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COLLEGE OF ADVANCE STUDIES

Subject : TEG 505 CHILDREN’S DRESSES

Curriculum : MATVE- GARMENTS
Semester : Summer 2020
Topic : Calculating Fabric Requirements
Reporter : RIO M. VIVAS
Professor : JO-ANN S. INGKING

Calculating Fabric Requirements

How Much Fabric Do You Need for a Project?

“We have a formula that takes all of the guesswork out of it”, according to
Roxanna Coldiron.
There’s a little bit of treasure hunter in each of us. It’s the part that can
look at a tired old chair, rescued from a tag sale or dusty attic, and see its hidden
potential. Though it may look faded, moldy, and out of style, sometimes all that’s
needed to revitalize a solid, good-quality piece of furniture is simple
reupholstering. In fact, this is true whether you want to reupholster a sofa, make
a quilt, or sew a new dress. For any project, your most important task will be
choosing fabric – you must determine not only the style of the material, but also
how much of it you’ll need. Determining fabric amount is tricky, so it’s good to
consult a professional before you make a purchase. But it’s nice to be able to
make at least a rough estimate, and to understand the factors involved – the
shape of the piece, the pattern of the cloth, any extras such as a skirt or welting –
before diving into a project. Knowing approximately how much fabric you need is
helpful before you make a choice.

How to Measure for Yardage

The first step is figuring out the total dimensions of the project by width
and length. Determine the dimensions in inches. Let’s say your project is going to
be 36 inches. That equals three feet or 1 yard. So this project only needs 1 yard
of fabric. For better visualizing, it’s helpful to get out some graph paper and
sketch out your design. Don’t forget to include any seam allowances (for pillows),
hemming (for tailored pants), edging (for canvass wall-art) or additional fabric you
might need for gathering, crimping and smocking. What if you are going to need
several pieces of fabric like for making napkins, blouses, or a hand-stitched quilt?
Figure out how much fabric you need with this formula:
 Width of fabric divided by width of one piece equals the number of pieces
equals that fit into width (rounded down to the whole number).
 Total number of pieces divided by number of pieces that fit into width
equals number of rows you need.
 Number of needed rows multiplied by length of one piece equals total
project in inches.
 Total project inches divided by 36 inches equals total yardage needed
(rounded up to the whole number).

For example, the width of the fabric is 60 inches. One piece needs a width of
32 inches. The length of one piece needs to be 28 inches. We need six pieces in
all. To estimate yardage for fabric, the formula would look like this :
 60 inches divided by 32 inches equals 1.875, rounded down to 1.
 6 multiplied by 1 equals 6.
 6 multiplied by 28 inches equals 168 inches.
 168 inches divided by 36 inches equals 4.66, rounded up to 5.
We would need 5 yards of fabric for this particular project. These
calculations work for many projects, including pillows, cushions, clothes,
bedding, and headboards. Even if you’re comfortable with your own estimating
ability, it’s worth getting a professional opinion: Give your upholsterer a few
snapshots of the piece, along with basic measurements. Easier than loading
your armchair into the car and driving it to the shop, this will give you peace of
mind before investing in fabric.

An average club chair, for example, requires about 6 ½ yards of fabric.

Keep in mind, however, that this is a guideline, not a rule. Many factors-
including the fabric’s pattern, the upholsterer’s work style, and variations in
individual pieces of furniture-can influence the yardage. “I did a club chair
recently that took 11 yards, it was so big and bulky,” says upholsterer Tony
Totillo. Totillo provided the estimates here, based on 54-inch-wide fabric with a
short repeat. Specific design details unique to your piece may influence
yardage.

If You Run Out of Fabric

Never skimp on fabric and assume you will be able to go back to the store
and buy more if necessary. This might seem like smart shopping, but it’s not:
Never expect to get an exact fabric match the second time around. “Dye lots
change overnight,” warns upholsterer Carl Dellatore. “”You might buy an extra
yard of fabric that looks the same, but if the dye is slightly different, it won’t match
the rest of the fabric.”
 If you end up just a bit short on fabric, you might be able to make it work
by “cheating” a little in hidden places. One method is to use a false platform-the
fabric that covers the seat of the chair beneath the cushion. Since it doesn’t
show, it can be made from a cheaper, solid fabric rather than from the same
fabric as the rest of the chair.

Calculating Amount of Fabric

Fabric comes in many different widths, so unless you know beforehand

exactly how wide the fabric you intend to buy is, you will need to do a little bit of
figuring out in the store. When you go to the store, take with you all the
information you’ll need, like all the pattern piece measurements, the zip lengths,
elastic lengths etc. Think about these things too, will you need lining and how
much? Do you need iron-on interfacing to stiffen collars or use on facing? Do you
need matching thread? Bring pens and paper too! If you have this information,
I’m sure most fabric store assistants will be happy to help you figure out how
much you will need to buy.
First you will need to measure each pattern piece to see how much fabric
each single piece needs, that way when you know the fabric width you will be
able to sketch out the layout of the pattern pieces on the fabric. Remember all
the pattern pieces need to run in the same direction, you can’t cut things out all
over the place just because they fit on the fabric and you’re trying to use less
fabric, or the garment will look very wrong. You also need to think about the
layout if you are using patterned or striped fabrics, and make sure the pattern on
the fabric matches up when you cut your garment, sometimes this requires you
to buy a little extra fabric. It is not as important in the sleeves or backs of
garments, but if the front doesn’t match up, it will look strange and draw attention
in the wrong way.

Mismatched stripes (as in the left jacket in the picture) don’t look good,
take care when cutting! When it come to zips, they are in standard sizes, there is
more sizes to choose from in smaller zips, for example they run, 8 cm, 10 cm, 22
cm, etc, but in the larger sizes, like the type you would use in a jacket they come
40 cm, 45 cm, 50 cm etc.
If the length of the front of your jacket is 38 cm, you can choose to
lengthen the jacket a little and buy a 40 cm zip, or you can insert a 35 cm zip,
and have some space at the collar or waist, or you can shorten the jacket to 35
cm. The same applies for zips in skirts, when they are being used down the
whole length of the skirt.
Finding the exact sized zip for pants, or in skirts, when they are shorter
zips, and don’t need to be a separating zip, you can use a slightly longer zip, and
just leave the excess of the zip hang in the clothes (separating meaning zips that
don’t join at the bottom, and can be entirely opened and separated). Don’t cut the
zip off if it is too long, the zip will split after some use, and will have to be
replaced, which is much more difficult in a finished garment, as you will have to
un-pick the garment to replace the zip.

To the left you see an example of the measurements of a basic skirt in

size medium. You can see if you have a fabric that is 114 cm or wider, then this
skirt can be cut like this on the fabric, when folded in half. Including the
waistband, you will need to buy at least 79 cm in length, so it’s better to round it
up to 1 meter, and have extra to spare.

In this measurement example above, again, for a normal skirt in size

medium, you can see on a fabric that is only 58 cm wide you can lay the skirt out
like this on the doubled fabric and you will need 140 cm in length. Note that
because the fabric is so narrow, you will have to cut the waistband in 2 pieces
and join them to pieces and join them to make one piece. Also note that fabric
any narrower than this will not work for this pattern.
Last of all, always buy a little extra fabric in case of errors, and be careful
not to forget to add your seam allowance to your pieces before you calculate how
much fabric you need. Ask for help if you need it, that’s what people are there for.

Estimating Fabric Yardage Needs for Common Misses Garments

(by Jan Saunders Maresh)

When shopping, you may find the fabric you’re looking for… and a whole
lot more to inspire you. When you don’t have a particular pattern in mind but find
fabric that would, for example, make a great pair of dress pants, you can use this
guide to help you buy enough fabric when the creative mood strikes.
 Because fabric also comes several widths and your pattern envelope may
only give you yardage requirements for two widths, you can refer to this guide to
buy the correct amount for the width of the fabric.
This project chart gives you a quick reference and approximate yardage
requirements for Misses sizes 10 to 14 at an average height of 5 foot 4 inches.
Other sizes will vary from ¼ to 1/8 yard. For fabrics with nap and/or one-way
designs, add ¼ yard for each yard specified. For plaids, add the length of one
plaid repeat for each yard specified.

Garment Fabric Fabric Fabric Fabric Fabric

Width 35- Width 44- Width 50 Width 52- Width
36 inches 45 inches inches 54 inches 58-60
inches
Pants, full 3-1/4 2-5/8 2-5/8 2-1/4 2-1/4
length (add ¼ yards yards yards yards yards
yard for cuffs)
Pants, Capri 2-3/4 2-1/4 2-1/8 2 yards 1-1/2
length yards yards yards yards
Shorts, 2-1/2 2-1/8 1-7/8 1-3/4 1-1/4
Bermuda length yards yards yards yards yards
Skirt, straight 2 yards 1-5/8 1-1/2 1-3/8 1-1/4
yards yards yards yards
Skirt, A-line 2-1/4 1-3/4 1-5/8 1-1/2 1-3/8
yards yards yards yards yards
Skirt, softly 2-1/4 1-3/4 1-5/8 1-1/2 1-3/8
gathered yards yards yards yards yards
Shirt/blouse, 2 yards 1-5/8 1-1/2 1-3/8 1-1/4
short sleeves yards yards yards yards
Shirt/blouse, 2-1/2 2-1/8 1-3/4 1-3/4 1-5/8
long sleeves yards yards yards yards yards
Blouse, long 3-3/4 2-7/8 2-5/8 2-3/8 2-1/4
sleeves with tie yards yards yards yards yards
Blouse, capped 2 yards 1-5/8 1-1/2 1-3/8 1-1/4
sleeves yards yards yards yards
Camisole, bias 1-1/3 1-1/3 1-1/4 1-1/8 1 yard
cut yards yards yards yards
Dress, short 4-1/4 3-1/8 2-3/4 2-5/8 2-3/8
sleeves with yards yards yards yards yards
straight skirt
Dress, long 5 yards 3-5/8 3-1/4 3-1/8 3 yards
sleeves with yards yards yards
straight skirt

Calculating Fabric Requirements

 According to Kristen, one of the many things she love about CKC patterns
is how easy they make it for her to buy the right amount of fabric every time.
Below is the magical chart that we always find at the top of their CKC patterns.
Fabric Requirements:

Size Dress Dress Top Top Sleeves Sash

Ruffle Ruffle
18 ½ yard ¼ yard 1/3 yard ¼ yard ¼ yard 1/3 yard
months
2T ½ yard ¼ yard 3/8 yard ¼ yard ¼ yard 1/3 yard
3T 5/8 yard ¼ yard 3/8 yard ¼ yard ¼ yard 1/3 yard
4T 5/8 yard ¼ yard ½ yard ¼ yard ¼ yard 1/3 yard
5T 5/8 yard 1/3 yard ½ yard ¼ yard 1/3 yard 1/3 yard
6 5/8 yard 1/3 yard ½ yard ¼ yard 1/3 yard 1/3 yard

You will benefit from knowing this because there may be times that you
will want to make adjustments to the patterns and you’ll need to understand how
to buy the right amount of fabric. For example, my daughter is tall for her age and
we like skirts to go past her knee, so I often add some inches to the length. But if
I don’t also calculate those extra inches into the amount of fabric I need to buy, I
could come up short! (according to Kristen)
It can also be helpful to understand our calculations because sometimes
you can double up pieces in the same yardage of the same fabric, so you won’t
need to buy quite as much fabric. If you know that ahead of time, you can buy
less and reduce costs.
So let’s get started! To determine the fabric requirement for each piece,
we will follow three steps. I’ll list them first and then explain in detail:
Step 1: Look at the length of the piece. Write it down. This is the number that
matters.
Step 2: Look at the width of the piece. If you are cutting more than one piece and
their combined widths add up to more than the width of your fabric, you will need
to add their lengths together so that each piece gets the width it needs. Add
those up to get your total fabric length in inches.
Step 3: Convert the length into yards, rounding up to the nearest 1/8 yard.

Step 2 may seem complicated at first but it’s not. Let’s look more closely.
To make it easy, we will be using the cutting chart from our free pattern, Marilyn’s
Slim Fit Peasant Dress.

Cutting the Fabric:

Dress Version
Size Dress Sleeves Ruffle Neck Arm
cut 2 cut 2 cut 2 Elastic Elastic
Length x Length x Length x Cut 1 Cut 2
Width Width Width Length Length
18 months 16” x 15” 7” x 14” 3.5” x 30” 15.5” 6.5”
 2T 17” x 15.5” 7.5” x 14.5” 3.5” x 31” 16” 7”
3T 18” x 15.5” 8” x 14.5” 4” x 31” 16.5” 7”
4T 19” x 16” 8.5” x 15” 4” x 32” 17” 7.5”
5T 20” x 16.5” 9” x 15.5” 4.5” x 33” 17.5” 7.5”
6 21” x 17.5” 9.5” x 15.5” 5” x 35” 18” 8”

Let’s look at the 18 months size and start with the Dress piece. Now follow the
steps.

Step 1: Look at the length of the piece. Write it down. This is the number that
matters. (Answer: 16”)
Step 2: Look at the width of the piece. If you are cutting more than one piece and
their combined widths add up to more than the width of your fabric, you will need
to add their lengths together so that each piece gets the width it needs. Add
those up to get your total fabric length in inches. (Answer: Our 2 pieces are
each 15” wide so they easily fit into the standard 42’ or 60”. Therefore we
do not need to double the length. They will both fit in our 16” length.)
Step 3: Convert the length into yards, rounding up to the nearest 1/8 yard.
(Answer: ½ yard)

So together we just determined that we need ½ yard to cut the two Dress
pieces for 18 months. Is that correct on the chart way at the top? Yes, it is!

Now let’s have an example where we really need Step 2. Look at the 18 month
size Ruffle now.

Step 1: The length is 3.5”. Write it down.

Step 2: The width is 30” and we need to cut 2. If we are using standard woven
fabric (42”), we will only be able to cut one ruffle in that width. So since we need
2 ruffles, we will need to double the length that we found in step 1. So, 2 ruffles x
3.5” length equals 7”.
Step 3: Now we need to convert 7” into yards, rounding up to the nearest 1/8
yard. That will give us ¼ yard for the ruffles. Is that correct on the chart? Yes, it
is!

Some of the fabric lengths that we come up with may be a little harder to convert
to yards in our heads. So here is a super helpful tool for helping us convert those
inches into yards:

Fabric Requirements Conversion Chart

Yards Inches Centimeters
1 yard 36” 91.44 cm
7/8 yard 31.5” 80.01 cm
¾ yard 27” 68.58 cm
 2/3 yard 24” 60.96 cm
5/8 yard 22.5” 57.15 cm
½ yard 18” 47.72 cm
3/8 yard 13.5” 34.29 cm
1/3 yard 12” 30.48 cm
¼ yard 9” 22.86 cm
1/8 yard 4.5” 11.43 cm

So now that you understand how we calculate the fabric requirements,

you can do some adjusting of your own whenever you’d like! Let’s say that you
want to make Marilyn’s dress two inches longer. No problem! Just add 2” to your
length in Step 1 and make sure you follow through with Step 2 and Step 3. You
will have enough fabric every time! Or let’s say that you have a nondirectional
fabric and you want to cut several pieces out of the same fabric and buy less
overall. Just add up the lengths and widths and determine how many yards you
really need.

So now, no matter what width of fabrics or what kind of prints or what

adjustments you decide to make, you will always end up buying the right amount
of fabric.

Fabric Width Yardage Conversion Chart

Remember, these are general estimates. If your fabric has a big motif, a
large repeat or is directional, it’s best to buy extra. When working with large
repeats, the rule of thumb is to buy the pattern’s suggested amount of fabric plus
enough extra to cover one full repeat.
Other extra-fabric situations include if you are cutting fabric on the bias or
if your pattern includes extensive fussy cutting for matching pockets and the like.
When in doubt, add an extra ½ yard. It’s always better to have a bit more
than not enough. Popular fabrics can sell-out in the blink of an eye. It’s best to
get a bit more than you need when it’s readily available.
For a mini version, check out our Cheat Card Series.

Fabric Width Conversion

Fabric 35 inches 44-45 50 inches 54 inches 60 inches
Width inches
1-3/4 1-3/8 1-1/4 1-1/8 1
2 1-5/8 1-1/2 1-3/8 1-1/4
2-1/4 1-3/4 1-5/8 1-1/2 1-3/8
2-1/2 2-1/8 1-3/4 1-3/4 1-5/8
2-7/8 2-1/4 2 1-7/8 1-3/4
Yardage 3-1/8 2-1/2 2-1/4 2 1-7/8
3-3/8 2-3/4 2-3/8 2-1/4 2
3-3/4 2-7/8 2-5/8 2-3/8 2-1/4
4-1/4 3-1/8 2-3/4 2-5/8 2-3/8
 4-1/2 3-3/8 3 2-3/4 2-5/8
4-3/4 3-5/8 3-1/4 2-7/8 2-3/4
5 3-7/8 3-3/8 3-1/8 2-7/8

Fabric Width Conversion Chart

This chart determines the amount of fabric needed when the width of the
fabric chosen differs from the width of the fabric on the pattern envelope.
It is an estimate and doesn’t include changes in fabric requirements
caused by pattern alterations, large-scale fabric or garment designs, or
directional fabrics. In these instances, it’s best to lay out your pattern pieces
before purchasing fabric.
Fabric 32” 35” – 39” 41” 44” – 50” 52” – 58” –
Width 36” 45” 54” 60”
1 7/8 1¾ 1½ 1½ 1 3/8 1¼ 1 1/8 1
2¼ 2 1¾ 1¾ 1 5/8 1½ 1 3/8 1¼
2½ 2¼ 2 2 1¾ 1 5/8 1½ 1 3/8
2¾ 2½ 2¼ 2¼ 2 1/8 1¾ 1¾ 1 5/8
3 1/8 2 7/8 2½ 2½ 2¼ 2 1 7/8 1¾
Yardage 3 3/8 3 1/8 2¾ 2¾ 2½ 2¼ 2 1 7/8
3 3/4 3 3/8 3 2 7/8 2¾ 2 3/8 2¼ 2
4 3¾ 3¼ 3 1/8 2 7/8 2 5/8 2 3/8 2¼
4 3/8 4¼ 3½ 3 3/8 3 1/8 2¾ 2 5/8 2 3/8
4 5/8 4½ 3¾ 3 5/8 3 3/8 3 2¾ 2 5/8
5 4¾ 4 3 7/8 3 5/8 3¼ 2 7/8 2¾
5 1/4 5 4¼ 4 1/8 3 7/8 3 3/8 3 1/8 2 7/8

References:

scouture.blogspot.com
https://4.bp.blogspot.com
https://3.bp.blogspot.com
https://sew4home.com
https://www.dummies.com
https://www.pinterest.com
https://mccall.com
https://createkidscouture.blogspot.com
https://openresearch.pl
https://sewguide.com
https://www.onlinefabricstore.net
https://www.marthastewart.com
https://en.fashionfreaks.se