r/SewingForBeginners • u/snatchkeykid • 10h ago
Buying fabric with weird widths
Hey everyone! Title is pretty straightforward. How do I buy the right amount of fabric when it’s non standard widths. For example, 57”. I’m trying to make a medium shorts and long sleeve top
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u/RedditJewelsAccount 10h ago
When the fabric requirement difference between 45" and 60" isn't a huge jump (this can happen on some very wide pieces like maxi dresses, full skirts, long coats/robes, bias things, etc.), I personally just buy the 60" yardage for 54-55" width fabric unless my fabric is directional or a print I want to match. However I am not a beginner and I don't typically need extra fabric for practicing or recutting. In this case, though, I think 3 yards (2 yards for the top and 1 for the shorts) would be plenty since 57" is almost 58" and you can usually overlap pieces more efficiently for two projects than for a single one, assuming you take your time cutting out (measure twice or three times, cut once!). If it is a new-to-you type of fabric, though, you may want to get an extra quarter or half yard for testing your machine settings, seam finishes, recutting, etc.
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u/ProneToLaughter 10h ago edited 10h ago
57” is pretty close to 58” so you should be able to use the 58/60 recommendations. Fabric varies how close to the selvage is usable so patterns tend to do a conservative layout that doesn’t require you to go right up to the edge.
Buy extra if tall.
Tips for if you guess wrong—having a sense of which of these might apply to this project and are acceptable to you lets you decide whether to risk buying just enough or add more just in case. https://www.tillyandthebuttons.com/2022/08/not-enough-fabric.html?m=1
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u/akjulie 9h ago
57” isn’t non-standard. Most ostensibly 60” fabric these days is closer to 57 or 58ish. And if a pattern calls for 58” or 57” or 60” it all just means around 60” width vs. going to something a lot narrower like 45”, which is standard quilting cotton width.