Fabric Yardage Calculator

Fullness is how many times wider your finished curtain is than the window it covers, so the fabric gathers into folds. 1.5× gives soft, gentle folds; 2× is the standard for most rod-pocket, eyelet and pleated curtains; 2.5× gives a lush, luxurious drape — great for sheers and formal rooms. A flat, ungathered curtain would be 1× fullness.

Quilting cotton is typically 44–45" (≈115 cm) wide; home décor fabric, voile and many apparel fabrics come 54–60" (≈150 cm). Wider fabric means fewer panels to join and often less total yardage — for a circle skirt, 60" fabric can sometimes fit the whole skirt in one piece, while 45" may require two half-circles seamed together. Always check the actual width printed on the bolt.

Yes, in most cases. Cotton and linen shrink 3–10% on the first wash, so prewash and press before cutting, using the same wash and dry settings you'll use on the finished item — and prewash everything in one project together. Exceptions: fabrics that are dry-clean only, and some silks.

Add one vertical pattern repeat per seam join. If a curtain needs 4 panels and the repeat is 10", add roughly 4 × 10" ≈ 40" (1.1 m) total. Directional prints that must run the same way on every piece need an extra repeat too. Rule of thumb: plain fabric — buy exactly what you calculate; small repeat — add 10–15%; large repeat — add one repeat per piece.