Fabric Yardage Calculator
Figure out exactly how much fabric to buy for clothing, upholstery, cushions, quilting, or curtains — with a real breakdown, not just a number.
Fill in your project details above and select “Calculate yardage” to see your estimate.
How to calculate fabric yardage
The calculator above does this math for you, but it helps to understand the method — especially if you’re adapting a project the tool doesn’t have a preset for.
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Measure what you’re covering
Get the length and width, in inches, of every piece your project needs — a garment panel, a cushion face, a quilt top, a curtain drop.
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Find the total area
Multiply length by width for each piece, then add every piece together. This gives you the total area in square inches.
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Divide by your fabric’s width
Fabric comes off the bolt at a fixed width — commonly 45, 54, or 60 inches. Divide your total area by that width to get the length of fabric you’ll need to cut, in inches.
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Convert to yards
Divide that length by 36 (the number of inches in a yard). That’s your base yardage, before buffers.
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Add your buffers
Add roughly 10% for seam allowance and cutting mistakes. If your fabric has a nap, stripe, or repeating print that needs to line up, add another 10–20% on top — this is one of the most common places people run short.
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Round up
Fabric is cut and sold in fractional yards, and stores won’t sell you less than a quarter yard at a time, so always round your final number up — never down.
Fabric yardage chart by project type
Rough starting points at 44–45″ fabric width. Your actual number will shift with size, fullness, and fabric width — use the calculator above for a figure tailored to your project.
| Project | Typical yardage | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Skirt | 1.25 – 2 yd | More for a full or gathered skirt |
| Shirt | 1.75 – 2.5 yd | Long sleeves need the higher end |
| Pants | 2 – 3 yd | Wide-leg or tall sizing needs more |
| Dress | 2.5 – 4 yd | Varies a lot with fullness and length |
| Curtain panel | 2.5 – 6 yd per panel | Depends on drop length and fullness ratio |
| Twin quilt backing | 5.5 – 6 yd | One width of fabric usually isn’t wide enough — seaming is common |
| Full quilt backing | 6.5 – 7.5 yd | Or ~3 yd of 108″ wide-back fabric |
| Queen quilt backing | 8 – 9 yd | Or ~3.5 yd of 108″ wide-back fabric |
| King quilt backing | 9.5 – 10.5 yd | Or ~4 yd of 108″ wide-back fabric |
Common fabric width guide
Fabric width — how wide the bolt is, not how much you’re buying — changes how much length you need. Wider fabric almost always means less overall yardage.
The most common width for quilting cotton and many garment fabrics. Good for smaller projects and piecing.
Standard for many home decor and apparel fabrics, including a lot of upholstery-weight cottons and linens.
Common for knits, wools, and some drapery fabrics. Buying at this width often means less total yardage.
“Wide-back” fabric, made specifically so a quilt backing doesn’t need to be pieced together from narrower panels.
Tips for buying the right amount of fabric
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Account for nap and pattern repeat. Velvet, corduroy, and any fabric with a large or directional print needs every piece cut facing the same way, which wastes fabric between repeats. Budget an extra 10–20%.
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Pre-wash and account for shrinkage. Natural fibers like cotton and linen can shrink 3–5% on the first wash. If you plan to pre-wash, buy slightly more to cover the loss.
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Build in a real waste percentage. Cutting mistakes, uneven bolts, and squaring up edges all eat into your total. A 10% buffer is a sensible floor, not a worst case.
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Buy it all in one trip. Dye lots vary between bolts and between production runs, so fabric bought later may not match exactly, even with the same name and color on the label.
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Round up, then round up again. Stores cut in fractional yards, not exact decimals, and a project made of several pieces compounds small shortfalls quickly.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate how many yards of fabric I need?
Work out the total area you need to cover in square inches, divide by your fabric’s usable width, then divide by 36 to convert to yards. Add roughly 10% for seam allowance, plus 10–20% more if you’re working with a directional print, stripe, or nap. Always round the final number up to the nearest quarter yard.
Is a yard of fabric 3 feet by 3 feet?
Not quite. A yard of fabric is 36 inches long, but its width depends on the bolt — typically 45, 54, or 60 inches — not 36. So a yard of fabric is a rectangle, not a 3-foot square.
How to calculate total yardage?
Add up the yardage needed for every component of your project — main fabric, lining, binding — after each has its own waste buffer applied. Round each component up to the nearest quarter yard before adding them together, then round the combined total up again.
How much fabric is in 1 kg?
There’s no single answer, since it depends on the fabric’s weight (GSM). As rough examples: a lightweight cotton lawn around 100 GSM gives roughly 7–8 yards per kilogram at 54″ width; a mid-weight quilting cotton around 150 GSM gives roughly 4–5 yards; a heavier fabric like denim around 300–400 GSM gives closer to 1.5–2 yards. Check the specific fabric’s weight rather than relying on one flat number.
How long is 1 yard in fabric?
One yard is 36 inches, or about 0.91 meters, measured along the length of the bolt. The width is separate and depends on the fabric, so one yard always means the same length, but not the same total amount of material.
How can I calculate yards?
Measure the length you need in inches and divide by 36. For a project rather than a single length, calculate the total area needed, divide by the fabric’s width, then divide by 36, and add a buffer for seams and pattern matching before rounding up.
How to fabric yardage calculator
The calculator above does this math for you, but it helps to understand the method — especially if you’re adapting a project the tool doesn’t have a preset for.
- Measure what you’re coveringGet the length and width, in inches, of every piece your project needs — a garment panel, a cushion face, a quilt top, a curtain drop.
- Find the total areaMultiply length by width for each piece, then add every piece together. This gives you the total area in square inches.
- Divide by your fabric’s widthFabric comes off the bolt at a fixed width — commonly 45, 54, or 60 inches. Divide your total area by that width to get the length of fabric you’ll need to cut, in inches.
- Convert to yardsDivide that length by 36 (the number of inches in a fabric yardage calculator). That’s your base yardage, before buffers.
- Add your buffersAdd roughly 10% for seam allowance and cutting mistakes. If your fabric has a nap, stripe, or repeating print that needs to line up, add another 10–20% on top — this is one of the most common places people run short.
- Round upFabric is cut and sold in fractional yards, and stores won’t sell you less than a quarter yard at a time, so always round your final number up — never down.
Tips for buying the right amount of fabric
- Account for nap and pattern repeat. Velvet, corduroy, and any fabric with a large or directional print needs every piece cut facing the same way, which wastes fabric between repeats. Budget an extra 10–20%.
- Pre-wash and account for shrinkage. Natural fibers like cotton and linen can shrink 3–5% on the first wash. If you plan to pre-wash, buy slightly more to cover the loss.
- Build in a real waste percentage. Cutting mistakes, uneven bolts, and squaring up edges all eat into your total. A 10% buffer is a sensible floor, not a worst case.
- Buy it all in one trip. Dye lots vary between bolts and between production runs, so fabric bought later may not match exactly, even with the same name and color on the label.
- Round up, then round up again. Stores cut in fractional yards, not exact decimals, and a project made of several pieces compounds small shortfalls quickly.
