Fabric guide

Marimekko fabric guide – how to buy fabrics online


Marimekko's fabric collection includes various classic and seasonal prints, and materials like cotton, coated cotton, sateen, linen and batiste. You can order fabrics from our online store just like any other products. Choose the fabric you like, its colour and length in metres or number of repeats, and add it to your shopping cart. Your cart will show you the final price and quantity of the fabric.

Kaivo fabric, design: Maija and Kristina Isola

Check the product page of the fabric to see whether it is sold by the metre or by the repeat. Fabrics with large patterns are generally sold by the repeat, and those with small patterns are sold by the metre. Those fabrics sold by the meter can be bought in half meters. The minimum order is one meter/fabric.  

Our fabrics are 145 to 150 cm wide. The length of pattern repeat is mentioned in the specifications of the fabric. Repeats are within +/- 3% of what is specified. Please note that the maximum continuous length you can order is 15 meters.

The amount of fabric you order will arrive in one continuous length. Coated fabrics are delivered rolled around a cardboard tube, ensuring that the fabric stays neat during transport. In the order packing process, coated fabric rolls are handled as individual parcels. The tone of our fabrics may vary between different printing batches. There may be slight differences in the colour tone of the picture on the product page and the actual fabric.

Please note that fabrics are made-to-order products, which makes them non-returnable.

Can Marimekko fabrics be used to make respiratory protective equipment?

For safety reasons, we do not recommend using our fabrics as respiratory protective equipment or other face mask products. Marimekko fabrics available for purchase are meant for interior design and they have not been manufactured or tested to be used as respiratory protective equipment or similar facial protection products.

Printed in Helsinki

Marimekko fabrics are printed using either a flatbed or rotary printing method. Printing large-print fabrics using the flatbed method leaves a repeat line at the edge of the pattern, and the prominence of this line depends on the fabric's colour and pattern. The repeat line is not a flaw but a feature of the printing technique that can also be used as an effect.

The majority of fabrics printed at the Marimekko printing facility in Herttoniemi are certified according to the STANDARD 100 by OEKOTEX®. The certificate guarantees that the fabrics are free of harmful chemicals. Our coated cottons have earlier been coated with phthalate-free PVC and since 2019 this has been replaced by acrylic coating.

How much fabric do you need?

It is a good idea to plan your sewing carefully prior to ordering a fabric to make sure that you purchase the correct amount. When calculating the amount of fabric needed, be sure to take into account the excess required for hems and aligning the print.

For aligning the pattern, use the repeat measurement (found in the specifications) as a guide. Please also take potential shrinking into account when planning your sewing (cotton, sateen, and batiste: 4%; linen: 6%).

Buying fabric for a cushion cover

1. Decide the size of the cushion you want to have.

Examples of common sizes are 40 x 40 cm and 50 x 50 cm. If you are making a new cover for an old cushion, measure your cushion.

2. How much fabric do I need?

A - If the cushion width is 50 cm or less: height + 10 cm for seam allowance = what you should order.
For example: 40 x 40 cm cushion – buy no less than 0.5 m of fabric (40 cm + 10 cm). 

B - If the cushion is wider than 50 cm:width + height + 10 cm for seam allowance = what you should order.
For example: 70 x 70 cm cushion – buy no less than 1.5 m of fabric (70 cm + 70 cm + 10 cm). 

Please note that the width of our fabrics is 145-150 cm and the maximum continuous length is 15 m.

Buying fabric for a tablecloth

1. Measure your table.

Measure the table and decide how much you want the fabric to hang over the edge of the table (a drop length of approximately 25 cm per side is normally recommended).

2. How much fabric do I need?

Table length + drop length (total) + 15 cm for hemming = what you should order.

For example: 3 m long table - buy no less than 3.65 m of fabric (3 m + 25 cm + 25 cm + 15 cm). 

Please note that the width of our fabrics is 145–150 cm and the maximum continuous length is 15 m.

Buying fabric for a curtain

1. Select type of curtain and measure.

A - Pelmet

B - Window sill -length curtain

C - Floor-length curtain


2. Decide how you want to hang your curtain.

Clips or hooks: Amount of extra fabric needed for hemming: 25 cm.

Rod pocket: Amount of extra fabric needed for hemming: 30 cm.


3. How much fabric do you need per curtain?

Curtain length measured from the top of the curtain rod to the bottom of the curtain + 25/30 cm for hemming = what you should order. 

For example: 250 cm long rod-pocket curtain - buy no less than 2.8 m of fabric (250 cm + 30 cm). 

Please note the the width of our fabrics is 145-150 cm and the maximum continuous length is 15 m.

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