acalculator

How much fabric yardage do I need?

Type how many pieces you will cut, the size of one piece, the width of the fabric and an allowance for shrinkage. The yardage calculator lays the pieces in rows across the fabric and tells you how much to buy, rounded up to the next 1/8 yard (or 0.1 m).

Your numbers

Measure in
Fabric to buy
1 3/8 yd

Buy 1 3/8 yd of fabric for 4 pieces.

Yards needed
1.344
Meters needed
1.229
Length needed (in your unit)
48.4
Pieces across the width
2
Rows
2

Fabric to buy: 1 3/8 yd. Buy 1 3/8 yd of fabric for 4 pieces.

How to calculate

Works out how many yards (or meters) of fabric to buy for a number of same-size pieces, from the piece size, the fabric width and an allowance for shrinkage, rounded up to 1/8 yard.

Example with the default inputs (Measure in Inches, Number of pieces 4, Piece length 22, Piece width 18, Fabric width 44, Extra for shrinkage 10%): Buy 1 3/8 yd of fabric for 4 pieces.

Method: Across = ⌊fabric width ÷ piece width⌋; rows = ⌈pieces ÷ across⌉; length = rows × piece length × (1 + extra ÷ 100); yards = inches ÷ 36, rounded up to 1/8 yard (meters = cm ÷ 100, rounded up to 0.1 m).

  • All pieces are the same rectangle, cut in rows straight across the fabric with no turning and no pattern repeat.
  • The piece sizes already include seam allowances; the fabric width is the usable width.
  • Fabric is bought in 1/8 yard steps (inches) or 0.1 m steps (centimeters).

Machine-readable copies: Markdown, JSON.

Worked examples

Each example is checked against the calculator on every build.

  1. Measure in Inches, Number of pieces 4, Piece length 22, Piece width 18, Fabric width 44, Extra for shrinkage 10% gives Fabric to buy 1 3/8 yd, Yards needed 1.344444, Length needed (in your unit) 48.4, Pieces across the width 2, Rows 2, Meters needed 1.22936.Source: NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C, General Tables of Units of Measurement (1 yard = 3 feet = 36 inches; 1 inch = 2.54 centimeters exactly), https://www.nist.gov/document/2026-nist-handbook-44-appendix-c (retrieved 2026-10-02)
  2. Measure in Centimeters, Number of pieces 6, Piece length 50, Piece width 40, Fabric width 150, Extra for shrinkage 0% gives Fabric to buy 1 m, Meters needed 1, Yards needed 1.093613, Pieces across the width 3, Rows 2, Length needed (in your unit) 100.Source: NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C, General Tables of Units of Measurement (1 yard = 3 feet = 36 inches; 1 inch = 2.54 centimeters exactly), https://www.nist.gov/document/2026-nist-handbook-44-appendix-c (retrieved 2026-10-02)
  3. Measure in Inches, Number of pieces 1, Piece length 36, Piece width 44, Fabric width 44, Extra for shrinkage 0% gives Fabric to buy 1 yd, Yards needed 1, Pieces across the width 1, Rows 1.Source: NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C, General Tables of Units of Measurement (1 yard = 3 feet = 36 inches; 1 inch = 2.54 centimeters exactly), https://www.nist.gov/document/2026-nist-handbook-44-appendix-c (retrieved 2026-10-02)
  4. Measure in Inches, Number of pieces 10, Piece length 10.5, Piece width 15, Fabric width 54, Extra for shrinkage 5% gives Fabric to buy 1 1/4 yd, Yards needed 1.225, Length needed (in your unit) 44.1, Pieces across the width 3, Rows 4.Source: NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C, General Tables of Units of Measurement (1 yard = 3 feet = 36 inches; 1 inch = 2.54 centimeters exactly), https://www.nist.gov/document/2026-nist-handbook-44-appendix-c (retrieved 2026-10-02)

How it works

All lengths are in the unit you pick (inches or centimeters):

  1. Pieces across = ⌊fabric width ÷ piece width⌋ (rounded down). If it is 0, the piece is wider than the fabric: no answer.
  2. Rows = ⌈pieces ÷ pieces across⌉ (rounded up).
  3. Length needed = rows × piece length × (100 + extra %) ÷ 100.
  4. In inches: yards = length ÷ 36 and meters = yards × 0.9144. In centimeters: meters = length ÷ 100 and yards = length ÷ 91.44.
  5. Fabric to buy: in inches, yards rounded up to the next multiple of 1/8; in centimeters, meters rounded up to the next multiple of 0.1.

Each typed decimal is read exactly as a fraction (10.5 is 21/2), so the rounding up is exact: a length of exactly 1 3/8 yards stays 1 3/8.

Rules

  • 1 to 1,000 pieces; piece and fabric sizes from 0.01 to 10,000; extra 0% to 100%.
  • Pieces are same-size rectangles cut in straight rows, with the piece length along the fabric and no turning, nap or pattern repeat. Sizes include seam allowances.

Output format. “Fabric to buy” reads like “1 3/8 yd” (a whole number and a fraction in eighths, in lowest terms, such as 1 1/4 yd or 1 yd) or “1.1 m”. Yards and meters needed show up to 3 decimals; the length needed shows up to 2.

Worked examples by hand

4 pieces 22 in long by 18 in wide, on 44 in fabric, 10% extra. Across ⌊44 ÷ 18⌋ = 2; rows ⌈4 ÷ 2⌉ = 2; length 2 × 22 × 1.10 = 48.4 in = 48.4 ÷ 36 = 1.344 yd (1.229 m). In eighths: 1.344 × 8 = 10.76, up to 11, so buy 1 3/8 yd.

6 pieces 50 cm by 40 cm, on 150 cm fabric, no extra. Across ⌊150 ÷ 40⌋ = 3; rows 2; length 2 × 50 = 100 cm = 1 m (1.094 yd). Buy 1 m.

1 piece 36 in by 44 in, on 44 in fabric, no extra. 1 across, 1 row, 36 in = exactly 1 yd.

10 pieces 10.5 in by 15 in, on 54 in fabric, 5% extra. Across ⌊54 ÷ 15⌋ = 3; rows ⌈10 ÷ 3⌉ = 4; length 4 × 10.5 × 1.05 = 44.1 in = 1.225 yd; 1.225 × 8 = 9.8, up to 10, so buy 1 1/4 yd.

Other questions people ask

How do I calculate fabric yardage?

Find how many pieces fit across the fabric (fabric width ÷ piece width, rounded down), how many rows that takes (pieces ÷ pieces across, rounded up), and multiply the rows by the piece length. Add an allowance, then divide inches by 36 to get yards.

How much fabric do I need for 4 pieces 18 in by 22 in?

On 44 in fabric, 2 pieces fit across (44 ÷ 18 = 2.4), so 2 rows of 22 in: 44 in. With 10% extra that is 48.4 in, or 1.344 yards. Buy 1 3/8 yards.

How many inches are in a yard?

36 inches (3 feet). A yard is also exactly 0.9144 meters, because an inch is exactly 2.54 cm (NIST Handbook 44).

What fabric widths are common?

Quilting cotton is often 44 to 45 in wide (about 42 in usable), apparel and home decor fabrics 54 in or 60 in. Use the usable width between the selvages.

Why add extra for shrinkage?

Many fabrics shrink when first washed, and the cut end is rarely straight. Adding about 10% to the length covers both; add more for fabric that shrinks a lot.

Why round up to 1/8 yard?

Fabric stores usually cut in 1/8 yard steps (4.5 in). Rounding up makes sure the piece you buy is long enough. In centimeters the page rounds up to 0.1 m (10 cm).

What if my pieces have different sizes or a pattern repeat?

Work out each size on its own and add the lengths, or lay out a sketch. This page assumes same-size rectangles in plain rows, without turning pieces and without matching a print.