Add your fabric pieces above. Enter the name, how many yards you have, the width in inches, and pick a drape category.
Add your sewing patterns. Include the yardage the pattern calls for, the minimum fabric width, and what kind of drape the design needs.
Add some fabric and patterns, then click Find Matches to see which projects you can start tonight.
The matcher compares each fabric against each pattern on three things: yardage, width, and drape. A fabric must have enough yardage and be wide enough for the pattern layout. Drape is softer. A drapey fabric can often stand in for medium or crisp, but a crisp fabric will not work well when a pattern calls for drapey. The matcher gives you a green match when everything lines up, a yellow warning when drape is off, and a red flag when yardage or width falls short.
Be honest about yardage. Measure your fabric instead of guessing. If you pre-washed a piece, it may have shrunk. Enter the actual yards you have, not what the bolt said. For directional prints and nap, add half a yard to the pattern requirement before entering it. The matcher cannot see your print direction, so you have to account for it yourself. Keep your stash updated. Every time you bring home new fabric or finish a project, update the yardage. The matcher saves to your browser automatically, but you can export a backup file anytime.
This matcher does not calculate pattern layout efficiency. It does not know about print direction, nap, or matching plaids. It treats yardage and width as minimum requirements and drape as a preference. For complex layouts, always buy a little extra beyond what the matcher says you need. The stash utilization score shows what percentage of your fabric pieces have at least one pattern match. A high score means you are using your stash well. A low score might mean you need patterns that suit the fabric you tend to buy.