How much fabric do I need? Check the pattern and layout
A fabric chart helps only when its pattern, size, variation and fabric width match your project. The requirement supplied with your specific sewing pattern is a better shopping starting point than a general list by garment.
Check the assumptions behind the pattern requirement, then lay out every piece on the usable width. The length of that layout is a result you can inspect. It isn't proof of the smallest possible fabric requirement.
What belongs in your fabric list
| Material | Record these details |
|---|---|
| Main fabric | Pattern, size, sleeve and hem variation, usable width |
| Lining | Its own piece list and fabric width |
| Ribbing or contrast | Every band, facing and pocket cut from this material |
| Directional fabric | Grainline, nap and any print alignment required |
Converting 140 cm width to 110 cm
For equal area, new length = old length × old width ÷ new width. Two metres at 140 cm becomes about 2.545 m at 110 cm, an increase of 27.27 percent. At 90 cm it becomes about 3.111 m, an increase of 55.56 percent. Adding 50 percent or nearly doubling the length does not follow from this area calculation.
This preserves the rectangular area only. It doesn't show whether a wide pattern piece fits the narrower cloth or how much space the arrangement leaves between pieces. Make a new layout for the new width.
Turn the requirement into a piece list
Record how many copies of each pattern piece you need from each fabric. A mirrored pair is two fabric pieces. Include pockets, facings and ties, and check whether seam and hem allowances are already part of the cutting outline.
Envelope yardage describes a particular layout with gaps and possibly reserves. It isn't the sum of the piece areas. Owning less area than that rectangle therefore doesn't, by itself, prove that your pieces can't fit.
Prepare a layout check
Place full-size pieces inside your usable width, keeping their required grain and direction. Count every copy. Allow separately for shrinkage, selvedges, defects and print matching; a single reserve percentage won't suit every fabric.
Check the layout in PatternNest
Import closed cutting outlines from SVG, DXF or a supported vector PDF and check their dimensions. Select individual PDF pages; tiled pages are not stitched automatically. For folded fabric, mark the cut-on-fold edge. Use a full unfolded outline when planning that piece on a single layer. Seam allowances are neither added nor removed; exported outer contours do not replace internal markings such as notches or grain arrows.
Orient the pieces according to your sewing pattern before import. Enter usable width, spacing, quantities and mirrored pairs. Grainline mode allows the prepared orientation and a 180-degree turn; one-way mode keeps the prepared orientation. The software does not test stretch or detect the fabric's actual direction.
The calculated length belongs to the returned layout. Check every placement, dimension and allowance before cutting. An incomplete search does not prove that no other arrangement fits. Repeat matching, shrinkage and defects still need a check on the cloth.
Calculation and PDF/SVG/DXF export are free for up to 10 fabric pieces, counting all copies and mirrored pieces. A mirrored pair counts as two. More than 10 fabric pieces require a license for both calculation and export.
Try your own piecesAfter the app and its assets have loaded and cached, it works offline in your browser. Your pattern files are processed locally.