acalculator

How much fabric at a different width?

Type the length of fabric your pattern asks for, the fabric width it assumes, and the width of the fabric you want to buy. The calculator keeps the same area of fabric and rounds the length up to the next 1/8 yard and 0.1 meter.

Your numbers

Units
Buy
2 1/4 yd (2.1 m)

At 60 in wide you need 2.25 yd: buy 2 1/4 yd (2.1 m).

Fabric needed
2.25 yd
Yards to buy
2.25
Meters to buy
2.1
Fabric area
3.75 yd²

Buy: 2 1/4 yd (2.1 m). At 60 in wide you need 2.25 yd: buy 2 1/4 yd (2.1 m).

How to calculate

A fabric calculator that converts the yardage a pattern asks for at one fabric width into the length you need at another width, rounded up to the next 1/8 yard or 0.1 m.

Example with the default inputs (Pattern asks for 3 yd, Pattern fabric width 45 in, Your fabric width 60 in): At 60 in wide you need 2.25 yd: buy 2 1/4 yd (2.1 m).

Method: Length needed = pattern length × pattern fabric width ÷ your fabric width × (1 + allowance ÷ 100).

  • The same area of fabric works at the new width; a layout with large pieces may need more.
  • Widths are usable widths, selvage to selvage.
  • The length is rounded up to the next 1/8 yard (or 0.1 m), as fabric is usually cut.

Machine-readable copies: Markdown, JSON.

Worked examples

Each example is checked against the calculator on every build.

  1. Pattern asks for 3 yd, Pattern fabric width 45 in, Your fabric width 60 in gives Fabric needed 2.25 yd, Buy 2 1/4 yd (2.1 m), Yards to buy 2.25, Meters to buy 2.1.Source: NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C, General Tables of Units of Measurement (1 yard = 36 inches; 1 inch = 2.54 centimeters exactly), https://www.nist.gov/document/2026-nist-handbook-44-appendix-c (retrieved 2026-10-03)
  2. Pattern asks for 2 yd, Pattern fabric width 60 in, Your fabric width 45 in, Extra allowance 10% gives Yards to buy 3, Meters to buy 2.7, Buy 3 yd (2.7 m).Source: NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C, General Tables of Units of Measurement (1 yard = 36 inches; 1 inch = 2.54 centimeters exactly), https://www.nist.gov/document/2026-nist-handbook-44-appendix-c (retrieved 2026-10-03)
  3. Pattern asks for 1.64 yd, Pattern fabric width 55.12 in, Your fabric width 43.31 in gives Fabric needed 2.088 yd, Meters to buy 2, Buy 2 1/8 yd (2.0 m).Source: NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C, General Tables of Units of Measurement (1 yard = 36 inches; 1 inch = 2.54 centimeters exactly), https://www.nist.gov/document/2026-nist-handbook-44-appendix-c (retrieved 2026-10-03)

How it works

Fabric of length L and width W covers the area L × W. The same area at another width W₂ needs:

  • length needed = L × W ÷ W₂ × (1 + a ÷ 100), where a is the extra allowance in percent (0 when empty).

Then the length to buy is rounded up:

  • to the next 1/8 yard (1 yd = 36 in = 0.9144 m exactly), shown as a mixed fraction such as 2 1/4 yd;
  • to the next 0.1 meter, shown with one decimal.

The fabric area is L × W, before the allowance.

Rules

  • Lengths and widths can be typed in yards, meters, inches or centimeters; the maths runs on the exact decimals typed, so a length of exactly 2 1/4 yd is not rounded up to 2 3/8 yd.
  • Widths are from 1 in to 1,000 in; the pattern length is from 0.01 yd to 1,000 yd; the allowance is 0% to 100%.
  • A length that lands exactly on a 1/8 yard or a 0.1 m step stays there.

Worked examples by hand

3 yd of 45 in fabric at 60 in wide. 3 × 45 ÷ 60 = 2.25 yd, already on a 1/8 step: buy 2 1/4 yd. In meters, 2.25 × 0.9144 = 2.0574 m, up to 2.1 m.

2 yd of 60 in fabric at 45 in wide, 10% extra. 2 × 60 ÷ 45 = 2.6667 yd; × 1.1 = 2.9333 yd, up to 3 yd. In meters, 2.9333 × 0.9144 = 2.6823 m, up to 2.7 m.

1.5 m of 140 cm fabric at 110 cm wide. 1.5 × 140 ÷ 110 = 1.9091 m, up to 2.0 m. In yards, 1.9091 ÷ 0.9144 = 2.0878 yd, up to 2 1/8 yd.

Other questions people ask

How do I convert fabric yardage to a different width?

Multiply the length the pattern asks for by the pattern’s fabric width, then divide by the width of your fabric. 3 yards of 45 in fabric is 3 × 45 ÷ 60 = 2.25 yards of 60 in fabric.

Why does wider fabric need fewer yards?

Each yard of wider fabric holds more area. A yard of 60 in fabric is 60 × 36 = 2,160 square inches, a third more than the 1,620 square inches in a yard of 45 in fabric.

Is the conversion always exact?

No. It keeps the area, but large pattern pieces may not fit side by side on a narrower fabric, and a one-way print or a nap can need more. Add an allowance, or lay the pieces out on paper at the new width, when in doubt.

How much extra fabric should I buy?

Many sewers add about 10% for shrinkage when the fabric is washed first, and more for a large print you must match. Type it as the extra allowance.

Why is the answer rounded up to 1/8 yard?

Shops in the US usually cut fabric in 1/8 yard steps, and in metric countries in 10 cm steps. Rounding up makes sure the cut covers the length you need.

What width is my fabric?

Quilting cotton is usually sold as 44 in or 45 in (about 42 in usable after the selvages), apparel fabrics as 54 in or 60 in, and wide backing as 108 in. Use the usable width from selvage to selvage.