How Much Fabric Do I Need?

I am often asked how much fabric is needed to make a set of drool pads. That all depends on a few different factors. First, style - a curved style takes up a lot more fabric than straight style. Second, fabric directionality. Some fabrics really don't have a direction to them. Most prints, however, are directional and your pattern pieces will need to be placed in the correct orientation when cutting. Here is how much you will need for the different styles and directions:

Upward directional fabric:

Straight sides: You will need at least 11 inches but get 1/3 yard just to be safe. You will be able to cut 6 pieces out of that size fabric if it's 44" long. That's front and back of one set and one side of another.

Curved sides: You will need 18 inches or 1/2 yard. This will get you 1 full set front and back of a 44" long fabric. If you only need one side out of the fabric, a fat quarter will be just enough.

Side directional fabric:

Straight sides: You will need at least 7 inches but I'd get 1/4 yard to be safe. This will give you 4 pieces using a 44" fabric. That's front and back of one set.

Curved sides: You will need 18 inches or 1/2 yard. This will give you a full set front and back of a 44" fabric. If you only need one side out of the fabric, 1/4 yard will be just right.

If you have a non-directional fabric, you're in luck because you can arrange the pieces in whatever way you would like. I find that a quarter yard is enough to make any straight sets or one side of curved sets and have a little left over for toy leashes or teething toys.

In a pinch, when I was trying to get the pattern to fit on a scrap I had left, I have made a set of drool pads (one side only) with curved edges on a piece that was 11"x15" doubled. That is your bare minimum size! Let me know if the comments if you've squeezed out a smaller area with some creative manipulation!