🪡 Fabric Yardage Calculator
Choose a garment, size, and fabric width to see how many yards to buy — with the yardage automatically adjusted for wider 60-inch bolts so you don't over- or under-order.
🧵 Estimate Your Fabric
What is a Fabric Yardage Calculator?
It answers the question every costume maker faces at the fabric store: how many yards do I actually need? The tool holds an average, single-layer yardage for common garments at each size, quoted at the standard 45-inch bolt width, and scales it for wider 60-inch fabric so you buy the right length rather than guessing.
Use it to price a project before you start, avoid a second trip mid-sew, and stop money going to waste on leftover cloth. Treat the result as a solid starting estimate and add a margin for pattern-matching, napped fabrics, and lining.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How does the fabric yardage calculator work?
Pick the garment you're making — cape, cloak, tunic, dress, skirt, or pants — choose a size, and select your fabric width. The tool starts from an average, single-layer yardage quoted at the common 45-inch bolt width, then scales it down for wider 60-inch fabric (which covers more per yard) and shows the yards to buy.
Why does fabric width change how much I need?
Yardage is a measure of length, but fabric also has a width. A wider bolt lets you fit more pattern pieces side by side, so you need fewer yards of length. This calculator applies a 0.8 factor for 60-inch fabric versus 45-inch, which reflects that typical saving — always sanity-check against your actual pattern layout.
Should I buy extra fabric?
Yes, a little. Round up to the next quarter yard at the counter and add extra for prints or plaids that need pattern-matching, for napped fabrics like velvet where every piece must run the same direction, for a very tall wearer, or simply to allow for a cutting mistake. A spare quarter-yard is cheap insurance.
Do these numbers include lining and trim?
No — the estimates cover the main outer fabric only. Lining, interfacing, contrast panels, and trim are separate; calculate each of those the same way, and remember a fully lined cloak or dress roughly doubles the outer-fabric figure.