Fabric Yardage Calculator
Enter Your Fabric Details
Fill in piece dimensions, number of pieces, and fabric width above to calculate how many yards to buy.
How to Use the Fabric Yardage Calculator
Choose a Preset or Enter Piece Dimensions
Select a project preset (baby quilt, dress, pillow, etc.) to auto-fill common dimensions, or enter your own piece width and length. Use the unit toggle to switch between inches and centimeters. Enter the total number of pieces you need to cut.
Set Fabric Width and Seam Allowance
Choose your fabric's width from the standard dropdown (36", 42", 45", 54", 60", 72", 108") or enter a custom width. Then select the seam allowance that matches your project: ¼" for quilting, ⅝" for garments, 1" for curtains. The calculator adds seam allowance to every piece before computing the layout.
Configure Advanced Options (Optional)
Open Advanced Options to enable directional print mode (for napped or one-way fabrics), enter a pattern repeat distance (for matching plaids or prints), set a pre-wash shrinkage percentage (3–7% for cotton), choose a safety buffer (10% is a good default), and optionally enter cost per yard for a total material cost estimate.
Read Your Results and Compare Options
The calculator shows your recommended purchase in yards and meters, rounded up to the nearest ⅛ yard. Check the cutting layout section to see how many pieces fit per row and how many rows are needed. Review the dual-orientation comparison to see if rotating your pieces would save fabric, and check the 45" vs 60" comparison to decide which fabric width offers better value. Export to CSV or print results to take to the fabric store.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the calculator round up to the nearest ⅛ yard?
Quilting fabric is traditionally sold in increments of ⅛ yard at quilt shops, making ⅛ yard the finest resolution you can actually purchase. Rounding up ensures you always have enough fabric. The calculator also offers rounding to the nearest ¼ yard for general fabric stores that do not cut in smaller increments. Always round up rather than down — fabric stores typically will not take back cut yardage, so it is far better to have a small amount extra than to run short mid-project.
What is the dual-orientation comparison and why does it matter?
Rectangular fabric pieces can be laid out in two ways on the fabric: with the shorter dimension running across the fabric width, or rotated 90 degrees. Depending on the piece proportions and fabric width, one orientation will fit more pieces per row and therefore require fewer total rows — meaning less fabric. The calculator tests both orientations and highlights the one that uses less yardage. The savings can be significant: for a 10" × 15" piece on 45" fabric, switching from one orientation to the other could save half a yard or more on a large quilt project.
How do I account for a directional print or fabric with nap?
Enable the Directional / Napped Fabric toggle in Advanced Options. This tells the calculator that all pieces must be cut in the same direction — stripes must run the same way, velvet pile must face the same direction, one-way florals must not be rotated. When directional mode is on, the calculator cannot take advantage of piece rotation to save fabric, so the result will generally be higher than for a non-directional fabric. This is the correct and accurate reflection of the extra yardage these fabrics require.
What does the pattern repeat field do?
When fabric has a regularly repeating print — for example, a 12-inch floral repeat — pieces cut in adjacent rows should start at the same point in the repeat so the pattern aligns across seams. To achieve this, each row must begin at a multiple of the repeat distance from the start of the fabric. The calculator rounds each row's effective cut length up to the next full repeat, which increases total yardage. Enter 0 if your fabric has no repeat or you are not concerned with pattern matching (common for solid fabrics or abstract prints where alignment is not visible).
How much shrinkage should I account for?
Cotton quilting fabric typically shrinks 3–5% in the first wash. Heavier cotton (canvas, denim) and linen can shrink 5–8%. Wool may shrink up to 10–15% if not handled carefully. Polyester, nylon, and most synthetics shrink less than 1% and you can safely enter 0. Pre-washing before cutting is strongly recommended for garments and quilts that will be washed in use. Adding the shrinkage percentage to your calculation ensures your finished project comes out at the correct size even after the fabric settles.
Why does the calculator subtract 1 inch from the fabric width?
Fabric bolts have selvedge edges — tightly woven finished edges on both sides that are not suitable for garment seams or quilt piecing. The industry standard is to avoid using approximately 0.5 inch per selvedge (1 inch total). This is baked into the calculator's usable width calculation. If your fabric has particularly wide or narrow selvedges, you can adjust by choosing a custom fabric width that already accounts for the selvedges you plan to trim. The usable width figure is shown in the Calculation Details section of your results.