Calculated result
Adjust the editable example, then select Calculate.
Method and assumptions
For each single orientation, effective piece width and length equal the entered piece dimensions plus your per-piece cutting allowance. Pieces across = floor(usable fabric width ÷ effective piece width); rows = ceiling(quantity ÷ pieces across); base fabric length = rows × effective piece length. Optional waste percentage multiplies that length. Rotated and unrotated layouts are compared, but pieces are not mixed or nested.
Worked example
On 60-inch usable fabric, twelve 12 × 12-inch squares fit five across and require three rows: 36 inches, or 1 yard, before allowance or waste.
Limits of the estimate
This is rectangular layout arithmetic, not a garment-pattern, curtain-fullness, quilt-backing, quilt-binding, or optimal 2D nesting estimator. Nap, directional prints, pattern repeats, grain, selvages, shrinkage, defects, and cutting loss can change actual needs.
Privacy
Measurements and results stay in this browser tab. The calculator does not send input values, store them, or place them in the URL. No account or upload is required.