Work out how much fabric to buy before you get to the cutting counter. Pick a project and the calculator handles the sewing math: curtain fullness and pattern repeats, quilt blocks with quarter-inch seams, pieced backing and binding strips, tablecloth drops, and envelope-back pillow covers. For simple garments and bags, the cut list mode takes any set of rectangles (cut sizes including seam allowance) and lays them out across the width of the fabric. The result is in yards and meters, rounded up the way shops cut, with a written cut plan.
Everything runs in your browser. If a pattern gives sizes in a unit you don't use, the unit converter handles inches, centimeters, yards, and meters. Planning a table setting as well? The wedding seating chart builder tells you how many tables to cover, and the percentage calculator is handy for working out shrinkage from a test swatch.
Frequently asked questions
How much fabric do I need for curtains?
Multiply the rod width by the fullness you want (2× for gathered, 2.5× for pinch pleats), split that across your panels, and add side hems. Divide by the usable fabric width to get how many widths each panel needs. Then multiply the number of drops by the cut length, which is the finished length plus header and hem allowances. A pair of 84-inch curtains on a 60-inch rod with 54-inch fabric works out to four drops of about 100 inches, or roughly 11 1/8 yards before any buffer.
What is a pattern repeat and why does it add fabric?
The repeat is the distance before a printed or woven motif starts again, usually printed on the bolt end or selvage. Every curtain drop must start at the same point in the pattern so the panels match across the window, so each cut length is rounded up to a whole number of repeats. We also add one extra repeat so you can choose where the motif sits on the first cut. Large repeats on long curtains can add a yard or more, which is why plain fabric is cheaper to work with.
Why does the calculator use less than the full fabric width?
Selvages, the tightly woven edges of the fabric, shrink and pucker differently from the rest of the cloth, so most sewists trim them off. We subtract one inch per side, which turns 44-inch quilting cotton into the 42 inches of usable width most quilt patterns assume. When two widths are sewn together we also allow one inch for the join seam. If you plan to use the selvage inside a hem, your real yardage may come in slightly lower than our estimate.
How is quilt backing calculated?
Backing is cut four inches larger than the quilt top on every side, because long-arm quilters need extra fabric to clamp to the frame and the layers shift slightly during quilting. If the backing is wider than your fabric, the calculator works out both ways of piecing it, with seams running top to bottom or side to side, and picks whichever uses less fabric. Choosing 108-inch wide-back fabric usually removes the seams entirely for quilts up to about queen size.
Should I add extra fabric for shrinkage and mistakes?
Yes, for most projects. Cotton and linen can shrink 3 to 5 percent in the first wash, and fabric is rarely cut perfectly straight at the counter, so you lose a little squaring it up. The 10 percent buffer option covers both, plus a small cutting mistake. Fabric shops cut to the eighth of a yard, so the result is rounded up to the next 1/8 yard and the next tenth of a meter. Buying it all at once also keeps everything from the same dye lot.