Quilting Fabric Yardage Calculator
Calculate how many yards of standard-width quilting fabric you need to cut a given number of squares. Fast, free, and fully client-side.
Calculator Inputs
How the Quilting Fabric Yardage Calculator Works
Figures out how many yards of fabric to buy to cut a target number of same-size squares from a standard bolt, based on how many squares fit across the usable fabric width. Quilting fabric is conventionally sold and cut in 1/8-yard increments, so the result is always rounded up to the nearest 1/8 yard — rounding down would leave you short a row of squares.
Formula
Squares per Row = ⌊Fabric Width ÷ Square Size⌋ · Rows Needed = ⌈Squares Needed ÷ Squares per Row⌉ · Yards Needed = (Rows Needed × Square Size) ÷ 36, rounded up to the nearest 1/8 yard
Fabric width is the usable width of the bolt (commonly 42in for quilting cottons, after trimming selvages), not the full bolt width printed on the label. Rounding up to the nearest 1/8 yard matches how quilting fabric is actually sold and cut at the counter.
Calculation Example
Cutting 20 squares of 5in fabric from a 42in-wide bolt: 8 squares fit per row (⌊42÷5⌋), so 3 rows are needed (⌈20÷8⌉). 3 × 5in ÷ 36 = 0.417 yards, rounded up to 0.5 yards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why round up instead of to the nearest 1/8 yard?
Rounding to the nearest value could round down and leave you short a full row of squares. Fabric is bought in 1/8-yard increments at most cutting counters, so always rounding up guarantees enough fabric while staying at a purchasable increment.
Does this account for seam allowance or shrinkage?
No — this is raw cutting yardage for the square size you enter. Add your seam allowance to the square size before entering it, and buy extra if you plan to pre-wash and the fabric may shrink.
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