Free fabric yardage calculator
Enter your fabric width, the size and number of pieces you need to cut, and a shrinkage allowance — and see the yards and metres to buy, pieces per width, and rows down the bolt, updated live, as you type.
On this page15 sections
Planning estimate only, based on grain-aligned cutting and the values you enter.
Results are estimates. Consult a professional.
How the fabric yardage calculator works
Fabric is sold by length off a bolt of fixed width, so the only question that matters is how much length you need to buy. The fabric yardage calculator lays your pieces across the usable width, counts how many fit side by side, works out how many rows that takes, and turns the total length into yards and metres. It then adds an allowance for shrinkage and squaring so you do not come up short at the cutting table.
Why pieces per width rounds down
If 4.4 pieces fit across the width, you still only get 4 whole pieces — the leftover 0.4 is too narrow to use. Rounding down keeps the estimate honest. The same logic in reverse applies to rows: 2.7 rows means you need a third row to finish the last few pieces, so rows always round up.
What affects how much fabric you need
Four inputs set the yardage, and they do not all pull with equal force. Get the width and piece size right and the rest follows; guess at them and you either over-buy or run out mid-project.
Usable fabric width
Wider fabric fits more pieces across each row, which cuts the number of rows and the length you buy. Quilting cotton is usually 42–44 inches; apparel and home-decor fabric is often 54–60 inches. Always plan on the usable width after the selvages are trimmed, which is an inch or two less than the bolt's stated width.
Piece width and length
Piece width decides how many fit across; piece length decides how long each row is. A small change in piece width can flip a piece from fitting four-across to three-across, which adds a whole row, so round your piece dimensions up to include seam allowances before you enter them.
Number of pieces and allowance
More pieces means more rows, in clean steps as each new row fills. The allowance is the margin on top of the bare length: it covers shrinkage in the wash, trimming the cut edge square, and ordinary cutting waste. The calculator defaults to 10% and lets you set it from 0 to 25%.
A worked example: cutting quilt squares
Mia is piecing a quilt top and needs 12 squares, each 10 in × 10 in, from standard 44-inch quilting cotton. She wants the yardage to buy, with a 10% allowance for shrinkage and squaring.
Step 1 — Pieces across the width
44 ÷ 10 = 4.4, rounded down to 4 pieces per width. The leftover 4 inches is too narrow for another 10-inch square.
Step 2 — Rows down the bolt
12 ÷ 4 = 3, so she needs 3 rows. Each row holds 4 squares, and three rows give exactly 12.
Step 3 — Cut length
3 rows × 10 in = 30 in of fabric before any allowance.
Step 4 — Add the allowance and convert
With 10% added, 30 × 1.10 = 33 in. Then 33 ÷ 36 = 0.92 yd (about 0.84 m). Mia buys 1 yard, which leaves a small, useful remnant.
How much fabric do I need? A yardage chart
If you want a ballpark before you measure, this chart shows how many common pieces you get from one yard of 44-inch cotton, and the rough yardage for a typical batch. These are bare-cut figures — add 10% for shrinkage and squaring before you buy.
| Piece size | Per width (44 in) | Per yard | Yardage for 24 pieces |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 in × 2.5 in | 17 | 238 | 0.1 yd |
| 5 in × 5 in | 8 | 56 | 0.4 yd |
| 6 in × 6 in | 7 | 42 | 0.7 yd |
| 10 in × 10 in | 4 | 12 | 1.7 yd |
| 12 in × 12 in | 3 | 9 | 2.7 yd |
| 18 in × 18 in | 2 | 4 | 6.0 yd |
Per-yard counts assume a 36-inch yard of 44-inch fabric, cut grain-aligned with no allowance. "Yardage for 24 pieces" is the bare cut length before allowance. Add 10% before buying.
Standard fabric widths and why they matter
Fabric does not come in one width. The bolt width is fixed when you buy, so it sets how many pieces fit across every row — which is why the same project needs different yardage from different fabrics.
| Fabric type | Typical bolt width | Plan on (usable) |
|---|---|---|
| Quilting cotton | 42–44 in | ~42 in after selvages |
| Apparel cotton, linen | 44–45 in | ~43 in |
| Home-decor, upholstery | 54 in | ~53 in |
| Wide cotton, sheeting | 60 in | ~58 in |
| Quilt backing fabric | 108 in | ~106 in |
Widths follow common retail conventions; check the bolt end for the exact width and always trim and measure the usable width after removing selvages.
The usable width is what the calculator wants. The selvage — the tightly woven finished edge running down both sides — is denser and often distorted, so most makers trim it off and plan on an inch or two less than the stated width.
Seam allowance, shrinkage, and how much extra to buy
The bare cut length is the minimum. Real projects lose fabric to washing, to trimming the cut end square, and to ordinary cutting mistakes — so you buy a little more than the math says.
Seam allowance belongs in the piece size
Seam allowance is the margin sewn into each seam — a quarter inch for quilting, often five-eighths for garments. It is not a flat percentage on the total: it is added to each piece's cut dimensions. Add it to your piece width and length before entering them, so every piece is cut to its full sewn-plus-seam size.
Shrinkage and waste are the percentage
Natural fibers can shrink up to about 10% in the first wash, and you lose a little squaring the cut end and cutting around flaws. A 10% allowance covers most projects; go to 15–20% for large pattern repeats, upholstery, or fabric you have not pre-washed. The allowance field handles this layer.
Directional and napped fabric: when you need more
The calculator assumes pieces can be cut in any orientation and laid grain-aligned across the width. Some fabrics break that assumption, and they always need more yardage than the bare math suggests.
- Directional prints — stripes, one-way pictures or text must all face the same way, so you cannot rotate a piece to save space. Expect to add a row or more.
- Napped fabric — velvet, corduroy and fleece have a pile that catches light differently by direction, so every piece is cut the same way down the bolt.
- Pattern repeats — to match a large motif across a seam you waste fabric aligning the repeat; add the repeat length for each piece that must match.
For these fabrics, raise the allowance or plan the layout by hand. The calculator's grain-aligned count is the floor, not the final number, when direction matters.
When to use this fabric calculator
Reach for it any time a project is built from repeated pieces of a known size — which covers most cut-and-sew work, because buying by guesswork either wastes money or strands you a few inches short.
- Quilting — counting how many squares, strips or blocks come off a bolt and what backing yardage to buy.
- Garment sewing — estimating yardage for repeated panels once seam allowances are added to each piece.
- Home decor — cushion covers, napkins, table runners and curtains cut from a fixed-width bolt.
- Craft batches — tote bags, bunting, or any project where you cut many identical pieces at once.
Fabric and yardage definitions
How accurate is this fabric yardage calculator?
The layout math is exact. Pieces per width, rows, and total length follow directly from your inputs, and the conversions use exact factors — 36 inches to the yard and 0.9144 metres to the yard. If your measurements are right, the bare length is right to the inch.
The yardage to buy is an estimate by design. It assumes grain-aligned, side-by-side cutting with no rotation, so directional prints, napped fabric and large pattern repeats need more than it shows — raise the allowance for those. It also plans on the usable width you enter, so measure your fabric after trimming the selvages rather than trusting the bolt's stated width. When a project is close, buy to the next increment the store cuts: a little remnant is cheaper than a second trip when one piece is cut wrong.
Standard fabric widths, the 36-inch yard, and the 10–15% shrinkage-and-waste allowance follow common quilting and sewing references.Frequently asked questions about the free fabric yardage calculator
About this Fabric Yardage calculator
This fabric yardage calculator runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter — fabric width, piece sizes, the number of pieces or your allowance — is sent anywhere or stored; every result is worked out on your own device as you type.
It is part of our collection of everyday calculators, alongside the full library of free calculators for home, money, health and more.