Width of fabric (WOF)

The measurement across woven fabric from one selvage to the other, usually 42–44 inches on quilting cotton.

Also called: WOF, fabric width

Width of fabric is measured edge to edge. Usable width is what's left after trimming the selvages.

What “WOF” means in a cutting list

When a pattern says “cut 3 strips 2½ in × WOF”, it means cut each strip all the way across the fabric, from one selvage to the other. On quilting cotton that is usually 42–44 inches.

A standard quarter yard is 9 inches × WOF: a 9 inch length cut across the full width.

WOF is not the width you can use

The printed selvages and any uneven edges come off before you cut pieces, so the width you can actually use is a little less than WOF. Measure your own fabric, or see usable fabric width. The quilt backing calculator asks for usable width for this reason.

Where this comes from

Nancy’s Notions, Quilting Terms, Acronyms, Abbreviations and How to Make Sense of It All, checked 2026-10-27
Everyday Measure, strip and quarter-yard examples, checked 2026-10-27

Tools that use this

Everyday Measure · everydaymeasure.com/glossary/width-of-fabric/