Fabric Width Yardage Conversion Calculator
Convert the yardage a pattern lists for one fabric width to the amount you need at another width (36, 45, 54, 60, 108 inches or 90–150 cm), in yards and metres, using the standard conversion chart with a nap/pattern-matching allowance.
How it works
Yards at new width = yards × (factor_new ÷ factor_old), factors from the standard chart: 36″ 1.25, 45″ 1.00, 54″ 0.83, 60″ 0.75, 72″ 0.65, 108″ 0.50 (relative to 45″); +10% for nap or one-way, +20% for large repeats; round up to ⅛ yd
Pattern envelopes list yardage for one or two fabric widths, and fabric comes in many more — quilting cottons at 44–45 inches, dress fabrics at 60, home-décor at 54, sheeting at 108. Converting is not a simple area ratio, because pattern pieces are awkward shapes: going from 45 to 60 inches rarely saves the full 25%, so pattern companies publish conversion charts that build in the layout inefficiency, and this tool uses those factors. Napped, one-way and matched fabrics need every piece laid the same way, adding 10–20%. The rule of thumb still holds: wider fabric saves yardage, narrower fabric costs it, and any piece wider than the new fabric — a circle skirt, a wide sleeve on the fold — needs a real layout check before you buy.
Worked example
A pattern calling for 3 yards of 45″ fabric needs about 2¼ yards at 60″ (3 × 0.75) — 2⅜ yd once rounded up, or 2.5 yards for a one-way print; at 36″ it would need 3¾ yards.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the chart say 0.83 for 54″, not 45 ÷ 54 = 0.83 — coincidence?
Roughly; the chart factors are averages from real layouts and happen to be close to the area ratio in the middle widths but diverge at 36″ and 108″ where layouts change more.
Metres?
Multiply yards by 0.9144; shops in metric countries sell by 10 cm, so round up to the next 10 cm (e.g. 2.06 m → 2.1 m).
Related calculators
Fabric estimate — add extra for pattern matching, directional prints, shrinkage and mistakes, and check against the pattern envelope or a layout before cutting.