% by default) then covers squaring up, off-grain cuts, and small mistakes across the whole length, on top of your per-piece seam allowances.