The starter
Baby Lock Zest 15S
CA$299 · US$209
15 built-in stitches · Mechanical · 4-step buttonhole
See it at your shop →Free sewing & quilting calculators: Sewing math, measured to fit
15 free calculators for cutting sizes, yardage, and quilt layouts, with results as you type in inches or centimetres. Shopping for a machine? Five questions find one for you.
- Free, no signup
- Inches or centimetres
- No paid placement
- Piece size
- 18" × 22"
- Pieces
- 6
- Bolt width
- 44"
Buy 2-1/8 yd
2 across × 3 rows, 10% extra
Cut 19" × 23" · costs $25.50Try your numbers →
- Pattern calls for
- 3 yd
- At width
- 44"
- Your fabric
- 60"
Buy 2-1/4 yd
of 60" fabric
3/4 yd less than the original 3 ydTry your numbers →
- Waist
- 28"
- Skirt length
- 22"
- Style
- Full circle
Cut 3-7/8"
waist radius, 27-1/2" hem radius
Buy 1-5/8 yd of 60" fabricTry your numbers →
- Finished size
- 3"
- Seam allowance
- 1/4"
- Converting
- Finished → cut
Cut 3-1/2"
with the seam allowance added
3" finished + 2 × 1/4" = 3-1/2" cutTry your numbers →
- Waist
- 30"
- Elastic
- Knitted
- Fit
- Comfortable
Cut 28"
of elastic, overlap included
Stretch factor 0.90 · 1" to 2" wideTry your numbers →
- Finished width
- 36"
- Fullness
- 2×
- Seam allowance
- 1/2"
Cut 73"
wide, gathered down to 36"
36" × 2 + 2 × 1/2" = 73"Try your numbers →
- Opening
- 22"
- Buttons
- 6
- Top · bottom
- 1/2" · 4"
Mark 3-1/2"
between buttons, 6 in all
Marks at 1/2", 4", 7-1/2", 11", 14-1/2", 18"Try your numbers →
- Tape needed
- 144"
- Finished width
- 1/2"
- Tape type
- Double fold
Cut 18"
square, 6 strips 2" wide
Yields 145-3/4" (about 4 yd)Try your numbers →
- Garment · body
- 17" · 15"
- Dart type
- Waist — skirt back
- Darts
- 2
Sew 1"
intake per dart, 5" long
2" taken in across 2 dartsTry your numbers →
- Project
- Skirt
- Opening
- 9"
- Seam allowance
- 5/8"
Buy 7"
invisible zipper
Or 9", shortened 1-1/4"Try your numbers →
- Finished size
- 3"
- Seam allowance
- 1/4"
- HSTs needed
- 24
Cut 3-7/8"
squares, 12 of each fabric
Two at a time · unfinished 3-1/2"Try your numbers →
- Finished size
- 4"
- Seam allowance
- 1/4"
- QSTs needed
- 4
Cut 5-1/4"
squares, 4 in all
Unfinished 4-1/2"Try your numbers →
- Finished goose
- 4" × 2"
- Seam allowance
- 1/4"
- Geese needed
- 4
Cut 5-1/4"
1 large square, plus 4 small at 2-7/8"
No-waste method · unfinished 4-1/2" × 2-1/2"Try your numbers →
- Side length
- 1"
- Seam allowance
- 1/4"
- Hexagons
- 20
Cut 2-1/2"
strips, pieces 2-1/4" × 2-1/2"
Template 1-3/4" × 2"Try your numbers →
- Target size
- 60" × 80"
- Block size
- 10"
- Sashing · border
- 2" · 3"
Make 30
blocks, 5 across × 6 down
Finished quilt 64" × 76"Try your numbers →
Calculators
All 15 tools →Sewing · 10
- Fabric Yardage CalculatorHow much fabric to buy, and what it costs
- Fabric Width ConverterConvert yardage between 44", 54", and 60" fabric
- Circle Skirt CalculatorWaist and hem radii, plus fabric needed
- Seam Allowance CalculatorFinished size to cut size, either direction
- Elastic CalculatorHow long to cut elastic for a waistband or cuff
- Gathered Fabric CalculatorHow wide to cut fabric before you gather it
- Button Spacing CalculatorEven button placement, marked from the top edge
- Bias Tape CalculatorThe square to cut for continuous bias tape
- Dart CalculatorDart intake and length for bust, waist, or shoulder
- Zipper Length CalculatorThe standard zipper size and type for an opening
Quilting · 5
- Half-Square Triangle CalculatorCut size and square count for any HST
- Quarter-Square Triangle CalculatorCut size and square count for QSTs
- Flying Geese CalculatorCut sizes for one-at-a-time and four-at-a-time
- Hexagon Quilt CalculatorTemplate, cut size, and strip width
- Quilt Size CalculatorBlocks, sashing, and borders for a target size
Machine picker · 5 questions
Find your sewing machine
Get up to three matches from 28 machines and sergers, priced at a shop in your region. No brand pays for placement.
Start with what you sew most
Start the picker
About a minute
Three of the 28 machines it picks from
The first quilter
Baby Lock Jubilant
CA$899 · US$699
80 built-in stitches · Computerized · 1-step buttonhole
See it at your shop →
The forever upgrade
Janome Skyline S9
CA$3,999 · US$3,999
8.3" throat space · 250 built-in stitches · AcuFeed Flex dual feed
See it at your shop →
From the blog
All posts →Machines & Gear3 min read
Choosing Your First Sewing Machine: What Actually Matters
Mechanical or computerized, which features you'll really use, and what to skip — a no-nonsense guide to buying a first sewing machine.
Read more: Choosing Your First Sewing Machine: What Actually MattersQuilting3 min read
Half-Square Triangles Three Ways: Which Method to Use When
Two-at-a-time, eight-at-a-time, and oversize-and-trim half-square triangles compared — the cut sizes, the trade-offs, and when each one wins.
Read more: Half-Square Triangles Three Ways: Which Method to Use WhenGarment Sewing3 min read
How to Cut a Circle Skirt That Actually Fits
The circle skirt formula explained — waist radius, hem radius, seam allowance, and elastic waists — plus how much fabric to buy.
Read more: How to Cut a Circle Skirt That Actually Fits
Frequently asked questions
Short answers about the calculators, the picker, and how this site earns money.
About sewing.tools →Are the sewing.tools calculators free?
Yes. Every calculator is free to use, with no signup or email. Results update as you type, in inches or centimetres, and each tool shows a worked example and its formula.
Do the calculators work in metric?
Yes. Switch any calculator between imperial and metric; your choice is remembered on this device, so the other calculators open in the same units. Results are rounded to the nearest 1/8 inch or 0.1 cm, and cutting sizes round up so a piece is never cut short.
How does the machine picker choose a sewing machine?
You answer five questions — budget, what you sew, skill level, must-have features, and brand preference — and every one of the 28 machines and sergers in our catalog is scored with fixed weights. Machines built for your kind of sewing rank first, and no brand or shop can pay for placement.
Where can I buy the machines the picker recommends?
Visitors in Canada are linked to Linda's Quilt Shoppe, and visitors in the US and everywhere else to SewingMachinesPlus, with prices in your currency.
Does sewing.tools earn money from its recommendations?
We may earn a commission when you buy a sewing machine through our links to Linda's Quilt Shoppe or SewingMachinesPlus. It never changes your price or which machines the picker recommends.