Fabric Calculator
Enter the piece size and count, or the rod width and curtain length, and the fabric width, and get the yards to buy with the cutting layout and the hem and fullness maths shown.
0 if the size is already the cut size; ¼ for quilting; ⅝ for garments
Buy
1.875 yd
1.81 yd exact · 65 in
Per width
8 pieces
cut with the width across
Rows to cut
13
each 5 in deep
Cut size
5 × 5 in
as entered
Pieces: the calculator tries both orientations and keeps the one that uses less length. Yardage rounds up to the next ⅛ yd. Curtains: widths = rod × fullness ÷ (fabric width − 2 in for side hems); length adds a doubled 4 in bottom hem and a 4 in header.
Yardage for common cuts on 42-inch fabric
| Cut | Across | Rows | Inches | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2½ in strips (jelly roll size), 40 pieces | 1 | 40 | 100 | 2.875 yd |
| 4 in squares, 100 | 10 | 10 | 40 | 1.125 yd |
| 5 in charm squares, 100 | 8 | 13 | 65 | 1.875 yd |
| 6 in squares, 64 | 7 | 10 | 60 | 1.75 yd |
| 10 in layer-cake squares, 42 | 4 | 11 | 110 | 3.125 yd |
| 12½ in blocks, 20 | 3 | 7 | 87.5 | 2.5 yd |
| Napkins 18 in, 8 | 2 | 4 | 72 | 2 yd |
Curtain yardage by window, 54-inch fabric, double fullness, 2 panels
| Rod width | 63 in long | 84 in long | 96 in long | 108 in long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 in | 4.25 yd | 5.5 yd | 6 yd | 6.75 yd |
| 48 in | 4.25 yd | 5.5 yd | 6 yd | 6.75 yd |
| 60 in | 6.25 yd | 8 yd | 9 yd | 10 yd |
| 72 in | 6.25 yd | 8 yd | 9 yd | 10 yd |
| 96 in | 8.5 yd | 10.75 yd | 12 yd | 13.5 yd |
| 120 in | 10.5 yd | 13.5 yd | 15 yd | 16.75 yd |
Fabric is sold by the running yard of its own width, so the same project needs different yardage on 42, 54 and 108 inch goods; always run the calculator for the width you are actually buying. Directional prints and napped fabrics like velvet and corduroy must all be cut the same way up, which removes the rotation trick and can add a row.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate fabric yardage for cut pieces?
Work out how many pieces fit across the usable width (42 inches for quilting cotton), then how many rows that makes, then rows times the piece's other dimension is the length to buy. One hundred 5-inch squares: 8 fit across 42 inches, so 13 rows of 5 inches, 65 inches, which is 1.8 yards; buy 1⅞. The calculator tries both orientations and picks the one that uses less.
How many yards is a fat quarter, and how many squares does it give?
A fat quarter is 18 × 21 inches, a quarter yard cut wide instead of long. It yields 12 five-inch squares (3 × 4), 9 six-inch squares (3 × 3) or 2 ten-inch squares. A regular quarter yard, 9 × 42, gives 8 five-inch squares in one row but no six-inch squares side by side of use.
How much fabric for curtains?
Width: rod width times fullness, divided by the fabric width less 2 inches for side hems, rounded up to whole widths. Length: finished length plus a doubled 4-inch bottom hem (8) and a 4-inch header. A 60-inch rod at double fullness needs 120 inches, three widths of 54-inch fabric; at 84 inches long each width is cut at 96, so 288 inches, 8 yards. Add one pattern repeat per width for a print that must match.
What is fullness?
How much fabric width goes into the finished width. Double fullness (2×) is standard for pinch pleats and rod pockets; 1.5× for flat panels or heavy fabric; 2.5 to 3× for sheers. Less than 1.5× looks stretched when closed.
Should I add for shrinkage?
Yes for cotton and linen that will be washed: 3 to 5%, which the eighth-yard rounding usually covers for small projects. For curtains and anything over 5 yards, add 5% or pre-wash. The calculator rounds pieces up to the next ⅛ yard and curtains to the next ¼.
These tools use the standard craft-room rules (resin volume by area and depth, quilt overhang and width-of-fabric piecing, yards per square inch by yarn weight, wax weight per fluid ounce, gauge ratios), all stated on each page. Materials vary by brand: check your resin's mix ratio, your wax's fragrance limit and your own swatch, and buy a little over.