🧵 Fabric Yardage Estimator

Pattern envelopes quote fabric for one specific width, and most fabric is not sold in that width. This converts for the width you actually bought, then adds the three allowances people forget: a patterned fabric that has to match, a nap or one-way print that cannot be flipped, and shrinkage in the wash.

What you are making

Size

Fabric width

Pattern repeat (cm)

Nap or one-way print

Shrinkage

Price per metre (£)

Base figures are for a 150 cm width at a UK 14–16, derived from typical pattern envelope requirements. They are a guide for buying, not a substitute for laying out your own pattern.

Why the allowances matter more than the estimate

Running out of fabric halfway through is the most expensive mistake in sewing, because a dye lot is rarely reproducible. The usual advice is to buy 10% more than you think you need; for a patterned fabric with a large repeat, more like 25%.

Pattern repeat costs the most. If your repeat is 64 cm you cannot start a piece partway through a motif, so each pattern piece rounds up to a whole repeat — which is why stripes and checks are consistently more expensive to sew than plain fabric, even at the same price per metre.

Pre-wash your fabric before cutting. Cotton and linen shrink, and if you skip it the garment will shrink to fit somebody slightly smaller after the first wash.