Calculate fabric yardage for rectangular pillow covers from finished dimensions, seam allowance, quantity, and extra percentage.
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Pillow Yardage Formula
The calculator has one fabric mode for two equal rectangular panels per pillow, placed one panel across the fabric and consecutively along the bolt. It does not pack or rotate panels or calculate trim. Select inches or centimeters for each dimension and seam allowance; values are converted before calculation. Output is in yards or meters.
Fabric yardage formula
For comparison, this manual packing reference places identical panels across usable width B without rotation. It requires B ≥ CW. It omits the calculator’s extra percentage and is not a calculator mode; rounding to 1/8 yard below is a manual purchase choice:
- W = finished pillow dimension across the bolt, converted to inches
- L = finished pillow dimension along the bolt, converted to inches
- S = entered seam allowance per edge, converted to inches
- CW = cut panel width across the bolt
- CL = cut panel length along the bolt
- Q = positive whole number of pillows
- P = 2Q equal panels, one front and one back per pillow
- B = optional usable fabric width, excluding unusable edges; blank means width is unverified
- PR = panels across the width in the manual packing reference only
- R = rows in the manual packing reference only
- X = entered extra percentage applied to the sequential length
- I = total linear inches; Y = yards; M = meters
The calculator adds the entered seam allowance to both edges of each finished dimension. Optional usable width must be at least CW; if left blank, width fit is unverified. Wider fabric does not reduce this one-panel-per-row estimate. Extra percentage increases the total length but does not guarantee pattern matching. There is no automatic 1/8-yard purchase rounding; a linear yard is 36 inches.
Trim and piping formula
- W = finished pillow width, in inches
- H = finished pillow height, in inches
- E = extra length for joining or overlap, in inches
- Q = number of pillows
- T_raw = unrounded trim yardage
- T = trim yardage rounded up to the nearest 1/8 yard
This is a manual trim or piping-cord length reference, not a calculator mode and not fabric yardage for bias piping strips. Add joining length to the finished perimeter, multiply by pillow count and convert to yards. The 1/8-yard increment is a manual rounding choice.
Common Pillow Sizes and Fabric Buying Notes
These sizes and form choices are examples, not fit recommendations; follow the pattern and insert you actually use. Fabric width, orientation and pattern repeats affect manual cutting layouts. The calculator still uses one panel across the bolt. Zipper plackets, flanges and envelope overlap are outside its two-equal-panel model.
| Finished pillow size | Common use | Example form sizes |
|---|---|---|
| 12 in × 12 in | Small accent pillow | 12 in or 13 in form |
| 16 in × 16 in | Chair or small sofa pillow | 16 in or 18 in form |
| 18 in × 18 in | Standard throw pillow | 18 in or 20 in form |
| 20 in × 20 in | Large sofa pillow | 20 in or 22 in form |
| 12 in × 20 in | Lumbar pillow | 12 in × 20 in form |
| Fabric width | Often used for | Buying note |
|---|---|---|
| 45 in | Quilting cotton, craft fabric | Fits fewer pillow pieces across the width, so yardage may be higher. |
| 54 in | Standard décor fabric | Common for throw pillows, upholstery, and home décor projects. |
| 60 in | Wide home décor fabric | May reduce yardage when more pieces fit across the bolt. |
| 108 in | Extra-wide fabric | Useful for large quantities, but not always available in décor prints. |
Pillow Yardage Examples
Example 1: Fabric for one 18 in square pillow
This manual packed-layout example assumes one 18 in × 18 in pillow, 1 inch seam allowance per edge, 54 inches of usable width and no extra allowance. The calculator’s sequential model instead places these two 20-inch panels one after the other: 40 / 36 = 1.111 yd before extra. The following shorter packed layout is manual:
- Cut size per piece: 18 + 2 = 20 in by 20 in
- Pieces needed: 2 × 1 = 2 pieces
- Pieces across 54-inch fabric: floor(54 / 20) = 2
- Rows needed: ceil(2 / 2) = 1
- Fabric length: 1 × 20 = 20 in
- Yardage: 20 / 36 = 0.556 yd, rounded up to 5/8 yd
Example 2: Trim for two 20 in square pillows
This manual trim example is not produced by the calculator. It uses two 20 in × 20 in pillows with 2 inches of joining extra per pillow:
- Trim per pillow: 2 × (20 + 20) + 2 = 82 in
- Total trim: 82 × 2 = 164 in
- Yardage: 164 / 36 = 4.556 yd, rounded up to 4 5/8 yd of trim
Pillow Yardage Calculator FAQ
Does the fabric yardage include seam allowance?
Yes. It adds the seam allowance you enter to each edge, so each cut dimension is the finished dimension plus twice that allowance. Enter the pattern’s seam-line dimensions directly; do not pre-add the same allowance. Two-panel sewing methods can use different fit choices, so an insert’s labeled size is not automatically the finished cover size.
Does this work for envelope pillow covers?
The calculator assumes two equal panels. An envelope back needs separate pattern pieces and overlap, so it is outside this model. Calculate those actual cut pieces and their layout separately; a percentage alone does not define the required overlap.
Should you buy extra fabric for patterned material?
Plan the actual repeat, nap and grain direction before buying. The extra percentage is only a user allowance; this calculator does not align repeats, rotate panels or find an efficient packed layout. Compare the panel dimensions and required usable width with the actual fabric, and round a purchase upward to an available increment yourself.
