# How big is my cross stitch?

Computes a cross stitch design’s finished size from its stitch count and the fabric count, and how much fabric to cut with a margin, in inches and centimetres.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/everyday-life/cross-stitch-calculator
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/everyday-life/cross-stitch-calculator.json
- Version: ac96314311b8

## Default answer

Example with the default inputs (Stitches wide 140, Stitches high 200, Fabric count 14, Stitch over 1 (Aida), Margin on each side 3 in): Cut fabric 16 × 20.29 in for a design 10 × 14.29 in.

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| w | Stitches wide | How many stitches across the pattern is. |
| h | Stitches high | How many stitches down the pattern is. |
| count | Fabric count | Aida: stitches per inch (14, 16, 18). Evenweave or linen: threads per inch (25, 28, 32). |
| over | Stitch over | How many fabric threads each stitch covers: 1 on Aida, usually 2 on evenweave and linen. |
| margin | Margin on each side | Plain fabric to leave on every side for the hoop and framing. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| fabricWidth | Fabric width (in) | Design width plus the margin on both sides, in inches. |
| fabricHeight | Fabric height (in) | Design height plus the margin on both sides, in inches. |
| fabricWidthCm | Fabric width (cm) | The fabric width in centimetres. |
| fabricHeightCm | Fabric height (cm) | The fabric height in centimetres. |
| designWidth | Design width (in) | Stitches wide × threads per stitch ÷ fabric count. |
| designHeight | Design height (in) | Stitches high × threads per stitch ÷ fabric count. |
| designWidthCm | Design width (cm) | The design width in centimetres. |
| designHeightCm | Design height (cm) | The design height in centimetres. |
| perInch | Stitches per inch | Fabric count ÷ threads per stitch. |

## Method

Stitches per inch = fabric count ÷ threads per stitch; design size = stitches ÷ stitches per inch; fabric size = design size + 2 × margin; centimetres = inches × 2.54.

## Assumptions

- The fabric count is per inch. On Aida each stitch covers one block; on evenweave and linen it usually covers two threads.
- The margin is 3 in on each side by default, room for a hoop and for framing.
- Stitches are square: the fabric has the same count both ways.

## Worked examples

1. w = 140, h = 200, count = 14, over = 1, margin = 0.0762 gives designWidth = 10, designHeight = 14.285714, fabricWidth = 16, fabricHeight = 20.285714. Source: DMC, What Fabric Should You Use for Cross Stitch? (the count is the number of stitches you can make in an inch). https://www.dmc.com/US/en/technique-cross-stitch-what-fabric.
2. w = 112, h = 84, count = 28, over = 2, margin = 0.0508 gives perInch = 14, designWidth = 8, designHeight = 6, fabricWidth = 12, fabricHeightCm = 25.4. Source: DMC, What Fabric Should You Use for Cross Stitch? (working over two: each cross stitch covers two warp and two weft threads). https://www.dmc.com/US/en/technique-cross-stitch-what-fabric.
3. w = 100, h = 100, count = 18, over = 1, margin = 0.05 gives designWidthCm = 14.111111, fabricWidthCm = 24.111111. Source: DMC, What Fabric Should You Use for Cross Stitch? https://www.dmc.com/US/en/technique-cross-stitch-what-fabric.

## FAQ

### How do I work out the size of a cross stitch design?

Divide the stitch count by the stitches per inch of your fabric. A pattern 140 stitches wide on 14-count Aida is 140 ÷ 14 = 10 inches wide. Do the same for the height.

### How much fabric do I need for cross stitch?

Add a margin to every side of the design size. With a 3 in margin, a 10 × 14.29 in design needs fabric of 10 + 6 = 16 in by 14.29 + 6 = 20.29 in.

### What does fabric count mean?

On Aida, the count is how many stitches fit in an inch: 14-count Aida takes 14 stitches per inch. On evenweave and linen it is the threads per inch; stitching over two threads halves it, so 28-count over two is 14 stitches per inch.

### How big a margin should I leave?

Many stitchers leave 2 to 3 inches on each side: enough for a hoop or frame to grip and for mounting or framing later. The calculator uses 3 inches by default; type your own.

### Does a higher count make the design smaller?

Yes. The same 140-stitch pattern is 10 in wide on 14-count, 8.75 in on 16-count and 7.78 in on 18-count, because more stitches fit in each inch.

### How do I convert the size to centimetres?

Multiply inches by 2.54. The page shows both. For metric fabric sold in stitches per cm, multiply that number by 2.54 to get the count per inch (5.5 per cm is about 14 per inch).

## Sources

- DMC, What Fabric Should You Use for Cross Stitch? (the count is the number of stitches you can make in an inch; working "over two" covers two warp and two weft threads). https://www.dmc.com/US/en/technique-cross-stitch-what-fabric (retrieved 2026-10-01)
- NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C, General Tables of Units of Measurement: 1 in = 2.54 cm. https://www.nist.gov/document/2026-nist-handbook-44-appendix-c (retrieved 2026-10-01)