Methods & worked examples
Cross Stitch Fabric Calculator — Methods & worked examples
How it works
Fabric count is the number of threads or squares per inch. Stitches per inch = count ÷ threads per cross. Thus 14ct over 1 and 28ct over 2 give the same design size. Design size in cm = stitches × threads per cross ÷ count × 2.54. Cut size = design size + 2 × margin per side.
Worked examples
A 140 × 196 stitch design on 14ct fabric over 1 measures 25.4 × 35.56 cm. With 5 cm on every side, cut at least 35.4 × 45.56 cm. The 5 cm margin is an example, not a universal standard. On a 21 × 29.7 cm piece with no margins, 14ct over 1 fits at most 115 × 163 whole stitches.
How many stitches fit on A4 fabric at 14, 16 or 18 count?
Here, A4 means an actual piece of fabric or usable stitching area measuring 21 × 29.7 cm. The paper size used to print a pattern does not determine its stitched size. These comparisons use Aida stitched over 1 and show width × height in whole stitches.
| Fabric count | No margin | 5 cm margin on every side |
|---|---|---|
| 14ct | 115 × 163 | 60 × 108 |
| 16ct | 132 × 187 | 69 × 124 |
| 18ct | 148 × 210 | 77 × 139 |
The no-margin column is the design-area capacity only; it leaves no room for hooping, finishing or framing. The 5 cm margin is a comparison example, not a universal recommendation. Choose the allowance required by your fabric, equipment and finishing method.
Subtract the margin from both sides of each dimension before converting to stitches, then round down to complete stitches. Use the actual 21 × 29.7 cm measurements, rather than first rounding them to inches. For evenweave stitched over 2, use half the fabric count: 28ct over 2 has the same stitch capacity as 14ct over 1.
Check your own fabric in the calculator: manually enter fabric width 21, fabric height 29.7, the fabric count, threads per cross 1, and your margin per side. The link does not prefill these values. Read “Maximum whole stitches on available fabric”; the pattern width and height fields belong to the separate design-fit check.
Table updated October 23, 2026.
Scope & limitations
Maximum stitches = floor(max(0, fabric size − 2 × margin) × count ÷ (2.54 × threads per cross)). Round down, never up: 115.7 means 115 complete stitches. Design fit and fit with margins are separate checks, using unrounded values. Swap width and height to test rotation. Allow separately for framing, finishing, fabric irregularity and shrinkage.
Method sources
Our original explanations and calculators use the methods above. This site is not affiliated with the cited brands or organizations.