Buying the right amount, checking it before you cut, and caring for it well are what turn good fabric into a garment that lasts. This lesson is the quick guide; the rest of Module 8 goes deeper into each step.
What you’ll learn
- Rough amounts to buy for common garments, and why width matters.
- The checks to do before stitching.
- Care basics for cotton, silk, zari and velvet.
- Where to go next in this course and at D&D.
How much to buy (rough guide for an average size – ask your tailor for your design):
- Blouse: about 1 metre (more for long sleeves or a lining).
- Kurta: about 2.5 metres.
- Salwar or pants: about 2.5 metres.
- Dupatta: about 2.5 metres.
These amounts assume a fabric about 44 inches (110 cm) wide, the common Indian dress-material width. Wider fabric (58–60 inches, 150 cm) needs less; narrow fabric (36 inches, 90 cm) needs more. Always check the width before you buy.
Before stitching: pre-wash cotton and linen; ask whether a dark colour bleeds (dip a corner in water); check the whole length for flaws in good light.
Caring for it:
- Cotton – wash cool, dry in the shade, iron while slightly damp.
- Silk – dry-clean the first time; after that, a gentle cold hand wash for lighter silks. Iron on the reverse with a cloth in between.
- Zari and embroidery – never wring; dry flat; store wrapped in soft cotton (a mul cloth), not plastic, and refold every few months.
- Velvet – steam, do not press flat.
At Dreams & Designs: we stock fabrics and help you source the right one for your outfit – see Supplies, or bring your fabric to our tailoring studio. Want to learn to work with fabric yourself? Our school starts from the basics.
Take your design (a sketch or photo) when you shop, and ask the shop for the width before they cut.
More amounts, by garment and width
Rough amounts for an average adult size. Big sizes, tall wearers, long sleeves, flare, matching checks and one-way prints all need more. Teacher to check for your design.
| Garment | 44 in (110 cm) | 58–60 in (150 cm) |
|---|---|---|
| Blouse (short sleeves) | About 1 m | About 0.8 m |
| Blouse lining | About 1 m | About 0.8 m |
| Straight kurta | About 2.5 m | About 1.75–2 m |
| Anarkali (knee to ankle) | About 4–6 m or more | About 3–4.5 m |
| Salwar | About 2.5 m | About 2 m |
| Patiala | About 3.5–4 m | About 3 m |
| Palazzo | About 2.5–3 m | About 2–2.5 m |
| Lehenga skirt | About 3–6 m (by flare) | About 2.5–4.5 m |
| Men’s shirt | About 2–2.25 m | About 1.6 m |
| Men’s trousers | About 2.4 m | About 1.25–1.4 m |
| Men’s kurta | About 2.5–3 m | About 2 m |
Ready lengths: a saree is usually about 5.5 m plus a blouse piece (often 0.8–1 m); a nine-yard (nauvari) saree is about 8 m; a dupatta is about 2.25–2.5 m. Dress-material sets come cut for one outfit.
Add extra for
- Shrinkage: add about 5–10 % for cotton, handloom and rayon.
- Checks, stripes and large prints: add one pattern repeat for matching.
- Velvet and one-way prints: add about 10–15 %; all pieces face one way.
- Border placement: borders may decide the layout (Module 8, Laying out and cutting).
Checks at the shop
- Width, measured selvedge to selvedge.
- Fibre, with percentages for blends.
- The whole length in good light: holes, stains, dye streaks, weaving faults.
- Straight cut: is the end cut straight across the grain? If not, you may lose some length straightening it.
- Colour in daylight: shop lights change colours.
- Dye lot: buy enough at once; the next roll may be a different shade.
- Bleed: a damp white cloth test.
- Return policy: ask before cutting.
Tips, tricks and hacks
- Carry a tape and a swatch of anything you need to match.
- Photograph the bolt label or selvedge print.
- Buy a little extra for small repairs and alterations later.
- Ask the tailor first for designer pieces; it saves buying twice.
- Keep offcuts labelled for patches, piping and kids’ projects.
- Don’t buy on colour alone; feel the drape.
Common misunderstandings
“A metre is a metre.”
Width changes everything; 2.5 m of 36-inch cloth is far less fabric than 2.5 m of 58-inch.
“More fabric is always safer.”
Ask your tailor; too much is waste. Buy what your design needs plus a sensible margin.
For earning and teaching
For earning: a printed list of amounts for your common designs, by fabric width, saves customers wasted trips. Keep it updated.
For teaching: give learners a design and two fabric widths and ask them to work out the amount.
Problems and how to fix them
You bought too little
- Look for the same lot at the same shop at once.
- Use a contrast for facings, yokes or sleeves.
- Prevention: show the design to your tailor before buying.
The fabric has a flaw in the middle
- Return or exchange if possible.
- Plan the layout around it.
- Prevention: check the whole length in good light at the shop.
The cut end was crooked and you lost length
- Straighten along a weft thread and replan.
- Use the offcut for small pieces.
- Prevention: ask the shop to cut straight, or add a little extra.
Sources and uncertain points
- Quantities are rough guides from general tailoring practice and need teacher checking against D&D’s studio amounts.
- Saree and dupatta lengths vary by region and maker.
Check yourself
- Do you know roughly how much fabric a kurta needs at 44 inches?
- Can you say why width matters?
- Can you list three checks before buying?
- Do you know how to care for zari?
Key terms
- Width: selvedge to selvedge.
- Dye lot: a batch dyed together.
- Repeat: the size of one unit of a pattern.