Free calculator · any rectangle project
List the rectangles you need to cut. Get a layout across your fabric, the length with shrinkage and the yardage on a different bolt width.
Rows run across the fabric; shrinkage is added at the end.
How it works
Enter each rectangle's width, height and how many you need, seam allowance included.
Add the fabric width and how much it shrinks when washed.
See how the pieces pack, then buy the total or convert it to another width.
Worked example
Worked example
Result
On 60" fabric the same project takes about 7/8 yd (0.8 m). In metric: 1.1 m (1 1/4 yd).
The math
Pieces are packed in rows across the usable width, tallest first. Shrinkage then adds length so the fabric still fits after washing.
Usable width after shrinkage: 42 5⁄8". The pieces pack into 2 rows, 40" long. Divided by (1 − 3%): 41 1⁄4", so buy 1 1/4 yd (1.1 m).
Tips
Wash and dry the fabric the way you will wash the finished piece. Cotton often shrinks 3–5%.
Turn rotation off for directional prints and pieces that must follow the grain.
Ends are rarely cut straight. A few extra inches give you room to square up.
Circles and curves have their own tools, like the circle skirt calculator and the flounce calculator.
Multiply the length by the old width and divide by the new one. It's an estimate; the layout tool gives the exact answer.
Yes. Enter the size you cut, not the finished size.
It lets pieces turn 90° when that packs better. Leave it off for one-way prints and grain-sensitive pieces.
Quilting cotton about 2–5%, linen up to 10%, polyester almost none. We start at 3%.
It's a fast row layout, close to what you'd cut by hand. For tight budgets, try rotation on and off.
Free, private and instant. Your numbers never leave this page.
