How much fabric for a porch goose dress? Yardage by size for all 21 outfits

A porch goose dress needs about ½ to 1½ yards of 44 inch wide fabric for the main piece, depending on the outfit and the size. The Goose Easy Dress takes ½ yard for a Small goose, ¾ yard for a Standard goose and ⅞ yard for a Large goose.

TL;DR

• The Goose Easy Dress needs ½ yd (Small, 17 in goose), ¾ yd (Standard, 23 in) or ⅞ yd (Large, 27 in) of cotton.
• Across all 21 Sewzy goose outfits, the main fabric ranges from ¼ yd (the hat in the Accessories Set) to 1⅝ yd (Large Ghost).
• The Witch uses the most fabric overall, at 2⅜ yd of main and skirt fabric for a Large goose, plus interfacing.
• All amounts are for 44 inch wide fabric, rounded up from the pattern's own guide. Felt is 36 inches wide.

How much fabric does the Goose Easy Dress need?

The Goose Easy Dress needs one cotton fabric that covers the top, the sleeves and the skirt. It is the quickest of the 21 outfits, rated beginner at 2 hours of sewing, and a good first dress.

If you want a plain dress with no theme, the Porch Goose Outfit is the classic pattern. It needs more fabric than the Easy Dress: 1 yd for Small, 1⅛ yd for Standard and 1½ yd for Large.

How much fabric do all 21 porch goose outfits need?

The yardage table below lists the main fabric for each outfit, by goose size, and everything else you will need. Every number comes straight from the pattern's guide, rounded up to a buyable amount. The outfits are ordered by the main fabric needed for a Standard goose, lightest first.

Fabric amounts are for 44 inch wide fabric unless the table says otherwise. A pattern with several fabrics lists each one separately, so add them up when you shop. If you are not sure why a pattern asks for a little extra, our general guide to how much fabric you need explains it.

Which porch goose size should you buy fabric for?

Buy fabric for the size that matches your goose, which you find by measuring from the base to the top of the head. Porch geese are sold at 17, 23 and 27 inches, and the patterns come as Small, Standard and Large to match. Each pattern has a fit table with body measurements for each size.

These numbers apply to the full outfits such as the Santa, the Turkey and the Witch. Our guide on how to measure a porch goose shows where to put the tape. If your goose falls between two sizes, choose the larger size, and the fabric amount for that size. The Sewzy size finder in the app does the matching for you.

Which porch goose outfits use the least fabric?

The Toy Soldier and Ugly Sweater use the least main fabric for a Small goose, at ⅜ yard. The Ugly Sweater also stays small at ½ yard for Standard and ⅝ yard for Large, though it adds a red skirt fabric of ¼ to ½ yard. The Easy Dress is the lightest single-fabric option at ½, ¾ and ⅞ yard.

For a Large goose, the lowest main-fabric amounts are the Ugly Sweater (⅝ yd), then the Easy Dress, the Mrs Claus, the Harvest, the Scarecrow, the Snowman and the Toy Soldier (all ⅞ yd). If you are sewing for a 27 inch goose, these are the friendliest on cost.

Which porch goose outfits use the most fabric?

The Ghost, the Classic Goose Outfit and the Witch use the most. The Ghost needs 1⅛ yd, 1⅜ yd and 1⅝ yd of white fabric across the three sizes. The Classic Goose Outfit needs 1 yd, 1⅛ yd and 1½ yd. The Witch needs 1 yd, 1⅛ yd and 1½ yd of main fabric, plus skirt fabric of ⅝, ¾ and ⅞ yd, plus iron-on interfacing.

That puts a Large Witch at 2⅜ yd of main and skirt fabric combined, before the interfacing. If you plan to buy fabric for several outfits at once, start by working out your total from the table.

Which fabric should you buy for a goose dress?

Buy tightly woven cotton, such as quilting cotton or a cotton blend, for the body, and felt for small shapes. These sew cleanly and hold their shape on a statue that does not stretch. Lighter cotton gathers into a softer skirt. Pre-wash and press the fabric before you cut, because a pattern that fits before the wash can be tight after it. Our porch goose outfit sewing guide covers fabric, gathering and the back slit in more detail.

Prints that suit each season are easier to find in fall and winter. For Thanksgiving ideas see Thanksgiving porch goose outfits, and for Christmas see Christmas porch goose outfits to sew.

How do you work out the total for your shopping list?

Add the main fabric to each extra fabric for your goose size, then round up to the nearest eighth of a yard. Here is an example for a Standard (23 inch) Santa outfit.

1. Red fabric for the Standard size: ⅝ yd.
2. White fabric for the Standard size: ½ yd.
3. Black fabric for the belt: ¼ yd.

That is three cuts: ⅝, ½ and ¼ yard. Ask the shop to cut each one separately. The Santa pattern page lists the same figures. For other seasons, browse the porch goose outfit patterns page.

Make it with Sewzy

Sewzy is an iPhone app with 76 sewing patterns, 13 of them free. Every pattern includes every size, a size finder, a written step-by-step guide and an AI coach. You can print the letter size PDF at home or take the A0 file to a copy shop. Sewzy costs $3.99 a week or $29.99 a year, with a 3-day trial. Get Sewzy on the App Store and check the yardage for your goose before you shop.

FAQ

How much fabric do I need for a porch goose dress?

The Goose Easy Dress needs ½ yard for a Small goose, ¾ yard for a Standard goose and ⅞ yard for a Large goose, in 44 inch wide cotton. Other outfits need more, up to 1⅝ yards of main fabric.

How much fabric does a 23 inch porch goose outfit need?

A 23 inch goose is a Standard size. For the full outfits, main fabric runs from ½ yard (Ugly Sweater) to 1⅜ yards (Ghost), depending on the look. The Easy Dress needs ¾ yard.

Which porch goose outfit uses the most fabric?

The Ghost needs the most single fabric, up to 1⅝ yards for a Large goose. The Witch needs the most in total: 1½ yards of main fabric and ⅞ yard of skirt fabric for a Large goose, plus interfacing.

What width of fabric do the yardage amounts assume?

Amounts assume 44 inch wide fabric. Felt is listed at 36 inches wide, and interfacing at 20 inches wide. If your fabric is a different width, check the pattern's cutting layout before you buy.

Can I use less fabric by sewing a smaller size?

Only if your goose is that size. Measure first, because a dress that is too small will not fit over the head and body. If your goose is between sizes, choose the larger one.