StitchablesStitchablesStrip count and total length from fabric
Calculate how many strips you can cut from your fabric and how much yardage you need to purchase.
Including seam allowance. Common: 2.5" (jelly roll), 5" (charm), 10" (layer cake)
Total trim from both selvage edges (typically 0.5" per side)
If you're pushing hard to cut, the blade is dull. Replace it. A fresh rotary blade glides through fabric and gives you clean edges that sew accurately. A dull blade drags, shifts layers, and gives you strips that are wider at one end. Stack no more than 4 layers — beyond that the blade drifts.
Trim selvages first. Selvage fabric is tighter, won't press the same, and puckers in seams. After trimming, measure what you actually have — most bolts yield about 42" usable, but don't assume. Square up the raw edge before you cut anything, aligning the ruler with the fold, not the selvage.
Crosswise (WOF) strips are standard for piecing. Lengthwise strips have almost no stretch, which makes them the better choice for borders and sashing — but they eat more yardage. One yard of 42" WOF fabric gives you about 14 strips at 2.5" wide or 10 strips at 3.5" wide. This calculator works out the exact count for your dimensions.
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