Fabric Yardage Calculator

Yardage from finished measurements for a garment, adding seam allowance, hem, layout waste and pattern repeat matching.

This is the fabric calculator arranged the way a dressmaker works: you start with body measurements and a garment length, not with a cut list. Enter the widest measurement the garment has to cover, the finished length, how many pieces the pattern has and the bolt width, and it returns the yardage for the whole garment with every allowance shown separately so you can see where the fabric goes.

At a glance

What you enter: Garment type, Fabric width (bolt width), Chest, bust or hip (full circumference), Finished garment length, Sleeve length from shoulder seam, Body panel pieces to cut, Sleeve pieces to cut, Seam allowance, Hem allowance, Pattern repeat, if the print has one
What you get: Total fabric length, Fabric needed, Buy this many yards, Fabric needed in metres, Usual figure for this garment at 45 in, Usual figure for this garment at 58 in
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 ↓

Garment type

Included so the result can be compared with the usual yardage figure for this garment. The measurements below are what drive the maths.

Fabric width (bolt width)

The two bolt widths almost all apparel fabric is sold in.

Chest, bust or hip (full circumference) in

Measure the fullest part and add the ease the design needs, usually 2 to 4 in on a woven garment. For a skirt or trousers use the hip, which is where the fit is decided.

Finished garment length in

Shoulder to hem on a dress, waist to hem on a skirt, waist to ankle on trousers.

Sleeve length from shoulder seam in

Leave at zero for a sleeveless garment.

Body panel pieces to cut pieces

A front and a back cut as two pairs on the fold is 4. A simple skirt is 2 plus a waistband.

Sleeve pieces to cut pieces

Two sleeves cut as a pair from folded fabric is 4. Use 2 if you cut them flat and separately.

Seam allowance in

0.625 for 5/8 in, 0.5 for 1/2 in. A commercial pattern already includes its allowance in the printed cutting line, so enter the allowance the pattern assumes.

Hem allowance in

A dress hem is usually 2 to 3 in, a shirt hem 1 to 1.5 in.

Pattern repeat, if the print has one in

Measure the vertical distance between two identical points in the print. Leave at zero for a plain or a small all over print.

Reset

Results are estimates for general information only, always verify with a professional or official source before acting on them.

How to use the Fabric Yardage Calculator

1 Enter Garment type, Included so the result can be compared with the usual yardage figure for this garment. The measurements below are what drive the maths.
2 Enter Fabric width (bolt width), The two bolt widths almost all apparel fabric is sold in.
3 Enter Chest, bust or hip (full circumference) (in), Measure the fullest part and add the ease the design needs, usually 2 to 4 in on a woven garment. For a skirt or trousers use the hip, which is where the fit is decided.
4 Enter Finished garment length (in), Shoulder to hem on a dress, waist to hem on a skirt, waist to ankle on trousers.
5 Enter Sleeve length from shoulder seam (in), Leave at zero for a sleeveless garment.
6 Enter Body panel pieces to cut (pieces), A front and a back cut as two pairs on the fold is 4. A simple skirt is 2 plus a waistband.
7 Enter Sleeve pieces to cut (pieces), Two sleeves cut as a pair from folded fabric is 4. Use 2 if you cut them flat and separately.
8 Enter Seam allowance (in), 0.625 for 5/8 in, 0.5 for 1/2 in. A commercial pattern already includes its allowance in the printed cutting line, so enter the allowance the pattern assumes.
9 Enter Hem allowance (in), A dress hem is usually 2 to 3 in, a shirt hem 1 to 1.5 in.
10 Enter Pattern repeat, if the print has one (in), Measure the vertical distance between two identical points in the print. Leave at zero for a plain or a small all over print.
11 Press Calculate. You get Total fabric length, Fabric needed, Buy this many yards, Fabric needed in metres, Usual figure for this garment at 45 in, Usual figure for this garment at 58 in, and every intermediate step stays visible under "How is this calculated?"
12 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.

Long sleeved dress, 44 inch fabric

A 36 inch bust, 40 inch finished length, 24 inch sleeves, four body panels and four sleeve pieces, a 2 inch hem and no repeat.

You enter

Garment type: 1
Fabric width (bolt width): 1
Chest, bust or hip (full circumference): 36 in
Finished garment length: 40 in
Sleeve length from shoulder seam: 24 in
Body panel pieces to cut: 4
Sleeve pieces to cut: 4
Seam allowance: 0.50 in
Hem allowance: 2 in
Pattern repeat, if the print has one: 0 in

You get

Total fabric length: 93.15 in
Fabric needed: 2.59 yd
Buy this many yards: 2.75 yd
Fabric needed in metres: 2.37 m
Usual figure for this garment at 45 in: 3.50 yd
Usual figure for this garment at 58 in: 2.75 yd

About 2.6 yards, which sits inside the 2.5 to 3 yards a pattern envelope normally quotes for this dress. Compare the two before you buy.

Open this example in the calculator →

Checked skirt with a repeat

A 40 inch hip, 24 inch finished length, two body panels and no sleeves, a 3 inch hem and a 6 inch pattern repeat.

You enter

Garment type: 3
Fabric width (bolt width): 2
Chest, bust or hip (full circumference): 40 in
Finished garment length: 24 in
Sleeve length from shoulder seam: 0 in
Body panel pieces to cut: 2
Sleeve pieces to cut: 0
Seam allowance: 0.50 in
Hem allowance: 3 in
Pattern repeat, if the print has one: 6 in

You get

Total fabric length: 41.25 in
Fabric needed: 1.15 yd
Buy this many yards: 1.25 yd
Fabric needed in metres: 1.05 m
Usual figure for this garment at 45 in: 1.75 yd
Usual figure for this garment at 58 in: 1.50 yd

A check has to be matched at the side seams, which is what the higher waste allowance is for.

Open this example in the calculator →

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Frequently asked questions

How much fabric does a shirt need?

A long sleeved adult shirt takes about 2.25 yards of 45 inch fabric and about 1.75 to 2 yards of 58 inch. A short sleeved shirt drops to roughly 1.5 yards at 45 inches. Add a quarter yard if the fabric has a large check or a one way print, because every piece has to be cut in the same direction and the layout stops being nestable.

Why do pattern envelopes say 5/8 inch seam allowance?

A 5/8 inch allowance is the commercial pattern standard because it gives enough fabric to let out a seam during a fitting, and enough to press over a curve without the seam grinning. Home drafted patterns and many independent designers use 3/8 inch instead. Always check the pattern instructions, because the allowance is already included in the printed cutting line.

How much extra fabric should I allow for a pattern repeat?

Allow half as much again as the plain version of the same garment, rather than the 15 to 20 percent people usually quote. That sounds like a lot until you watch a check being matched: every pattern piece has to be positioned so the design lines up at the seam, which stops the pieces nesting and increases the gaps between them. A large one way print is worse still, because the pieces cannot be flipped to fill a gap either.

Does the fabric width change the yardage much?

It changes it substantially when pieces can be laid side by side. A 44 inch bolt folded gives 88 inches of usable width, so five panels of 15 inches fit in one row. A 58 inch bolt folded gives 116 inches, which fits seven. Narrow a panel to 20 inches and the 44 inch bolt takes four per row while the 58 inch bolt takes five, which is a real saving across a whole garment.

Terms used here

Short, plain-language definitions of the words this calculator uses.

Grainline The direction of the threads in a woven fabric. Nap The direction in which a fabric pile or surface texture lies, such as on velvet, corduroy, fleece or brushed cotton. Pattern repeat The distance before a printed or woven design repeats along a length of fabric. Seam allowance The extra fabric between the stitching line and the raw edge, which is trimmed or pressed inside the finished seam. Selvedge The finished, tightly woven edge that runs along both sides of a length of fabric, where the weft thread turns back. Yardage The length of fabric a project needs, measured along the length of the bolt.

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