CROSS-STITCH FABRIC SIZING

The chart is stitches.
The fabric is a size.

Keep three decisions separate: the chart dimensions, the fabric’s raw count and the extra space you want around the stitched design.

Read the complete chart dimensions

Enter the number of stitches across the whole design and down its height. These are counts, not centimetres or the number of thread colours. Use the bounding dimensions of the chart, even if some squares inside that rectangle are unstitched.

Use raw count and stitch span

The model treats fabric count as evenly spaced grid intervals per inch, with the same count horizontally and vertically. Over one uses one interval per stitch; over two uses two. Do not enter an already-adjusted stitches-per-inch value and then apply over two again.

DMC’s fabric guide explains fabric count and stitching over two woven threads. Its stitch diagrams distinguish that fabric span from the strands of embroidery thread in the needle.

A sizing example

A 100-stitch width at count 14, over one, is 100 ÷ 14 = about 7.143 inches. Using count 28, over two, gives 100 × 2 ÷ 28: the same width. Changing only the span from over one to over two doubles each design dimension.

The conversion is exact: one inch equals 2.54 cm. The displayed design dimensions are approximate because a division can continue beyond the displayed decimals.

Add border to both ends of each dimension

A 5 cm border per side adds 10 cm to the design width and 10 cm to its height. Treat that border as your total allowance at each edge. Decide whether it includes the room you need for your chosen finishing method; the calculator does not add a separate finishing allowance.

Choose one shopping unit

Metric and inch shopping figures round upward independently to the next tenth of their own unit. They are alternative ordering dimensions, rather than exact conversions of each other. Use one unit consistently when selecting or cutting a piece.

Upward rounding never reduces the model’s required width or height. It does not add an automatic allowance for shrinkage, irregular edges or a specific finish.

Check a piece without rounding away a shortfall

The optional piece check compares both entered dimensions with the unrounded cut requirement. A piece can fit the exact requirement even if it is slightly smaller than the rounded shopping suggestion. Rotation is considered only when you select it.

A dimensional fit does not recommend that material. Confirm the actual fabric count, whether it is uniform in both directions, the chart instructions and the finish you intend.

Manufacturer references checked 11 October 2026. Original arithmetic examples; no manufacturer affiliation.