A yard is 36 inches, exactly 91.44 centimeters,[1] and fabric in US shops is cut in eighths of a yard, so every cut is a multiple of 4.5 inches. The width stays whatever the bolt is, most often 44 inches for quilting cotton, 54 for home decor fabric and 60 for apparel fabric.
To work out how much to buy for your own pieces, use the Fabric Yardage Calculator.
Yard cuts in inches and centimeters
| Cut | Inches | Centimeters | Decimal yards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/8 yard | 4.5 | 11.4 | 0.125 |
| 1/4 yard | 9 | 22.9 | 0.25 |
| 3/8 yard | 13.5 | 34.3 | 0.375 |
| 1/2 yard | 18 | 45.7 | 0.5 |
| 5/8 yard | 22.5 | 57.1 | 0.625 |
| 3/4 yard | 27 | 68.6 | 0.75 |
| 7/8 yard | 31.5 | 80 | 0.875 |
| 1 yard | 36 | 91.4 | 1 |
| 1 1/2 yards | 54 | 137.2 | 1.5 |
| 2 yards | 72 | 182.9 | 2 |
| 2 1/2 yards | 90 | 228.6 | 2.5 |
| 3 yards | 108 | 274.3 | 3 |
Fat quarters, fat eighths and precuts
A fat quarter is a half yard (18 inches) cut in half across the width, giving a piece about 18 by 22 inches. It has the same area as a quarter yard (9 by 44 inches) but a squarer shape, so it suits blocks wider than 9 inches. A fat eighth is a fat quarter cut in half again, about 9 by 22 inches.
| Precut | Size (inches) | Size (cm) |
|---|---|---|
| Fat quarter | 18 by 22 | 46 by 56 |
| Fat eighth | 9 by 22 | 23 by 56 |
| Charm square | 5 by 5 | 12.7 by 12.7 |
| Layer cake square | 10 by 10 | 25.4 by 25.4 |
| Jelly roll strip | 2.5 by 44 | 6.4 by 112 |
| Mini charm | 2.5 by 2.5 | 6.4 by 6.4 |
Precut names are trade names that most fabric companies use, but sizes can vary slightly between makers; the selvage edges also take up some of a strip's 44 inches.
Squares from each cut
| Cut | 2.5 in squares | 5 in squares | 10 in squares |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 yard | 51 | 8 | 0 |
| 1/2 yard | 119 | 24 | 4 |
| 1 yard | 238 | 56 | 12 |
| 2 yards | 476 | 112 | 28 |
If the selvages are trimmed and only 42 inches are usable, 5 inch and 10 inch squares still fit 8 and 4 to a row, but 2.5 inch squares drop from 17 to 16 a row. Squares are cut from strips: cut a strip as wide as the square across the full width of the fabric, then cut the strip into squares.
Where fabric is sold in metric, it is cut by the 10 cm or the half meter from the full width of the bolt: 110 to 112 cm for quilting cotton, 137 to 140 cm for furnishing fabric and 150 cm for dressmaking fabric. A yard is exactly 91.44 cm.[1]
To work out how much to buy for your own pieces, use the Fabric Yardage Calculator and switch it to metric.
Metric cuts in inches and yards
| Cut | Inches | Yards |
|---|---|---|
| 10 cm | 3.9 | 0.11 |
| 25 cm | 9.8 | 0.27 |
| 50 cm | 19.7 | 0.55 |
| 75 cm | 29.5 | 0.82 |
| 1 m | 39.4 | 1.09 |
| 1.5 m | 59.1 | 1.64 |
| 2 m | 78.7 | 2.19 |
| 3 m | 118.1 | 3.28 |
Fat quarters and precuts
Where fabric is cut by the meter, a fat quarter is a half meter cut in half across the width, about 50 by 56 cm. Fat quarters cut from yardage are about 46 by 56 cm. Quilting precuts keep their inch sizes everywhere: a charm square is 5 inches (12.7 cm), a layer cake square 10 inches (25.4 cm) and a jelly roll strip 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) wide.
| Precut | Size (cm) |
|---|---|
| Fat quarter (metric cut) | 50 by 56 |
| Fat quarter (yard cut) | 46 by 56 |
| Charm square | 12.7 by 12.7 |
| Layer cake square | 25.4 by 25.4 |
| Jelly roll strip | 6.4 by 112 |
| Mini charm | 6.4 by 6.4 |
Squares from each cut
| Cut | 6.4 cm squares | 12.7 cm squares | 25.4 cm squares |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 cm | 51 | 8 | 0 |
| 50 cm | 119 | 24 | 4 |
| 1 m | 255 | 56 | 12 |
| 2 m | 527 | 120 | 28 |
If only 107 cm of the width is usable after trimming the selvages, 12.7 cm squares still fit 8 to a row, but 6.4 cm squares drop from 17 to 16 a row. Squares are cut from strips: cut a strip as wide as the square across the full width, then cut the strip into squares.
Sources and notes
The numbers in brackets point to these sources.
- NIST, Guide to the SI, Appendix B.8: Factors for units listed alphabetically. Accessed 17 October 2026.A yard is exactly 0.9144 m and an inch exactly 2.54 cm. Back to text