Curtain fabric yardage calculator
How many metres of cloth a project needs: enter the pole width, the finished drop and the cloth width, and get the widths, the cut drop and the metres — with the shrinkage allowance that loom-state greige needs.
Usual 20–2000. Limit 20–2000.
Usual 60–400. Limit 60–400.
Usual 20–1000. Limit 20–1000.
Usual 0–100. Limit 0–100.
Usual 0–30. Limit 0–30.
Metres of cloth to order
5.4 m
Widths of cloth
2
Cut drop
270 cm
Panels
1
Our greige is loom-state: it has not been scoured, bleached, dyed or heat-set, so it shrinks in finishing. Put the mill's length shrinkage for that construction into the field — the allowance belongs to the specification, not to a calculator.
The method, and the two things the sewing calculators leave out
The formula is the trade's: pole width × fullness ratio ÷ cloth width, rounded up; then widths × cut drop. The two things the sewing calculators leave out are the width of the cloth and the shrinkage of unfinished cloth.
| Mill greige width | Widths for a 240 cm pole at 2× fullness | Metres for a 240 cm drop |
|---|---|---|
| 160 cm | 3 | 8.1 m |
| 180 cm | 3 | 8.1 m |
| 200 cm | 3 | 8.1 m |
| 220 cm | 3 | 8.1 m |
| 240 cm | 2 | 5.4 m |
| 260 cm | 2 | 5.4 m |
| 280 cm | 2 | 5.4 m |
| 300 cm | 2 | 5.4 m |
| 330 cm | 2 | 5.4 m |
Questions about fabric yardage
- How do I calculate fabric for curtains?
- Three steps. Multiply the pole width by the fullness ratio, divide it by the cloth width and round up — a partial width cannot be bought. Then multiply the number of widths by the cut drop, which is the finished drop plus the hem and heading allowance, and you have the metres.
- Why does the number of widths round up?
- Because a width is a whole piece of cloth: half a width cannot be bought. And the calculation is the other way round at the supplier: if the cloth is narrower than the finished piece, the piece has to be longer.
- What fullness ratio should I use?
- It depends on the heading: 1.5 for a simple gather or eyelets, 2 for a pencil pleat, and 2.5 to 3 for a pinch or goblet pleat. And the wider the cloth, the fewer widths: 280 cm needs two widths for a 2.4 m pole, where 160 cm needs three.
- Does the calculator include shrinkage?
- Yes, as an input rather than as a number on the page: cloth from a mill is unfinished, so it shrinks in finishing. The field sits at zero because the figure belongs to the finishing specification and comes from the mill, not from a glossary.
- Can this be used for upholstery and other projects?
- Yes, as long as the project is cut in whole widths and a cut drop: curtains, drapes and upholstery panels. The rule applies more strongly the wider the cloth — the wider the width, the fewer widths and the longer each piece.