How much fabric do you need to make a dress?

June 28, 2009 by Anne Weaver 3 Comments

Gwen from After the Dress shares the latest in her “How Much Fabric?” series, with her table showing how much fabric it takes to make an average dress. Given the wide variety in dress styles, she includes examples of dresses that would require a minimum, average, or maximum amount of fabric. Get the table.

[graphic from After the Dress]

The amount of fabric needed to make a dress varies depending on several factors, including the size of the garment, the width of the fabric, and the design of the dress. As a general rule of thumb, most dresses require approximately 2-3 yards of fabric for sizes up to 14, and 3-4 yards for larger sizes.

However, it’s always best to consult the specific pattern you’re using for the exact fabric requirements. The pattern should include a fabric requirement chart that lists the amount of fabric needed based on the size of the garment and the width of the fabric.

It’s also worth mentioning that some fabrics have a directional print or a nap, which means the fabric needs to be cut in a specific direction. In these cases, you may need more fabric to accommodate the pattern’s placement.

In conclusion, the amount of fabric needed to make a dress varies, and it’s essential to consult the specific pattern and fabric requirements to ensure you have enough fabric to complete your project.

If you, like me, struggle with math, you’ll need to understand what it takes to make garments. This guide will help you estimate the fabric yardage for several of the garments you create.
How to Calculate Yardage The first step is to determine the overall width and length of the project.
One meter is equivalent to 1.09 yards or 39.4 inches.
When making garments out of printed/patterned fabric, additional yardage is required to match the prints perfectly. If you’re constructing a short dress with short sleeves for a youngster, 1 yard of fabric should be enough. A minimum of 2 to 3 yards of broadcloth is required for a longer adult-size garment with long sleeves.

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Comments

j. harkness says
January 8, 2011 at 2:05 pm
hi please help wondering how many metres of fabric is needed for skating dress. daughter is 5ft slim build.
Reply
michaela says
February 23, 2012 at 10:40 am
Iam 8 and I relly want to be a fashon disener but I cant be won I made a bundel of dresses shose hats jrlew tresersw and tops so plise I am despret to be won send me a mesage now
Reply
kathryn says
September 16, 2012 at 8:35 am
I was wondering how much fabric i would need to make a puffy knee high dress sorta old timy still in style but wondering how much i need for halloween
Reply

Have you read?

Learn All About Sewing Velvet Fabric

I’m always tempted by the pretty velvets at the fabric store. So much texture! And the way the fibers catch the light! But sewing on velvet is trickier than you’d think. That nap that lends beautiful texture also likes to slip and crawl. That nap can also spell disaster if you cut a piece the wrong direction. That isn’t to say you shouldn’t use buy that velvet and sew it into something gorgeous, you just need to go into your velvet sewing project prepared. And Melissa at Melly Sews has a post that takes you step by step through sewing on velvet.

Velvet is such a luscious fabric, especially for winter sewing projects. Of course there are velvet Christmas sewing projects – stockings, tree skirts, santa hats – but velvet is beautiful for all winter. Think of all the gorgeous velvet dresses, evening bags, hair accessories, even pillows and other home décor that you see all winter long.

Melly Sews’ post gives you the tips and tricks you need to know in order for your velvet sewing project to end up a success. There are types of projects better suited for velvets, and kinds of projects to avoid. She describes the different types of velvet available. And she also tells the best way to lay out and cut your pattern pieces from velvet fabric. Her tutorial also covers marking, pressing, and of course sewing that beautiful fabric. There’s also a video included in case that’s your preferred method for learning.

Head over to Melly Sews to learn how to sew on velvet fabric.

And if you want to learn more about that lovely blue velvet dress shown, she has a post that tells more about it including 2 ways to style it depending on if you want to be more dressy or more casual.

[photo credit: Melly Sews]

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