Size of the finished work on 32ct and 28ct

by Laura
(Madrid, Spain)

I'm starting a new project, and I'm a bit lost about the size of the linen to use and the size of the final work.

The project is: Deep Blue from Mirabilia and is stitched on 32ct Amsterdam Blue Belfast. The stitch count is 156w x 312h.

What does this means? I would like to know the real finished size in inches for a 32ct (that's what they recommend) and for a 28ct (that its what I'm thinking in using because it may be easier than the 32ct). Also I would like to know if a 32ct Belfast has the same hole size as a 32ct linen..?

And as I haven't seen neither a 28ct or a 32ct (I have always stitched with aida) I would appreciate if you could tell me if the 28ct linen has much smaller holes than the 25ct DMC evenweave ref: DC 58 (I have this one at home).

Thanks in advance :)



Carol answers…

You may find my handy cross stitch calculator handy for working out the size of a finished design on different fabric counts.

A design that is 156 x 312 stitches would work out at…

• 9.75 x 19.5 inches on 32 count linen (stitched over 2 fabric threads)
  
  
• 11.14 x 22.25 (approx) inches on 28 count linen (stitched over 2 fabric threads)

Belfast is a type of linen, woven in Ireland, which has 32 fabric threads per inch. You would normally work it over 2 fabric threads, although many Miribilia patterns include areas that are worked over a single fabric thread, to give detail to faces and hands, for example. So a 32 count would end up being a 16 count overall. Likewise a 28 count would finish the same size as if you had stitched on 14 count Aida.

You my find my page on stitching on evenweave linens helpful if you have only used Aida in the past.