Cross-Stitch Calculator — Fabric Size & Thread Estimator
From your pattern's stitch count and your chosen Aida or evenweave count, instantly find the fabric dimensions you need to buy — plus a rough guide to how many thread skeins to have on hand.
stitches
stitches
Fabric count
inches
%
28.3 cm — design area plus border allowance both sides
- 1
Effective fabric count
14 st/in - 2
Design width
100 ÷ 14 = 7.1 in - 3
Fabric width needed
7.1 + 2 × 2 = 11.1Design width plus the border allowance on both left and right sides.
How does this calculator work?
Fabric width/height = (stitch count ÷ fabric count) + (2 × border). For 14-count Aida and a 100 × 80 stitch design with a 2-inch border, you need roughly 11 × 9.7 inches of fabric. Thread scales with active stitch count and fabric count — this calculator estimates skeins but treat it as a starting point.
Formula
How this is calculated
Cross-stitch fabric is sold in "counts" — the number of stitches (holes) per inch. A 14-count Aida cloth has 14 squares per inch, so a design that is 140 stitches wide needs 140 ÷ 14 = 10 inches of fabric just for the design. Most stitchers add a border of 1–3 inches each side so there is enough spare cloth to mount or frame the finished piece.
For 28-count evenweave stitched over 2 threads, the effective count is halved to 14, giving the same finished stitch size as 14-count Aida — this calculator applies that adjustment automatically when you select the 28-count option. Higher counts (16, 18) produce smaller, more detailed stitches; lower counts (11) give larger stitches that are easier to see.
The thread estimate is a rough guide only. It assumes DMC 6-strand floss used at 2 strands, where one 45 cm working length covers approximately 13 stitches on 14-count fabric, and each 8 m skein yields about 17 such lengths — roughly 220–280 stitches per skein on 14-count. The coverage percentage accounts for designs that are not completely filled (a typical pattern might be 50–80% filled). Because real designs use many colours, this estimate helps gauge the total thread budget; buy per-colour by dividing the active stitch count for that colour.
Frequently asked questions
Fabric count is the number of stitchable squares (or threads, on evenweave) per inch. Common counts are 11, 14, 16, and 18. Higher counts let you stitch more detail but require finer thread and better eyesight. The count determines how big your finished design will be on the fabric.
Experienced stitchers recommend at least 2 inches (5 cm) on each side for framing or finishing. If you plan to mount in a hoop while stitching, 3–4 inches extra is safer. The border is cut away or hidden behind the frame after finishing.
The skein estimate is a rough planning guide — real thread consumption varies with tension, stitch style (full cross vs. half-stitch), coverage percentage, and how efficiently you run your thread. Always buy a few extra skeins of key colours, especially dye-lot-sensitive shades, as running out of a specific lot can cause colour mismatches.
Also known as
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). Cross-Stitch Calculator — Fabric Size & Thread Estimator [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/cross-stitch-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "Cross-Stitch Calculator — Fabric Size & Thread Estimator." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/cross-stitch-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "Cross-Stitch Calculator — Fabric Size & Thread Estimator," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/cross-stitch-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_cross_stitch_calculator, title = {Cross-Stitch Calculator — Fabric Size & Thread Estimator}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/cross-stitch-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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