# Fabric width chart

Fabric rolls are sold in seven widths that cover almost everything on a shop shelf: 90, 112, 115, 137, 140, 150 and 274 cm, which are the imperial 36, 44, 45, 54, 55, 60 and 108 inches. Every metric figure is a rounded conversion rather than a measurement, so a roll sold as 54 inch measures 137.16 cm while one sold as 140 cm really is 140 — a gap of nearly 3 cm between two labels the trade treats as interchangeable.

Source: https://fabricmeasure.com/charts/fabric-width-chart/
Last updated: 2026-08-20 (method v1)
Published by FabricMeasure.

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## The table

Every metric figure is a rounded conversion of the inch figure beside it, not a
measurement. 54 in is 137.16 cm; a roll labelled 140 cm really is 140 (55.1 in).
The label usually includes the selvedge, which is not usable cloth.

| Sold as | Also labelled | Exactly | What comes on it |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 36 in | 90 cm | 91.44 cm | Quilting cottons, older dress fabrics |
| 44 in | 112 cm | 111.76 cm | Standard quilting cotton |
| 45 in | 115 cm | 114.3 cm | Dressmaking cottons, commercial patterns |
| 54 in | 137 cm | 137.16 cm | Upholstery, curtain lining |
| 55 in | 140 cm | 139.7 cm | Curtain and furnishing fabrics |
| 60 in | 150 cm | 152.4 cm | Knits, wide dress fabrics |
| 108 in | 274 cm | 274.32 cm | Wide-back quilting fabric |

### Why width matters more than the percentage suggests

```
pieces across = floor(usable roll width / piece width)
```

The count is a whole number, so a wider roll saves nothing until it saves a whole
column. Losing a centimetre from a finished piece can fit another column across,
which is worth far more than the centimetre.

Width is only free if the cloth can be turned. A nap, a one-way print or a vertical
pattern repeat all remove that freedom.

## Common questions

### Is 54 inch fabric the same as 140 cm fabric?

No. 54 inches is 137.16 cm, and 140 cm is 55.1 inches. They are two different roll widths sold under labels that get used interchangeably. Over a single width the 3 cm gap rarely matters; across four joined widths in a made-to-measure curtain it is more than a centimetre of finished width per seam.

### Does the width on the label include the selvedge?

Usually yes, and the selvedge is not usable cloth. A roll sold as 140 cm may give 136 cm you can actually cut into once a stiff or printed edge is trimmed away. Where the width decides how many pieces fit across, measure the fabric rather than trusting the bolt end.

### Why is quilting cotton narrower than furnishing fabric?

Because the looms and the market are different. Quilting cotton is woven at 44 to 45 inches for a craft market that cuts small pieces, while furnishing and upholstery cloth is woven at 54 to 60 inches so a seat or a curtain drop can be cut without a join. Wide-back quilting fabric at 108 inches exists for exactly the same reason.

### My pattern assumes a different width from my fabric. What now?

Convert the area rather than the length: multiply the pattern length by the pattern width and divide by your width. That works only if no single pattern piece is wider than your roll and the fabric has no nap or one-way print. The fabric width converter does the arithmetic and says when it cannot be trusted.

## Related tools

- [Fabric width converter](https://fabricmeasure.com/conversions/fabric-width-converter/): Pattern written for one bolt width, fabric bought at another — work out the equivalent length.
- [Fabric yardage calculator](https://fabricmeasure.com/calculators/fabric-yardage-calculator/): Piece size, how many, roll width — the length to buy, and the strip you pay for but never cut.
- [Fabric weight chart](https://fabricmeasure.com/charts/fabric-weight-chart/): Weight bands in g/m² and oz/yd², and what each band is actually used for.
- [Curtain fabric calculator](https://fabricmeasure.com/calculators/curtain-fabric-calculator/): Track width, drop, fullness and pattern repeat in; metres or yards to buy out, with every allowance adjustable.