How much lace do you need for a dupatta?

The sum for all four sides

Four-side lace follows the whole outline of the dupatta, so the starting point is the distance all the way round.

• Measure: lay the dupatta flat and note its length and its width in centimetres.
• Add and double: length plus width, times two. For 2.5 metres by 1 metre, that is 7 metres.
• Add the corners: lace that turns a corner is folded into a mitre or eased round, and each corner takes roughly twice the width of the lace. With a 4 cm lace, four corners use about 32 cm.
• Add the join: the lace has to meet itself somewhere. Allow about 5 cm for a plain lace, or one full pattern repeat for a scalloped one.
• Round up: 7 metres plus 37 cm rounds up to 7.5 metres.

Common sizes, worked out

These totals assume a lace about 4 cm wide. A wider lace needs more at the corners: an 8 cm lace uses about 64 cm on the corners alone, so add another half metre.

• 2.25 metres by 90 cm: 6.3 metres of edge. Buy 7 metres.
• 2.5 metres by 1 metre: 7 metres of edge. Buy 7.5 metres.
• 2.5 metres by 1.1 metres: 7.2 metres of edge. Buy 8 metres.

Ends only, or the long sides only

Lace across the two short ends is the lighter and more economical finish, and it is the part that shows when a dupatta hangs from the shoulder. The sum is twice the width, plus a few centimetres at each end of each strip to turn under neatly. A 90 cm dupatta needs about 2 metres, and a 1.1 metre one about 2.5 metres.

Lace down the two long sides only is less common, but it frames the face when the dupatta is worn over the head. Allow twice the length plus the same small turn-unders, so about 5.25 metres for a 2.5 metre dupatta.

What changes the total

• Scallops and motifs: corners look neatest when a full scallop sits on each one, which can mean easing the spacing along a side. Allow one extra repeat per corner.
• Gathered lace: a frilled edge uses far more than a flat one, commonly one and a half to two times the edge length.
• Weight: heavy lace on all four sides of chiffon can drag the edges and spoil the drape. A narrow lace, or the ends only, keeps a light dupatta floating. See our chiffon guide.
• Shrinkage: cotton lace can shrink in the wash, so round up and wash a test piece first.
• Yards: if the lace is sold by the yard, add about a tenth to the metre figure. 7.5 metres is a little over 8 yards.
• Matching the suit: if the same lace runs along the kameez and trousers, add the total from how much lace a suit needs.

Getting the dupatta finished with your outfit

We finish a dupatta with lace or a border when it is part of an outfit we are stitching, and the work is listed in your written quote with everything else. A dupatta sent by itself for edging is not something we take on. With Stitching Only, you can ask to send your own lace with the suit: give its width and length in your notes, and we confirm it is enough before you post anything. Otherwise describe the edge you want or send a photo, and we confirm what is possible on that fabric.

Our dupatta finishing ideas show the options, the custom embroidery page covers lace and border work, and the stitching quote form has a notes box for the measurements.