# Yards to metres converter for fabric

One yard is exactly 0.9144 metres, so to convert fabric yardage to metres you multiply by 0.9144 — three yards is 2.7432 metres. The figure is exact rather than approximate, because the international yard has been defined as 0.9144 metres since 1959. What is not interchangeable is the fabric itself: a yard of 44-inch quilting cotton and a metre of 140 cm furnishing fabric contain very different amounts of cloth, so converting the length alone will under-buy if the roll widths differ.

Source: https://fabricmeasure.com/conversions/yards-to-metres/
Last updated: 2026-08-20 (method v1)
Published by FabricMeasure.

---

## The formula

```
metres = yards x 0.9144
```

Exact by definition: the international yard has been exactly 0.9144 m since 1959.

Round the result UP to your shop cutting increment (10 cm in the UK and most of Europe).

Converting the length alone is not enough if the roll widths differ: fabric sold by the
yard is commonly 44 in (112 cm) while fabric sold by the metre is commonly 140 cm.
See https://fabricmeasure.com/conversions/fabric-width-converter/ to adjust for width as well.

## Common questions

### How many metres is a yard of fabric?

Exactly 0.9144 metres, or 91.44 cm. A yard is about 8.5 cm short of a metre, so buying metres where a pattern specified yards always gives you slightly more.

### Is a yard of fabric the same as a metre of fabric?

No, and the difference is bigger than the 8.5 cm suggests, because the two are usually sold on different roll widths. Fabric sold by the yard is often 44 in (112 cm) wide, while fabric sold by the metre is often 140 cm — so a metre can contain 40% more cloth than a yard even before the length difference.

### Should I round up when converting?

Round up to whatever increment your shop cuts to — usually 10 cm in the UK and Europe. Converting 3 yards gives 2.7432 m, which becomes 2.8 m at the counter. Rounding down leaves you short with no way to match the dye lot later.

## Related tools

- [Metres to yards](https://fabricmeasure.com/conversions/metres-to-yards/): Convert metres to yards and to the eighth-yard increments a US cutting counter uses.
- [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.
- [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.