Working out the finished size
The same chart on Aida 11 and on Aida 18 gives pieces that differ by almost half. The chart has nothing to do with it — the fabric does the arithmetic.
A chart has no size in centimetres. It has a size in stitches, and that number never changes: 100 cells wide stays 100 cells wide whatever you work it on. Centimetres appear only when the chart meets a particular fabric.
Hence a formula that is nothing but a division: stitch count divided by fabric density in stitches per centimetre. A 100-stitch chart on Aida 14, which fits 5.51 stitches into a centimetre, gives 18.1 cm. The same chart on Aida 18 gives 14.1 cm. Four centimetres appeared out of nothing but the choice of cloth.
What count is, and why it is not density
Count is the number of threads per inch — the number on the label. For Aida, count and stitch count coincide: one Aida square is one stitch, so Aida 14 gives 14 stitches per inch, or 5.51 per centimetre.
Evenweave works differently. It has no squares, and the stitch is worked over two threads of the ground — so 28 ct evenweave gives not 28 stitches per inch but 14. Exactly as many as Aida 14. That is the most useful thing to know about count: two labels that differ by a factor of two produce identical work.
| Fabric | Count | Stitches per cm | 50 stitches | 100 stitches | 150 stitches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aida 14 | 14 | 5.51 | 9.1 cm | 18.1 cm | 27.2 cm |
| Aida 11 | 11 | 4.33 | 11.5 cm | 23.1 cm | 34.6 cm |
| Aida 16 | 16 | 6.30 | 7.9 cm | 15.9 cm | 23.8 cm |
| Aida 18 | 18 | 7.09 | 7.1 cm | 14.1 cm | 21.2 cm |
| Evenweave 28 ct | 28 | 5.51 | 9.1 cm | 18.1 cm | 27.2 cm |
| Evenweave 32 ct | 32 | 6.30 | 7.9 cm | 15.9 cm | 23.8 cm |
The pairs are easy to spot in the table: Aida 14 and 28 ct evenweave share a density, and so do Aida 16 and 32 ct. If a chart is written for Aida 14 and you would rather work it on evenweave, the number to look for is 28, not 14.
How much fabric to buy
The computed size is the stitching alone, edge to edge. You need more cloth than that: 5 to 7 cm on every side goes to the hem, the hoop and the framing. For a piece 18 × 25 cm that means a cut of at least 28 × 35 cm, and preferably more — trimming the excess is easy, adding to it is not.
If you need a specific size in centimetres, it is easier to work from the other end: the builder lets you set the width in centimetres directly and converts it to stitches for the fabric you chose. Then you never have to guess at a cell count.
In short
- How do I work out the finished size of a cross stitch piece?
- Divide the stitch count by the fabric density in stitches per centimetre. A chart 100 stitches wide on Aida 14 (5.51 stitches per cm) comes out at 18.1 cm; the same chart on Aida 18 gives 14.1 cm. Add 5 to 7 cm on each side for the hem and framing.
- What does fabric count mean?
- Count is the number of threads per inch. On Aida it equals the stitch count: Aida 14 gives 14 stitches per inch. On evenweave the stitch is worked over two threads, so 28 ct gives 14 stitches per inch — the same as Aida 14.
The numbers and charts on this page are computed by the same code as the builder.