Enter your stitch count and fabric count to get the exact size to cut, margins included.
Cut sizes are a guide. Add extra if you plan to frame, lace, or use a scroll frame.
Full calculatorsize, floss and time together
Thread calculatorhow many skeins
Cutting fabric too small is the mistake almost every stitcher makes once, and it is the one you cannot undo. This cross stitch fabric calculator takes the stitch count printed on your pattern, divides it by your fabric count, and adds the margin you choose on all four sides, so you know exactly how much to cut before the scissors come out.
It handles Aida, evenweave and linen. If you stitch over 2 threads, turn on the option and the effective count halves automatically, so 28-count linen is treated exactly like 14-count Aida. You also get a suggested hoop size, picked as the smallest standard ring that clears your design with room to work.
Planning floss as well? Use the thread calculator to estimate skeins, or the full calculator to work out size, floss and stitching time in one place.
Divide the stitch count by your fabric count. A design 140 stitches wide on 14-count Aida is 140 divided by 14, so 10 inches wide. Then add a margin on every side for framing or finishing. This calculator does both steps for you, in inches or centimeters.
Three inches on every side is the usual advice, which means six inches added to both the width and the height. Two inches is enough for a small piece you plan to put in a hoop, but if you are framing, lacing over board, or using a scroll frame, keep the full three. Fabric is cheaper than starting again.
The count is the number of stitches per inch. Aida 14 gives 14 stitches per inch; Aida 16 and 18 give smaller, finer stitches. The higher the count, the smaller your finished design will be for exactly the same pattern.
On linen and evenweave you usually stitch over 2 threads, which halves the effective count: 28-count linen worked over 2 behaves like 14-count Aida. Turn on the over 2 threads option and the calculator adjusts every result for you.
Pick the smallest standard hoop that comfortably clears the longest side of your stitched area, with a little room to spare so you are never stitching right against the ring. The calculator suggests one automatically from the finished size.
New to counted cross stitch? Browse our beginner guides and techniques & tips on the blog, or see how our digital patterns work.