HOW TO READ THE YARDAGE PAGE
AND FIGURE YARDAGE

Figuring yardage for Window Treatments is confusing for a lot of people. It is very different from yardage for a garment you plan to sew. You should expect that it will take some time, for your determinations. You will not be able to glance at the yardage page and see that you need 9 yards.

It is important that you read the description of the treatment first. This information is found at the top of the yardage page. You will then understand the elements of the design and the different design choices you have. It will also state the size range, and if alterations can be done. After reading the description, you can then determine which pattern pieces you will need to use.

It’s a good idea to draw a simple sketch, of jot down each pattern piece you will need in each window.

After you have selected the fabric, measure the fabric width. The yardage page will give you the width and depth of each pattern piece. You can then determine how many of the pattern pieces will fit on that width of fabric.

Continue with another width of fabric for the other pattern pieces, etc. Naturally the depth of the pattern pieces will dictate how deep each width of the fabric will need to be. (The deepest pattern piece used on that width would be the depth). Add each depth (or length) of fabric together to get the yardage. All of this information applies if the fabric is solid, or of some design that you don’t have to match fabric print repeats. For those fabrics, your lengths of the fabric may need to be deeper. Read the following information to learn how this works.

HOW TO UNDERSTAND FABRIC PRINT
REPEATS AND CUT LENGTH

Fabric Print Repeat - The distance of which the design of the print repeats itself.

Straight Across Match - When the fabric print will match itself at the selvages when cut straight across. This means each cut can be made at the same exact spot of the repeat and all cuts will be the same.

Drop Match - (Also called Half Match) When the fabric print will not match itself at the selvages when cut straight across. The fabric print repeat has been dropped by one half at the other side of the width. Every other cut will be the same. Do not get this confused with fabrics that are printed crooked. Those fabrics may sometimes be off 2” or so at the straight across, but a true drop match will have a difference of one half the repeat size.

Cut Lengths - The complete amount of fabric needed in each cut, this should include hem, and/or any other allowances.

Finished Length - The actual depth after the treatment is finished and all allowances have been utilized.

How to Determine a Cut Length - When you are using a solid fabric, or you only need one cut, your cut lengths will be exactly what the pattern or instructions tell you. But, if you are using a fabric with a print repeat, you will have to determine your own cut length. Example: For a Straight Across Match: If your swag calls for a cut length of 32” and your fabric has a print repeat of 28”, this means you will have to plan two fabric repeats for each cut. Therefore, your cut length would be 56”. This is necessary if you want the next swag to be cut exactly like the first one. This has created a waste of 24” between each cut. Determine if you can use this waste area for another portion of the same window treatment.

The mathematical formula for figuring the above is simply to divide the cut length by the fabric repeat size and round off to the next highest number (if it doesn’t come out even). This tells you how many repeats you need for one cut length. Multiply the repeat size by the number of repeats needed: 2 x 28 = 56” is your cut length.

For a Drop Match - To determine this cut length you have to give consideration to half a repeat. Use the same math formula as for the straight across match, but add one more step. After you have multiplied the repeat size by the number of repeats needed, (in this case your answer was 56”), you always have to add or subtract one half of the repeat. 56” + 14 = 70”, or 56” - 14” = 42”. 42” will work for your cut length. If sub-tracting half a repeat had resulted in less inches than the original 32” you needed, you would have had to add the half repeat instead.

Sometimes you have more than one choice, on the yardage page, as to which way you can cut the fabric: Upright, Bias, Lengthwise, etc. This is necessary because there are so many different fabric widths and design choices. Simply select the chart that is appropriate for you.

Figuring Swag Size: Many of the patterns such as 9001, 9101, 9203, etc. tells you to subtract a certain amount from the board or pole measurement and then divide into equal units in order to know the correct swag size.

As an example we will use pattern 9203, with a valance size of 116”.

Subtract 3” from the pole measurement……………116” – 3 = 113”

Divide into equal units within a 14” to 28” range.

113” divide by 5 = 22.6”
OR
113 divide by 6 = 18.8”
OR
113 divide by 7 = 16.1”
OR
113 divide by 8 = 14.1”

Those are your choices for the swag size. Select the one you want. Go between the lines on the pattern to get your exact size. Go to the chart on the yardage page that has your swag depth to get the actual pattern sizes. Figure lining the same way.

Some of the patterns, example Pattern 9291, give you a choice of making the valance without a seam. If the fabric is not wide enough to fit in the measurements given, then you will have to go to the next chart for a valance with seams. This will consist of 4 cuts per valance, in order for the seams to be hidden. Two of these cuts are shorter.

Naturally, if you haven’t worked with window treatments very much, you may still be confused as to “what is a bias cut, what is an upright cut, and how do I know which to use”. We are limited as to how much explanation we can give you by e-mail or fax. Our Designer’s Digest and Workroom Manual Collection would be a great source of infor-mation for you.