Quick answer: how to convert fabric
First convert length to inches, then adjust for width, then convert to the target unit. 1 yard equals 36 inches, 1 foot equals 12 inches, 1 inch equals 2.54 centimetres, 1 metre equals 39.37 inches, 1 yard equals 0.9144 metres. Equivalent length equals length in inches times old width divided by new width. Converted length equals equivalent length divided by inches per target unit. Yardage to buy is equivalent length divided by 36, rounded up to the nearest 1/8 yard.
Example: a pattern calls for 2.5 metres of 44 inch fabric, you will buy 108 inch fabric. Length in inches is 98.43 inches, equivalent length at 108 inch width is 40.10 inches, converted length is 1.11 yards, yardage to buy is 1.13 yards. Area matches on both sides, 4,331 square inches, so the conversion is correct by area.
Warning, stated plainly: this is an area conversion, not a layout guarantee. A piece that fits across 44 inch fabric may not fit across a different width in one piece, and a large piece may need a seam even when area matches. Check piece layout before buying, especially for large pieces, and do not use area conversion alone for a pattern with large pieces.
If you only need a number, use the Fabric Conversion Calculator. If you want to understand why width changes length, read on.
What fabric conversion means
Fabric conversion means changing fabric length from one form to another, without changing fabric area. There are two kinds of conversion, and they are often needed together. Unit conversion changes inches to yards, yards to metres, and so on, with no change in fabric width. Width conversion changes yardage from one fabric width to another, by area, with no change in total fabric area.
For example, a pattern that calls for 3 yards of 44 inch fabric does not mean 3 yards of 60 inch fabric. 60 inch fabric is wider, so less length is needed for the same area. Width conversion works that out, step by step.
Unit conversions, compared
| From | To | Multiply by |
|---|---|---|
| Yards | Inches | 36 |
| Yards | Metres | 0.9144 |
| Metres | Yards | 1.0936 |
| Inches | Centimetres | 2.54 |
| Feet | Inches | 12 |
Unit conversion factors are exact for inches, feet, yards and centimetres, because 1 inch equals 2.54 centimetres exactly, and 1 yard equals 36 inches exactly. Metre conversions are rounded at two decimal places in this guide, because 1 metre equals 39.37 inches, rounded, not exactly.
Step by step: how to calculate fabric conversion
Step 1: Convert to inches
First, convert the length you entered to inches, using 1 yard equals 36 inches, 1 foot equals 12 inches, 1 centimetre equals 1 divided by 2.54 inches, and 1 metre equals 100 divided by 2.54 inches. Inches are used as a common unit, because width conversion is easiest in inches.
Step 2: Convert by fabric width, by area
Equivalent length at your fabric width equals length in inches times pattern fabric width divided by your fabric width. This keeps fabric area the same. If both widths are the same, equivalent length equals length in inches, with no change. If your fabric is wider, equivalent length is shorter. If your fabric is narrower, equivalent length is longer.
Step 3: Convert to target unit
Converted length equals equivalent length in inches divided by inches per target unit, using 1 inch equals 1 inch, 1 foot equals 12 inches, 1 yard equals 36 inches, 1 centimetre equals 1 divided by 2.54 inches, and 1 metre equals 100 divided by 2.54 inches.
Step 4: Work out yardage to buy
Exact yardage at your fabric width equals equivalent length in inches divided by 36. Yardage to buy is exact yardage rounded up to the nearest 1/8 yard, because fabric shops cut in eighth yard increments, and rounding down would give you less fabric than you need.
Try it with the calculator: Use the Fabric Conversion Calculator with your own length, from unit, to unit, pattern fabric width and your fabric width. It uses the same steps as this guide, and it shows length in inches, equivalent length, converted length, exact yardage and yardage to buy, together.
Worked example: metres to yards, and 44 inch to 108 inch width
Take a pattern that calls for 2.5 metres of 44 inch fabric. You will buy 108 inch fabric. Convert to yards.
Length in inches: 2.5 metres equals 250 centimetres. 250 divided by 2.54 equals 98.43 inches, rounded at two decimal places.
Equivalent length at 108 inch width: 98.43 times 44 divided by 108 equals 40.10 inches, rounded at two decimal places.
Converted length in yards: 40.10 divided by 36 equals 1.11 yards.
Exact yardage: 1.11 yards. Yardage to buy, rounded up to the nearest 1/8 yard, equals 1.13 yards, because 1.125 rounds to 1.13 at two decimal places.
Check by area, for sense: 2.5 metres of 44 inch fabric, area equals 98.43 times 44, equals 4331 square inches, rounded to the nearest square inch. 40.10 inches of 108 inch fabric, area equals 40.10 times 108, equals 4331 square inches, rounded to the nearest square inch. Area matches, so the conversion is correct by area, even though piece layout must still be checked.
Unit conversion alone, for comparison: 2.5 metres at the same 44 inch width equals 2.5 times 1.0936, equals 2.73 yards. Width conversion to 108 inch fabric reduces yardage from 2.73 yards to 1.13 yards to buy, because 108 inch fabric is much wider than 44 inch fabric.
Conversion table, our own computed table
This table is computed from the exact factors above, 1 yard equals 36 inches equals 91.44 centimetres equals 0.9144 metres, and it is not copied from another site. Values are rounded to two decimal places for display, but the calculator uses the full factors, so small display rounding differences are normal.
| Yards | Inches | Centimetres | Metres |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 yards | 18 in | 45.72 cm | 0.46 m |
| 1 yard | 36 in | 91.44 cm | 0.91 m |
| 2 yards | 72 in | 182.88 cm | 1.83 m |
| 3 yards | 108 in | 274.32 cm | 2.74 m |
Reverse direction, for a metric pattern: 1 metre equals 39.37 inches, which equals 1.09 yards. A yard is shorter than a metre, so a metric requirement in metres always converts to a larger number in yards, not a smaller one.
How to make sure your result is correct
- Factor check. 1 yard must equal 36 inches, 1 inch must equal 2.54 centimetres, 1 metre must equal 39.37 inches. If a factor is wrong, every result is wrong.
- Width check. Equivalent length must equal length in inches times old width divided by new width. If widths are equal, equivalent length must equal original length.
- Area check. Original length times old width must equal equivalent length times new width, within display rounding. If area does not match, the width step is wrong.
- Buy versus exact check. Buy yardage must never be below exact yardage, and buy yardage must be a multiple of 1/8 yard.
- Layout check. Area matching does not prove a piece fits. Check piece layout before buying, especially for large pieces.
When area conversion is enough, and when it is not
- Area conversion is enough when: you only need total fabric area, for example for a backing or for batting, where pieces are large and layout is simple, and you will check size before cutting.
- Area conversion is not enough when: your pattern has large pieces that may not fit across a narrower fabric, your fabric has a directional print and pieces must all run the same way, or your pattern has pieces that must be cut in a specific orientation. In those cases, check piece layout with the Fabric Calculator or the Pieces to Yardage Calculator, before buying.
- Area conversion does not fix a wrong pattern: if your pattern already includes extra, or if you already added extra in another calculator, do not add extra again here, or you will buy more than you need.
Common mistakes with fabric conversion
- Using the same yardage for a different width. Yardage depends on fabric width. 3 yards of 44 inch fabric is not the same area as 3 yards of 60 inch fabric. Convert by area, every time width changes.
- Dividing by 12 instead of 36 for yards. Dividing inches by 12 gives feet, not yards. Dividing inches by 36 gives yards. Mixing these up gives yardage three times too large.
- Rounding yardage down. Rounding down gives less fabric than needed. Always round yardage to buy up, to the nearest eighth yard.
- Forgetting to check piece layout. Area conversion gives equivalent area, not a guarantee that every piece fits. Check layout, especially for large pieces and directional prints.
Calculate your own fabric conversion now
Use your starting length, starting unit, starting fabric width, target unit and target fabric width in the calculator, and check the result against the steps in this guide.
Open the Fabric Conversion CalculatorFrequently asked questions
Multiply yards by 0.9144 to get metres. For example, 3 yards equals 2.74 metres. To convert metres to yards, multiply metres by 1.0936. For example, 1 metre equals 1.09 yards.
Convert length to inches, then multiply by old width divided by new width, to get equivalent length at the new width, by area. For example, 2.5 metres of 44 inch fabric equals 98.43 inches, times 44 divided by 108, equals 40.10 inches, which is 1.11 yards exact, and 1.13 yards to buy.
One yard equals 36 inches, 3 feet, 91.44 centimetres, and 0.9144 metres.
Width conversion by area gives equivalent fabric area, but it does not guarantee that every piece in a pattern will fit in the new width layout. Check piece layout before buying, especially for large pieces that may not fit across a narrower fabric, or for directional prints.
Yes. Set from unit and to unit to the same unit, for example yards to yards, and change only pattern fabric width and your fabric width. The calculator will then convert by width only, with no unit change.
Related guides and calculators
Next, read How to Calculate Quilt Yardage for yardage once a length is converted, and How to Calculate Inches to Yards for a simple unit change. For the conversion itself, use the Fabric Conversion Calculator.