The length, not the area
A yard of fabric is 36 inches long, measured along the bolt, and as wide as the fabric is. A yard of 44 inch quilting cotton is 36 × 44 inches; a yard of 108 inch wide backing is 36 × 108 inches. The yard is defined as exactly 0.9144 metres, so a yard is 91.44 cm.
Common fractions of a yard
| Cut | Length |
|---|---|
| ⅛ yard | 4½ in (11.43 cm) |
| ¼ yard | 9 in (22.86 cm) |
| ⅓ yard | 12 in (30.48 cm) |
| ½ yard | 18 in (45.72 cm) |
| ⅔ yard | 24 in (60.96 cm) |
| ¾ yard | 27 in (68.58 cm) |
| 1 yard | 36 in (91.44 cm) |
A fat quarter has the same area as a ¼ yard cut, in a squarer shape. The quilt backing calculator rounds its answer up to the next ⅛ yard.