Day 17: The "Cookie Dough" Rule (Why You Need 15% More Fabric)

Welcome to Week 3, Day 17 of My Dad vs. The Algorithm.

A new customer recently called Ira in a panic. They had calculated that their t-shirt yield exactly to exactly 1 yard. They ordered exactly enough fabric for 500 shirts based on that yield.

When the cutting was done, they were 75 shirts short. They assumed we shorted them on the fabric. Ira had to explain the concept of "Working Loss."

You don't pay for the cookie; you pay for the dough! 🍪 As Ira demonstrates, the "webbing" between your pattern pieces is waste, but you still have to buy it. Always add a 15-20% buffer to your fabric order to account for this fallout.

Ira’s Reaction:

"You don't pay for the cookie; you pay for the dough. When you roll out cookie dough and cut star shapes, what happens to the dough between the stars? You throw it back in the bowl, right? But in fabric, you can't re-roll the scraps. That's called working loss . You paid for that waste. If you don't calculate for the scraps on the floor, you're going to come up short."

Here is the reality of Marker Efficiency.

The 85% Reality

When a pattern maker lays out your pieces (Sleeves, Body, Neck) onto the fabric (the Marker), they try to fit them as tightly as possible, like Tetris.

However, curved pieces never fit together perfectly. There are always gaps. Even the best markers usually only achieve 80% to 85% Efficiency.

• 15% to 20% of the fabric you buy will end up in the trash can as scraps.

• If you need 500 of finished t-shirts, you need to buy 575 yards of fabric.

Ira’s Take:

"The yield tells you how much fabric is on the roll, not how much ends up on the body. You have to pay for the corners that get cut off. Always add a safety buffer."

How to Order Correctly

To avoid running short mid-production:

1. Ask your Marker Maker: "What is the efficiency of this marker?" (If they say 82%, you need to buy 18% more fabric).

2. The General Rule: If you don't have a marker yet, add 15-20% to your calculated yardage needed.

Ira’s Final Advice:

"Better to have 10 yards left over for samples than to be 10 yards short and miss your shipment date. Buy the extra dough."

Tune in tomorrow for Day 18!

(Missed yesterday's post about the No Cut Rule? Read Day 16: I Can't Fix Confetti here.)

Check our stock levels to ensure we have enough "dough" for your project on our Stock List.