How much material will I need?

[needacoffee]

Just beginning to start making clothes for myself. I am just ordering material for a basic A-line skirt size 12 skirt that comes to just below the knee would I get away with ordering 1 metre or safer ordering 2 metres? Also the material is cotton, should I buy lining material too? Many thanks for any help with this.

Are you working from a paper pattern? If so, it should tell you how much fabric you need on the back. One lot is usually in metres, and the other in feet and inches. Its also based on how wide the fabric is - so if its narrower, then you'll need more length.

I'm a little bigger than a size 12, but would think you may need a bit more than a metre, but less than 2.

Hopefully a decent seamstress will be along in a minute!

115cm wide = 1.5 metre

I would guess twice the length of the finished skirt plus hem and top turning ( you should be able to cut the waist band from side fabric. )

Most cotton will be ok for unlined and you can always put a slip petticoat underneath.

If you have an old sheet and no pattern, the best way to work out how much fabric you need is to make a sample skirt with the old sheet and you should be able to work out from that how much you need. Also the amount will be affected by the pattern as you have to watch for repeats or lines when you are cutting if you have a fussy fabric and that will usually up the quantity required.

Whether you need a lining depends largely on how heavy the cotton is. A lightweight cotton like a quilting fabric or something shirt weight would need a lining. Something approaching linen weight wouldn't. Colour is also a consideration. Lighter colours can be more see through so if you aren't sure from the weight, be guided by the colour.

Trumpton when you say 115cm = 1.5m do you mean that 115cm wide fabric will require 1.5m from the bolt? I am assuming that you don't mean that 115cm is equivalent to 1.5m. Sorry, I sound picky but it took me a minute of head scratching to get what you might mean and perhaps it might have been unclear to the OP (unlikely admittedly) and she saw the same ambiguity.

Wow, thank you all very much, I will order two metres of each material just to be on the safe side. Great info, will probably be back for more help when my material arrives. Thanks again.

Sorry BBB
My fault , I did indeed mean op would need about 1.5 metres of 115cm wide .

But I see she has ordered 2 metres of fabric so what will she make with the remnants ??? Better too much than too little .

Can we have a nosy at your fabric needacoffee when you get it?

Trumpton - it was me being silly and not engaging my brain happens all the time It was clear when I finally got the fog to clear.