Fabric Yardage Calculator
Work out how much fabric to buy for a project from piece size, piece count, and fabric width, rounded up to the nearest quarter yard.
This assumes plain block pieces laid straight across the width, no directional print or nap. Add extra for directional prints, napped fabric like velvet or corduroy, and matching a pattern repeat.
How it works
Enter the cut size of one piece (length and width, seam allowance already included), how many pieces the project needs, and the width of the fabric you plan to buy. The calculator figures out how many pieces fit side by side across that width, then how many rows of pieces you need to fit them all, then the total fabric length those rows take up. Finally it rounds that length up to the nearest quarter yard, because fabric stores sell by the yard and cutting exactly on the line leaves you with nothing to spare.
Worked example: four pieces cut at 20 by 15 inches on 44 inch wide fabric. Two 15 inch pieces fit across the 44 inch width, so you need two rows to fit all four pieces. Two rows of 20 inch pieces is 40 inches of fabric, and 40 inches rounded up to the nearest quarter yard is 1.25 yards. Change the fabric to 60 inches wide with bigger 36 by 30 inch pieces and it works the same way: two pieces still fit across the width, one row covers both pieces, and 36 inches comes out to an even 1 yard.
FAQ
What if my piece is wider than the fabric?
The calculator will tell you the piece doesn't fit. Either choose a wider bolt of fabric or turn the piece so its shorter side runs across the width instead. For a piece that's wider than any standard bolt, you'll need to piece it from two widths and add a seam, which this simple calculator doesn't account for.
Why does it round up to a quarter yard instead of giving me the exact inches?
Most fabric counters cut in quarter yard increments, so asking for 1.11 yards just gets rounded up at the register anyway. Rounding here also builds in a small cushion for squaring up the fabric edge and for a cutting mistake, which matters more on a first project than it will once you've made a few.
Do I need extra fabric for a directional print or napped fabric?
Yes. Prints with an obvious up and down, and napped fabrics like velvet or corduroy that change color depending on which way you brush them, need every piece cut facing the same direction. That usually rules out the two-pieces-per-row layout this calculator assumes, so budget extra, often 25 to 50% more, and lay your pattern pieces out before cutting anything.
Should I buy exactly what the calculator says?
Add a little more if you can. Cotton typically shrinks 2 to 5% the first time it's washed, which is part of why pre-washing before you cut matters, and a beginner's first attempt at a layout rarely uses the fabric as efficiently as planned. A quarter yard of insurance is cheap compared to running short partway through a project.
For more on getting clean, accurate pieces once you've bought the fabric, see how to measure and cut fabric accurately, why you should pre-wash fabric before sewing, and a beginner's guide to common fabric types if you're still choosing what to buy.