How do I work out the finished size of a cross stitch piece?

Divide the stitch count by the fabric count, which on Aida is stitches per inch. 100 stitches measure 7.14 in (18.1 cm) on 14 count Aida, 6.25 in (15.9 cm) on 16 count and 5.56 in (14.1 cm) on 18 count. On evenweave the stitch covers two threads, so divide by half the count: 28 count works like 14 count Aida.

How much fabric do I need for cross stitch?

Take the finished size and add 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm) on every side for the hem, hoop and framing — 4 to 6 inches on each dimension. A 100 × 140 stitch chart on 14 count Aida finishes at 7.1 × 10 in, so buy a piece of about 11 × 14 in, or 13 × 16 in if it will be framed.

Cross stitch calculator: finished size and fabric

Work the same chart on 11 count and on 18 count Aida and the second piece comes out more than a third smaller. The chart has nothing to do with it — the fabric does the arithmetic.

Updated October 19, 2026

Finished piece18.1 × 25.4 cm · 7.1 × 10.0 in

Fabric to cut28.1 × 35.4 cm · 11.1 × 13.9 in

Enter your chart size in stitches and pick a fabric: this cross stitch calculator gives the finished size in centimeters and inches, and the fabric to cut. The margin field takes centimeters — 5 is about 2 inches, 7.5 about 3. It runs the same function as the builder.

A chart has no size in inches. It has a size in stitches, and that number never changes: 100 cells wide stays 100 cells wide whatever you work it on. Inches appear only when the chart meets a particular fabric.

Hence a formula that is nothing but a division: stitch count divided by stitches per inch. A 100-stitch chart on 14 count Aida gives 100 ÷ 14 = 7.14 in (18.1 cm). The same chart on 18 count gives 5.56 in (14.1 cm). More than an inch and a half appeared out of nothing but the choice of cloth.

Fabric count: what 14, 16 and 18 count mean

Count is the number of squares (on Aida) or threads (on evenweave) per inch — the number on the label. On Aida, count and stitches per inch coincide, because one square is one stitch: 14 count gives 14 stitches per inch (5.51 per cm), 16 count gives 16, 18 count gives 18. The higher the count, the smaller each stitch and the smaller the finished piece.

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

Finished size in centimeters for three typical chart widths, computed from the same data the builder uses. For inches, divide the stitch count by the count — by half the count on evenweave.

The pairs are easy to spot in the table: 14 count Aida and 28 count evenweave share a density, and so do 16 count Aida and 32 count. If a chart is written for 14 count Aida and you would rather work it on evenweave, the number to look for is 28, not 14.

Cross stitch fabric calculator: how much fabric to buy

The computed size is the stitching alone, edge to edge. You need more cloth than that: 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm) on every side goes to the hem, the hoop and the framing, so add 4 to 6 inches to each dimension. A chart 100 × 140 stitches on 14 count Aida stitches up to 7.1 × 10 in (18.1 × 25.4 cm), which means a cut of about 11 × 14 in (28 × 36 cm) with 2-inch margins, or 13 × 16 in (33 × 41 cm) with 3. Buy the larger one if in doubt — trimming the excess is easy, adding to it is not.

If you need a specific finished size, it is easier to work from the other end: the builder lets you set the width in centimeters (an inch is 2.54 cm) 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 count, which on Aida is stitches per inch. 100 stitches measure 7.14 in (18.1 cm) on 14 count Aida, 6.25 in (15.9 cm) on 16 count and 5.56 in (14.1 cm) on 18 count. On evenweave the stitch covers two threads, so divide by half the count: 28 count works like 14 count Aida.
How much fabric do I need for cross stitch?: Take the finished size and add 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm) on every side for the hem, hoop and framing — 4 to 6 inches on each dimension. A 100 × 140 stitch chart on 14 count Aida finishes at 7.1 × 10 in, so buy a piece of about 11 × 14 in, or 13 × 16 in if it will be framed.

The numbers and charts on this page are computed by the same code as the builder.

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