Glossary
What is a fabric consumption?
Fabric consumption is the amount of cloth one finished garment requires, including seam allowance, marker waste and end loss.
Also called: yield, yards per unit, consumption per garment.
It is calculated from the total area of the pattern pieces, divided by the marker efficiency, then divided by the usable fabric width to give a linear length — with a further allowance for end loss, splicing and shading.
Typical figures give a sense of scale: an adult t-shirt on 60-inch jersey lands near one yard, and a men’s woven shirt on 58-inch cloth near two. Both move substantially with body length, sleeve length and fabric width, which is why a consumption figure quoted without those variables cannot be checked.