Thread Cone Yield Calculator
A 5,000 m cone at 60 m per garment yields 83 garments — 83.3, rounded down, because you cannot sell a part-sewn one. A run of 120 needs 7,200 m, so you buy two cones and 2,800 m is left. Get the metres per garment from seam length × the thread ratio: a t-shirt, mostly overlocked, runs 60–120 m, while a shirt, mostly lockstitch, runs 100–150 m.
Your numbers
Garments per cone
83
Cones needed
2cones
Remaining
2,800m
Formula
Garments per cone = ⌊Metres per cone ÷ Thread per garment⌋, Cones needed = ⌈Garments in the run × Thread per garment ÷ Metres per cone⌉
When one cone will not cover the run, colour is the real constraint. Dye lots differ slightly even under the same number, and changing cone mid-garment shows as mismatched seams — which is why thread is bought by the lot rather than by the garment. An overlocker also feeds three or four cones at once, so a machine needs that many cones of the same colour standing by; that is not this answer multiplied by three, because the per-garment figure already counts all of those threads. Leave the last few dozen metres of a cone out of the plan: the winding goes loose and the tension wanders.
What to enter
| Input | Default | Accepted range |
|---|---|---|
| Metres per cone (m)Metres wound on one cone — nominal, and the last few dozen run loose. | 5,000 | 1 and up |
| Thread per garment (m)Thread one garment consumes — seam length times the thread ratio. | 60 | 0.1 and up |
| Garments in the runHow many garments you are making in this run. | 120 | 0 and up |
Step by step
Quick reference table
Results when only Metres per cone (m) changes and everything else stays put.
| Metres per cone (m) | Garments per cone | Cones needed (cones) | Remaining (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,500 | 41 | 3 | 300 |
| 3,750 | 62 | 2 | 300 |
| 5,000 | 83 | 2 | 2,800 |
| 7,500 | 125 | 1 | 300 |
| 10,000 | 166 | 1 | 2,800 |
What each result means
| Result | At default values |
|---|---|
| Garments per coneGarments one cone finishes; there are no half garments, so it rounds down. | 83 |
| Cones needed (cones)Cones to buy; to keep the colour matched, buy generously within one lot. | 2 |
| Remaining (m)How much is still left to go; zero means the goal is met. | 2,800 |
Common mistakes
When one cone will not cover the run, colour is the real constraint. Dye lots differ slightly even under the same number, and changing cone mid-garment shows as mismatched seams — which is why thread is bought by the lot rather than by the garment. An overlocker also feeds three or four cones at once, so a machine needs that many cones of the same colour standing by; that is not this answer multiplied by three, because the per-garment figure already counts all of those threads. Leave the last few dozen metres of a cone out of the plan: the winding goes loose and the tension wanders.
Glossary
- Metres per cone
- Metres wound on one cone — nominal, and the last few dozen run loose.
- Thread per garment
- Thread one garment consumes — seam length times the thread ratio.
- Garments in the run
- How many garments you are making in this run.
- Garments per cone
- Garments one cone finishes; there are no half garments, so it rounds down.
- Cones needed
- Cones to buy; to keep the colour matched, buy generously within one lot.
- Remaining
- How much is still left to go; zero means the goal is met.
Frequently asked questions
Q. How is Thread Cone Yield Calculator calculated?
Garments per cone = ⌊Metres per cone ÷ Thread per garment⌋, Cones needed = ⌈Garments in the run × Thread per garment ÷ Metres per cone⌉ — A 5,000 m cone at 60 m per garment yields 83 garments — 83.3, rounded down, because you cannot sell a part-sewn one. A run of 120 needs 7,200 m, so you buy two cones and 2,800 m is left. Get the metres per garment from seam length × the thread ratio: a t-shirt, mostly overlocked, runs 60–120 m, while a shirt, mostly lockstitch, runs 100–150 m.
Q. Can you walk through an example?
With Metres per cone 5,000m, Thread per garment 60m, Garments in the run 120, the answer is Garments per cone 83.
Q. What do I need to enter?
Enter Metres per cone, Thread per garment, Garments in the run. The result recalculates as you type, and an empty box counts as zero.
Q. How much does the answer move if I change a number?
Changing only Metres per cone (m) moves the answer to Metres per cone (m) 2,500 → Garments per cone 41 and Metres per cone (m) 10,000 → Garments per cone 166. The table below lays out five steps.
Q. How are the numbers rounded?
Money is shown to the nearest whole unit, percentages to one decimal place and everything else to two. What you see is rounded; the calculation itself carries the unrounded value forward.
Q. Anything to watch out for?
When one cone will not cover the run, colour is the real constraint. Dye lots differ slightly even under the same number, and changing cone mid-garment shows as mismatched seams — which is why thread is bought by the lot rather than by the garment. An overlocker also feeds three or four cones at once, so a machine needs that many cones of the same colour standing by; that is not this answer multiplied by three, because the per-garment figure already counts all of those threads. Leave the last few dozen metres of a cone out of the plan: the winding goes loose and the tension wanders.
Related calculators
Materials differ in density and absorption. If your label states a figure, use it — the defaults here are only common values.