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Home › Chart guides › Sewing Measurements Chart
The numbers a sewing room needs in one place: yards in inches, centimetres and metres, small inch-to-millimetre conversions, standard fabric widths and cuts, seam allowances, machine needle sizes, stitch lengths, and US mattress sizes for bedding projects.
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Yardage, fabric widths, seam allowances, needles and stitch lengths at a glance.
| Yard | Inches | Centimetres | Metres |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/8 yard | 4 1/2 in | 11.4 cm | 0.11 m |
| 1/4 yard | 9 in | 22.9 cm | 0.23 m |
| 1/3 yard | 12 in | 30.5 cm | 0.30 m |
| 1/2 yard | 18 in | 45.7 cm | 0.46 m |
| 2/3 yard | 24 in | 61.0 cm | 0.61 m |
| 3/4 yard | 27 in | 68.6 cm | 0.69 m |
| 1 yard | 36 in | 91.4 cm | 0.91 m |
| 1.09 yards | 39 3/8 in | 100 cm | 1 m |
| Inch | Millimetres |
|---|---|
| 1/8 in | 3 mm |
| 1/4 in | 6 mm |
| 3/8 in | 10 mm |
| 1/2 in | 13 mm |
| 5/8 in | 16 mm |
| 3/4 in | 19 mm |
| 7/8 in | 22 mm |
| 1 in | 25 mm |
| 44-45 in (112-114 cm) | Quilting cotton, many dressmaking cottons |
| 54 in (137 cm) | Home decor and upholstery fabric |
| 58-60 in (147-152 cm) | Knits, wool, apparel fabric |
| 108 in (274 cm) | Wide quilt backing |
| Fat quarter | 18 x 22 in (46 x 56 cm): a half yard cut in half across the width |
| Fat eighth | 9 x 22 in (23 x 56 cm) |
| 5/8 in (1.5 cm) | Most US commercial garment patterns |
| 1 cm (3/8 in) | Many European and independent patterns |
| 1/2 in (1.3 cm) | Home decor, bags and cushions |
| 1/4 in (6 mm) | Quilt piecing |
Always check the pattern: some patterns include the seam allowance and some do not.
| Size (metric/US) | Fabric |
|---|---|
| 60/8 - 70/10 | Silk, chiffon, voile, fine lawn |
| 80/12 | Quilting cotton, shirting, light knits |
| 90/14 | Linen, light denim, canvas |
| 100/16 | Heavy denim, upholstery |
| 110/18 | Very heavy canvas, multiple layers |
The metric number is the needle blade diameter in hundredths of a millimetre.
| Length | Stitches per inch | Use |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5 mm | 17 | Reinforcing, fine fabric |
| 2.0 mm | 13 | Quilt piecing |
| 2.5 mm | 10 | Everyday seams |
| 3.0-3.5 mm | 7-8 | Topstitching |
| 4.0-5.0 mm | 5-6 | Basting, gathering |
| Crib | 28 x 52 in (71 x 132 cm) |
| Twin | 38 x 75 in (97 x 191 cm) |
| Full / double | 54 x 75 in (137 x 191 cm) |
| Queen | 60 x 80 in (152 x 203 cm) |
| King | 76 x 80 in (193 x 203 cm) |
1 inch = 2.54 cm exactly. 1 yard = 36 in = 91.44 cm. 1 metre = 39.37 in = 1.09 yards.
Fabric widths are nominal; selvages and pre-washing shrink them a little. Metric figures are rounded.
Decorative sewing room reference.