How does fabric count affect finished size?

Fabric count is stitches per inch. Higher counts pack more stitches into each inch, so the same chart comes out smaller. A 140 by 100 stitch design is 10 by 7.1 inches on 14ct Aida but only 7.8 by 5.6 inches on 18ct.

What does 'over 2' mean on evenweave and linen?

On evenweave and linen you usually stitch over two fabric threads per stitch. So 28-count linen worked over 2 gives 14 stitches per inch, the same effective size as 14ct Aida. The tool divides the thread count by the threads-per-stitch you choose.

How much extra fabric should I cut?

Always add margin for framing, mounting, and fraying. A common rule is 3 inches (about 7.5 cm) of bare fabric on every side. The tool adds your chosen margin to both width and height before reporting the cut size.

Why are width and height both needed?

Cross stitch fabric counts are square, so stitches per inch are the same in both directions, but the design itself is rarely square. The tool sizes each dimension separately from the pattern's stitch width and height.

Does this work for waste canvas or perforated paper?

Yes. Any count works as long as you know the stitches per inch. Enter the count of your waste canvas or paper and set threads-per-stitch to 1 for a one-to-one grid.

Cross Stitch Fabric Count Calculator

Before you buy fabric or frame a finished cross stitch piece you need to know how big the design will actually come out. This calculator turns a chart’s stitch count and your fabric’s count into the stitched dimensions and the amount of fabric to cut, in both inches and centimetres.

How it works

Finished size depends only on stitches per inch, which the fabric count gives directly for Aida and via threads-per-stitch for evenweave and linen:

stitches per inch = fabric count / threads per stitch
width  (in) = pattern width  / stitches per inch
height (in) = pattern height / stitches per inch
cut size (in) = finished size + 2 × margin   (each dimension)

Centimetres are inches times 2.54. For Aida, threads per stitch is 1. For evenweave and linen worked over 2, set threads per stitch to 2, which halves the effective count.

How it works in practice

A 196 by 140 stitch chart on 14ct Aida is 196 / 14 = 14 inches wide and 140 / 14 = 10 inches tall (35.6 by 25.4 cm). Worked on 28-count linen over 2, the effective count is also 14, giving the same finished size. Add a 3-inch margin on every side and you should cut a 20 by 16 inch piece. When in doubt, round up your fabric purchase — leftover Aida is always useful, but a short cut means starting over.