• Home
  • Classes
  • Blog
  • About
  • Sewing Resources
  • Free Tutorials

How to Read the Info on a Bolt of Fabric

1/13/2015

4 Comments

 
Picture
Walking into a fabric store can be intimidating. Let me help make it less scary. By the end of this post, you should feel comfortable handling a bolt of fabric!
Picture
Most fabric comes wrapped  like this. The fabric is one long piece, usually 8-10 yards long, folded in half, then wrapped around a cardboard core. The bolt stands approx. 22" tall.
Picture
It's important to remember that this fabric is folded before being wrapped around the core. It remains folded when measured and cut by the sales associate. If you cut one yard (36"), the actual piece of fabric you go home with is 36" x 44". The same applies if you are ordering fabric online. Ordering 1 yard will give you 36" x 44" when it arrives at your door. Some online retailers are generous and will give you an extra inch (37" wide, kind of like a baker's dozen). 

This holds true for all standard bolts of fabric. Sometimes bolts are larger and the fabric will actually be 60" wide. The bolt looks exactly the same, but it will be about 8" taller in the store. The fabric is still folded in half before wrapping around the cardboard center, so the bolt itself will stand approx. 30" tall.
Picture
If you order 1/4 yard of fabric, you will get a long skinny piece of fabric that is 9" wide by 44" long. If you've heard the term "fat quarter," it refers to a special cut (usually only available as a pre-cut length, not something you can choose to have cut from a bolt.) A fat quarter is when a full yard of fabric is cut, then divided into 4 equal rectangles. Those rectangles are 18" x 22", as opposed to a skinny quarter which is 9" x 44". Both are considered a "quarter yard of fabric." Big difference!
Picture
The end of the cardboard tube holds a lot of important information. This information is not printed on the fabric itself, and it also will not be printed on your receipt or cutting table paperwork. If you need specific info, it is very important to jot it down or snap a photo with your phone before leaving the store. 
Picture
Price per yard. Look for sale or clearance stickers in this area as well.
Picture
Laundering instructions and fiber content. This is very important so that you know how to care for the item you plan to make when it's finished. 
Picture
"Valentine Candy" is the name of the fabric. You may also see the designer's information here. Under that, it lists the colorway. Sometimes the same design will appear in different colors (this one does not, so it just says "Multi.") Under that, where the fabric was milled. This one came from China.


To the right of this info you can see "Size 44IN" which refers to the overall width of the fabric if you unfold it. Most fabric comes as 44", but you can see 54" in home decor types of fabric, and 60" as well. Sometimes there might even be a 90" width, common in cotton muslin and fabrics made to be a single piece for a quilt backing. Those are not as common in the fabric store. They also are not insanely tall bolts--most of the time that fabric will be folded two or three times before wrapping around the cardboard to make the bolt more manageable.


Lastly, you see "Yards 10" which refers to the total length of fabric on the bolt when it first arrives in the store.
Picture
If you found this information helpful or have questions, please let me know in the comments. Happy fabric shopping!
4 Comments
emily
1/15/2015 06:08:15 am

I am bookmarking this for future reference. This is great info!

Reply
Karen Katin
1/16/2015 05:26:23 am

I'm so glad you found it helpful! I want to lead fabric store field trips...

Reply
Beverly
8/14/2020 09:18:43 pm

What does unit weight 279 mean?

Reply
Tracy K
8/28/2020 09:49:54 am

I’m looking for this same info. Trying to figure out the weight of the fabric, and I”m pretty sure this is key but don’t know how to go about it!!!!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Karen Katin

    As co-owner of Stitchery in Portsmouth, RI, I teach sewing classes to children and adults. Welcome to my blog Dancing Threads RI. 

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Instagram

    Archives

    March 2020
    September 2017
    August 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Categories

    All
    Background
    Blog Reading
    Books
    Creative Business
    Crochet Bag
    Eco Friendly
    Embroidery
    Events
    Fabric Stores
    Family
    Gift
    Handmade Wardrobe
    Holiday
    How I Do What I Do
    Knitting Bag
    Knitting Inspiration
    Lil Rhody Bag
    Memademay
    Mother's Day Gift
    Parties
    Pattern Review
    Pattern Support Links
    Personal Projects
    Plastic Swap
    Product Feature
    Project Bag
    Quilt
    Selfish Sewing
    Sewing
    Sewing Classes
    Sewing Fail
    Sewing Inspiration
    Sewing Patterns
    Sewing Resources
    Sewing Tips
    Sewing Tools
    Sewing Tutorial
    Sustainable Sewing
    Three Things To Smile
    Wedding
    Work In Progress

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Classes
  • Blog
  • About
  • Sewing Resources
  • Free Tutorials