Fabric yardage calculator
How much fabric
before washing?
Start with the usable length you need. Work backwards from your measured shrinkage, then round up to the length your shop sells.
02 / Plan your fabric length
Enter the length you need after washing and the lengthwise rate from your sample. Example: keep 2 metres with 5% shrinkage.
Extra length is optional. Check whether your pattern already includes an allowance to avoid counting it twice.
2.25 m
Rounded up to the next 0.25 m shop increment.
Estimated length after washing: 2.1375 m
Check the usable width and your pattern layout separately. More length cannot fix fabric that becomes too narrow.
An estimate assuming the sample rate repeats across the length. Read the method and limits.
Why “add 5%” is not the same calculation
If fabric loses 5%, it retains 95% of its original length. You need to divide your desired usable length by 0.95. For 2 metres, that is 2.105263… metres before washing. Buying 2 × 1.05 = 2.10 metres leaves only 1.995 metres under the same assumption.
Before-wash length = (usable length + extra usable length) ÷ (1 − shrinkage ÷ 100)
What the shop increment changes
The exact answer may not be a length you can buy. If the minimum is 2.105263… metres and the shop sells 0.25-metre increments, round up to 2.25 metres. The estimated retained length becomes 2.1375 metres. This is a purchasing calculation, not a guarantee of how a full piece will behave.
Measure width as well
A pattern that needs a particular fabric width may no longer fit after the cloth narrows. The length calculator cannot compensate for that. Use the swatch calculator for both directions, then check the cutting layout against the expected usable width.
Unit changes convert your existing values. After switching from metres to yards, replace the converted selling increment with your shop’s actual increment if it is different.
Fabric / batch: _______________________________________________
Care process / drying / cycles: __________________________________
Measured on: __________________ Notes: ________________________
https://swatch-ledger.pages.dev · Sample-based estimate; check usable width and pattern layout.