Fabric Yardage Calculator

Calculating fabric yardage before you shop prevents the frustration of running short mid-project. The key insight is nesting: if your cut pieces fit two or more across the fabric width, you need fewer rows — and therefore less yardage. This calculator handles the nesting math for you.

The formula

effective_width  = piece_width  + 2 × seam_allowance
effective_height = piece_height + 2 × seam_allowance
pieces_per_row   = floor(fabric_width / effective_width)
rows_needed      = ceil(num_pieces / pieces_per_row)
yards_needed     = (rows_needed × effective_height) / 36
meters_needed    = yards_needed × 0.9144

This assumes straight-grain cutting with no pattern matching and no directional print.

Practical examples

Example 1 — Quilt squares. You need 20 squares, each 6 × 6 inches, with ½-inch seam allowance, from 44-inch fabric.

• Effective size: 7 × 7 in
• Pieces per row: floor(44 / 7) = 6
• Rows: ceil(20 / 6) = 4
• Yards: (4 × 7) / 36 = 0.78 yards

Example 2 — Tote bag panels. Two panels, each 14 × 16 inches, with ½-inch seam, from 60-inch fabric.

• Effective: 15 × 17 in
• Pieces per row: floor(60 / 15) = 4
• Rows: ceil(2 / 4) = 1
• Yards: 17 / 36 = 0.47 yards

Example 3 — Pillow covers. 4 covers, each 18 × 18 inches, with ½-inch seam, from 44-inch fabric.

• Effective: 19 × 19 in
• Pieces per row: floor(44 / 19) = 2
• Rows: ceil(4 / 2) = 2
• Yards: (2 × 19) / 36 = 1.06 yards. Buy 1.25 yards for safety margin.

Common mistakes

• Using finished dimensions instead of cut dimensions. Always add seam allowance to each side before calculating. A finished 6-inch square needs a 7-inch cut square with ½-inch seam.
• Not accounting for shrinkage. Pre-wash fabric before cutting. Cotton can shrink 3–5%; linen up to 10%. Buy 10–15% extra to compensate.
• Forgetting directional prints. Stripes, plaids, and one-way prints effectively eliminate nesting — treat each piece as needing its own row and add a full repeat for matching.
• Using bolt width instead of usable width. Most 44-inch cotton has 1–2 inches of selvage per side. Use 40–42 inches as the effective cutting width.

International and regional variations

Quick reference — common seam allowances