Cross stitch calculator

Click here to go direct to the calculator. 

This cross stitch calculator will come in handy if you wish to find out the finished design size on a certain fabric. Counted embroidery techniques such as cross stitch and blackwork are worked from a chart. Rarely are the squares on the chart the same size as the "squares" on your Aida or evenweave fabrics. This can cause confusion and I have many e-mails asking how big a design will be if it is worked on a different count of fabric.

For example if the design was originally stitched on 14 count Aida, the dimensions given on the packaging will often only state the size when you also use that fabric. You might however want your project to turn out larger or smaller. But do you pick 16, 18 or perhaps go in the other direction and choose an 11 count cloth? Which will give the result you require?

The more stitches per inch of fabric that there are, the smaller the finished design size will be. This can be confusing when you are new to counted needlework.

Let me give you an example:

My art deco lady, Pearl, is 115 stitches wide and 296 stitches high, making her 8.2 inches by 21.1 on 14 count Aida.

If you wanted to fit her into a smaller frame you may like to use the calculator to see if she would fit. By typing the stitch count in the boxes and then entering 16 stitches per inch we would see that this design would end up at just over 7 inches wide and 18.5 inches high if stitched on 16 count Aida.

Once you have worked out the design size, remember to allow enough fabric for framing. Adding 3 inches to each side of the design would be the minimum I would suggest. If you intend to use a wide matt or mount then even more would be a good idea.

I hope you find this service useful when deciding which fabric count to use. You might also like to view my embroidery fabric page, where I have answered a number of questions about fabric size for designs.

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