Fabric Yardage Calculator

Estimate fabric from your cut pieces

Enter the usable fabric width and the full cut dimensions of every piece. This fabric yardage calculator builds one feasible layout of rectangles across a single layer of fabric, then adds your extra length, length shrinkage and purchase increment.

For a curved pattern piece, measure its enclosing rectangle with the grainline parallel to the length. Include seam and hem allowances in those cut dimensions. Enter every copy, including mirrored pieces, facings and waistbands.

Width runs across the fabric; length runs along its grain. Use the usable width after removing selvages and allowing for any width shrinkage. Changing units converts all entered lengths.

Measurement unit

Usable fabric width (cm) The full single-layer cutting width, not the width of folded fabric.

Extra cutting length (cm) Your allowance after prewashing for squaring ends, layout adjustments or matching. Enter 0 if none.

Expected length shrinkage (%) Use a measured or supplier-stated percentage. Enter 0 for fabric already prewashed.

Purchase increment (cm) The length unit your shop sells. For example, 10 cm or 9 in for quarter-yard increments.

Cut pieces

Add up to 20 piece types and 200 total copies. Keep rotation off unless the pattern and fabric permit a 90° change of grain. One-way nap, stretch and directional prints may rule it out.

Enter your cut pieces and select Calculate yardage.

One feasible layout: cuts are placed side by side in each row
Row	Cuts: across × along	Used width	Row length	Unused width

Rows follow one another along the fabric. Their lengths add up to the layout length. A “rotated” cut uses the 90° permission you gave for that piece. Displayed results are rounded to two decimals; this does not increase measuring or cutting precision. Check the layout and round your purchase up to an available shop increment.

How the estimate works

The calculator groups cut rectangles into rows. Each row uses the longest cut in that row as its length, and the total width of its cuts never exceeds your usable fabric width. The sum of those row lengths is one feasible cutting length. It is not an optimal layout and does not nest curved pieces.

Before rounding = (layout length + extra cutting length) ÷ (1 − length shrinkage ÷ 100)
Purchase length = before rounding, rounded up to your purchase increment.

The example uses a 140 cm width, two 40 × 80 cm cuts and one 60 × 60 cm cut. All three fit across one row: 40 + 40 + 60 = 140 cm. The layout is 80 cm long. With 10 cm extra and 5% length shrinkage, 90 ÷ 0.95 = 94.74 cm before rounding; buying in 10 cm increments gives 100 cm (1 m, about 1.09 yd).

Check your pattern before buying

Confirm the actual pattern layout and fabric instructions before purchase. Matching checks, large prints, nap, border placement, bias cutting and fold-only pieces require a suitable manual layout and may need more fabric. The tool adds no automatic allowance for them and does not predict yardage from a garment size.

Use the fabric measurement methods guide for measurement planning and printing and assembly guide to check the scale of a PDF pattern before measuring it. The circle skirt calculator works out circular drafting radii; measure your resulting cut pieces separately for yardage.

Browse dress sewing patterns and skirt sewing patterns when choosing a project. Check each product’s preparation status and specifications before ordering.