Nominal fabric width is not confirmed usable width

Preserve both sources

Robert Kaufman lists Kona K001-1181 at 44 inches wide. FQS lists 44/45 inches for the same SKU. We retain those source statements rather than selecting 45 as a guaranteed usable width.

Measure usable material

The cutting tool leaves usable width blank. Enter a width confirmed for the material after accounting for selvages and any project requirements. A nominal bolt width does not supply that value automatically.

Keep cuts reversible

A price per yard buys length across a stated width; it is not an unlimited sheet. Check the actual cut and seller conditions before planning tightly packed rectangles.

Ask about the cutting width

The Kona example has a 44 in manufacturer specification and a 44/45 in retailer description. Neither tells us a guaranteed selvage-free width for a particular received cut. Before planning several rectangles across the bolt, obtain a usable-width measurement; the planner deliberately starts with that field blank.

Width changes a layout discontinuously

Consider a hypothetical piece 22 in wide and 10 in long, with four pieces required. At a confirmed usable 44 in width, two pieces fit across and two rows need 20 in of length. At 43 in usable width, only one fits across and four rows need 40 in. These are illustrative measurements, not a claim that Kona delivers either usable width. A one-inch assumption can change the planned order substantially.

What to ask the seller

Ask whether the listed width includes selvages, what width is guaranteed usable, and whether the order will be supplied as one continuous cut. Give the required rectangle dimensions and any grain restriction. A listing that says 44/45 in does not itself answer those three questions. Save the response with the selected SKU and date rather than applying it to every cotton in the shop.

Do not buy by area alone

A yard of fabric is 36 in of ordered length across its stated width. Two cuts with equal area can have different shapes and different ability to fit your required rectangle. Use confirmed dimensions and the actual cutting plan; price per square inch can be mathematically correct while still failing to establish that the project fits.

Before you decide

• Keep family, color/SKU and actual quantity
• Separate nominal, usable and assumed measurements
• Read component care and current seller conditions