Fabric Calculator
Work out how much fabric to buy for a project from its finished size, the seam allowance you are cutting and the width of the bolt you are buying.
At a glance
- What you enter
- Project type, Finished width of one piece, Finished length of one piece, Fabric width (bolt width), Number of pieces to cut, Seam allowance, Waste allowance, Unit system
- What you get
- Fabric needed, Fabric needed (metres), Buy this many yards, Buy this many metres
- Formula shown
- Yes, every step, right below your results.
- Cost and privacy
- Free, no account needed, and nothing you type is stored.
See worked examples ↓ Read the FAQ ↓ Share this calculator ↓
Results are estimates for general information only, always verify with a professional or official source before acting on them.
How to use the Fabric Calculator
- 1 Enter Project type, Included so the result can be compared with the usual figure for this kind of project. The measurements below are what actually drive the maths.
- 2 Enter Finished width of one piece (in), For a garment this is the width of one panel, not the whole body. For a cushion it is the cut width you want.
- 3 Enter Finished length of one piece (in), For a dress or a skirt this is the finished length from shoulder or waist to hem.
- 4 Enter Fabric width (bolt width) (in), Apparel fabric is normally 44/45 in or 58/60 in. Quilting cotton is 44/45 in, wide backing 108 in.
- 5 Enter Number of pieces to cut (pieces), A front, a back and two sleeves is 4. A cushion front and back is 2. Add facings, pockets and a waistband.
- 6 Enter Seam allowance (in), 5/8 in is the commercial pattern standard. 1/4 in is normal for quilt piecing and for serged seams.
- 7 Enter Waste allowance (%), Covers squaring up, matching a repeat and cutting errors. 10 percent for plain fabric, 15 to 20 for a one way print.
- 8 Enter Unit system, Pick the system you want to work in, then enter every measurement below in that system. The formulas convert to inches internally and the results are given in both yards and metres.
- 9 Press Calculate. You get Fabric needed, Fabric needed (metres), Buy this many yards, Buy this many metres, and every intermediate step stays visible under "How is this calculated?"
- 10 Change one number at a time to see what moves the result, that is usually the most useful thing a calculator can tell you.
Worked examples
Real numbers run through this calculator. Open any example to load it into the form above and change it.
Simple A-line dress, 44 inch fabric
A medium dress with a 20 inch wide skirt panel and a 44 inch finished length, cut as four pieces with a 5/8 inch seam allowance.
You enter
- Project type
- 1
- Finished width of one piece
- 20 in
- Finished length of one piece
- 44 in
- Fabric width (bolt width)
- 44 in
- Number of pieces to cut
- 4
- Seam allowance
- 0.63 in
- Waste allowance
- 10%
- Unit system
- 1
You get
- Fabric needed
- 2.67 yd
- Fabric needed (metres)
- 2.44 m
- Buy this many yards
- 2.75 yd
- Buy this many metres
- 2.50 m
About 2.7 yards, which is what a simple A-line dress of this size normally takes. Buy 3 yards and you have a comfortable margin.
Wide cushion cover, metric
A 50 cm square cushion cut as two pieces, with 1.5 cm seams and 110 cm of usable fabric width, working in centimetres.
You enter
- Project type
- 6
- Finished width of one piece
- 50 in
- Finished length of one piece
- 50 in
- Fabric width (bolt width)
- 110 in
- Number of pieces to cut
- 2
- Seam allowance
- 1.50 in
- Waste allowance
- 10%
- Unit system
- 2
You get
- Fabric needed
- 0.61 yd
- Fabric needed (metres)
- 0.56 m
- Buy this many yards
- 1.00 yd
- Buy this many metres
- 0.60 m
One metre of 110 cm fabric covers both cushion panels with room to spare. The metric entries are converted to inches first, so both unit systems run through the same arithmetic.
Sleeveless top, 58 inch fabric
A top with a 22 inch wide bodice panel and a 26 inch finished length, cut as four pieces from 58 inch fabric.
You enter
- Project type
- 2
- Finished width of one piece
- 22 in
- Finished length of one piece
- 26 in
- Fabric width (bolt width)
- 58 in
- Number of pieces to cut
- 4
- Seam allowance
- 0.63 in
- Waste allowance
- 10%
- Unit system
- 1
You get
- Fabric needed
- 1.34 yd
- Fabric needed (metres)
- 1.22 m
- Buy this many yards
- 1.50 yd
- Buy this many metres
- 1.30 m
Wide fabric and a short garment is the cheapest combination there is. A long sleeved version needs roughly twice this.
Guides that go with it
Common Sewing Measurements Explained in Simple Terms
The waistband was two inches too small. I had the fabric cut, the interfacing fused, the pins already in, and when I wrapped it around my own waist to check, it stopped short with a gap you could fit...
How Much Fabric Do You Need for Your Sewing Project?
You can work out your fabric requirement in about 15-30 minutes with a tape measure, your pattern, and a bit of arithmetic. By the end of this guide you will know how to read a pattern envelope, measu...
How Much Seam Allowance Should You Use?
You have cut your fabric, pinned two pieces together, and then it hits you: how far from the edge do I actually sew? Get this wrong and your finished piece is either too tight to wear or too baggy to...
Frequently asked questions
How much fabric do I need for a dress?
What is the standard width of fabric?
How much seam allowance should I add?
Why does wider fabric not save as much as I expected?
Should I buy extra fabric?
Terms used here
Short, plain-language definitions of the words this calculator uses.