Cross Stitch Fabric Calculator
Enter the chart's stitch count and your fabric count, and get the finished design size in inches and centimetres, the fabric to cut with margin, and the same chart across every common count.
3 in for framing; 2 in for a hoop finish
Design size
10 × 14.29 in
25.4 × 36.3 cm
Cut fabric
16 × 20.3 in
41 × 52 cm
Total stitches
28,000
full crosses, for time and floss planning
This design on every count
| Fabric | Design (in) | Cut (in) | Design (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11-count Aida | 12.7 × 18.2 | 18.7 × 24.2 | 32 × 46 |
| 14-count Aida | 10 × 14.3 | 16 × 20.3 | 25 × 36 |
| 16-count Aida | 8.8 × 12.5 | 14.8 × 18.5 | 22 × 32 |
| 18-count Aida | 7.8 × 11.1 | 13.8 × 17.1 | 20 × 28 |
| 22-count Hardanger | 6.4 × 9.1 | 12.4 × 15.1 | 16 × 23 |
| 25-count evenweave, over 1 | 5.6 × 8 | 11.6 × 14 | 14 × 20 |
| 28-count evenweave over 2 (= 14) | 10 × 14.3 | 16 × 20.3 | 25 × 36 |
| 32-count linen over 2 (= 16) | 8.8 × 12.5 | 14.8 × 18.5 | 22 × 32 |
Inches = stitches ÷ count. Evenweave and linen are stitched over two threads, so 28-count works as 14 and 32-count as 16. The cut size adds the margin on every side.
Design size by chart and count
Finished stitched area in inches, before the 3-inch margin.
| Chart | Stitches | 11-ct | 14-ct | 16-ct | 18-ct | Hours at 150/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small ornament | 40 × 40 | 3.6 × 3.6 | 2.9 × 2.9 | 2.5 × 2.5 | 2.2 × 2.2 | 11 |
| Bookmark | 30 × 120 | 2.7 × 10.9 | 2.1 × 8.6 | 1.9 × 7.5 | 1.7 × 6.7 | 24 |
| Sampler | 100 × 150 | 9.1 × 13.6 | 7.1 × 10.7 | 6.3 × 9.4 | 5.6 × 8.3 | 100 |
| Medium picture | 140 × 200 | 12.7 × 18.2 | 10 × 14.3 | 8.8 × 12.5 | 7.8 × 11.1 | 187 |
| Large picture | 200 × 280 | 18.2 × 25.5 | 14.3 × 20 | 12.5 × 17.5 | 11.1 × 15.6 | 373 |
| Full-coverage HAED-style | 300 × 400 | 27.3 × 36.4 | 21.4 × 28.6 | 18.8 × 25 | 16.7 × 22.2 | 800 |
Floss and strands
Two strands of six-strand floss on 14 and 16 count, three on 11, one or two on 18 and above. A skein is about 8.7 yards, and two strands cover somewhere between 1,000 and 1,800 full crosses on 14-count depending on technique, so a 28,000-stitch chart uses around 17 skeins across all its colours, more with heavy confetti. Buy every colour in the chart before starting; dye lots drift and a colour discontinued mid-project is a real risk on a long piece.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I work out the finished size of a cross-stitch pattern?
Divide the stitch count by the fabric count. A chart 140 stitches wide on 14-count Aida is 10 inches wide; on 18-count it is 7.8 inches; on 11-count, 12.7. Height works the same way. The count is stitches per inch, so a higher count makes a smaller, finer piece from the same chart.
How much fabric should I cut?
The design size plus 3 inches on every side for framing or stretching, so 6 inches added to each dimension; 2 inches each side is enough for a hoop finish or a small ornament. Fabric frays, so a wider margin is cheaper than a piece that ends up too tight to mount.
What does 'over 2' mean on evenweave and linen?
Evenweave and linen have finer threads than Aida, and each cross is worked over two threads in each direction, so a 28-count evenweave stitches like 14-count Aida and 32-count linen like 16-count. Use half the thread count as the effective count, which is what the calculator's over-2 options do.
Which count should I choose?
14-count is the default for kits and most charts; 16 and 18 for finer detail and smaller finished pieces; 11 for children, large pieces and poor light. The same chart on 18 instead of 14 comes out 22% smaller in each dimension and 40% smaller in area, and uses roughly the same amount of floss per stitch with fewer strands.
How long will it take?
Count the stitches (width times height, less any unstitched background) and divide by your pace. Most stitchers manage 100 to 200 full crosses an hour on 14-count; a 140 × 200 chart is 28,000 stitches, so 140 to 280 hours. Confetti and heavy colour changes slow it down.
These tools use the standard craft-room rules (resin volume by area and depth, quilt overhang and width-of-fabric piecing, yards per square inch by yarn weight, wax weight per fluid ounce, gauge ratios), all stated on each page. Materials vary by brand: check your resin's mix ratio, your wax's fragrance limit and your own swatch, and buy a little over.