For the sewing room
Free calculators and honest advice for your sewing room.
Quilt, yarn, knitting and cross-stitch calculators, plus honest advice for your craft room and knit and crochet home decor, written for people who make things at home and want a straight answer.
What do you want to work out?
- How much fabric do I need for my quilt?Backing, binding and batting in one shopping list.
- How much backing fabric do I need?For regular 42-inch fabric or 108-inch wide backing.
- How many binding strips should I cut?The strips to cut and the fabric to buy for the edge.
- How much yarn do I need for a blanket?How many skeins to buy, by blanket size and yarn thickness.
- How many stitches should I cast on?Worked out from your test swatch, for hats, sweaters and more.
- How much fabric do I need for cross stitch?The fabric size for your pattern, plus thread for each color.
New and recently checked
Embroidery Hoop Sizes, Explained
Machine hoops are named by the area the machine can stitch; hand hoops by the diameter of the ring. Here are common sizes side by side, to scale, plus a table that turns your design size into a hoop.
Best Lamp for Sewing: 7 Picks Matched to Lux at the Needle
Seven lamps checked on paper against the light sewing needs: how bright at the needle, which color, and where the lamp goes. We haven't tested these products; picks are based on specs and our own calculations.
Best Sewing Chairs: Pick by Seat Height, Not Hype
Six chairs checked on paper against your seat height: measure first, pick a range that fits, and add a footrest where it does not. We haven't tested these products; picks are based on specs and our own calculations.
Best Sewing Machine Tables: Match the Needle to You
Six tables and cabinets compared on paper by the number that matters most: where they put your needle relative to your elbows. We haven't tested these products; picks are based on specs and our own calculations.
Crochet Home Decor: 16 Free Patterns for Lampshades, Pillows & Poufs
Sixteen free patterns with real yarn amounts, a sizing method for any lampshade, and the bulb and fiber facts that keep crochet decor safe.
How we decide what to recommend
Specs first
Seat heights, lux ratings, table heights: from the maker’s own manuals and spec sheets.
Owners second
Long-term reports from people who use the thing every week, in forums and reviews.
Dated and sourced
Every guide shows when we last checked it and which sources it rests on.
No paid placement
No paid links or ads today. If that changes, paid links will be labeled and will never decide what we recommend or in which order.