Since you wanted your finished project slightly larger, this may give you what you need. So, stitching over two on 30-count linen will give you a larger finished size than stitching over one on 20-count Aida. If you switch to 30-count linen and stitch over 2, you would have 15 stitches per inch, so that same pattern would now have a finished size of 4 inches (=60 stitches / 15 stitches per inch). If your pattern was 60 stitches wide (for example), that would be a finished size of 3 inches (=60 stitches / 20 stitches per inch). If you stitch your pattern over 1 on 20-count Aida, you would have 20 stitches per inch. Now just count the number of squares between the pins to determine the fabric – Thanks for your question! Buckle in, we need to do a little math. Using a ruler to measure, insert a second pin one inch from the first.
If you are anything like me, you have a bin full of random scraps of cross stitch fabric with no labels or anything to indicate the fabric count. Similarly, you can swap out 32-count linen for 16-count Aida. More on stitching on linen in a future post, but in general you can substitute 28-count linen for 14-count Aida, and vice versa, without changing the size of the final design. That means, for example, 28-count linen will have 14 stitches per inch when stitched over 2.
The difference is that linen is typically stitched over 2.
Linen works the same way as Aida, but the fabric counts are higher, typically anywhere from 22 stitches per inch to 40 stitches per inch. Check out our post on which size needle to use for cross stitch for more information. The largest apple was stitched on 6-count fabric (6 stitches per inch), the medium on 11-count fabric (11 stitches per inch), and the smallest on 16-count fabric (16 stitches per inch).įabric count also determines the size needle you use. With lower count fabrics you should use a bigger needle, and with higher count fabrics a smaller one. The same apple motif was stitched on three different fabric counts, with very different results. The higher the fabric count, the smaller the finished design will be, and the lower the fabric count, the larger it will be. On 16-count fabric the piece will be 2.6 inches square, and on 18-count fabric it will be 2.3 inches square. For example if you are stitching a motif that is 42 stitches high by 42 stitches wide on 14-count fabric, the finished design will be 3 inches square (42 stitches / 14 stitches per inch = 3 inches). The count of the fabric determines the final size of your piece. The higher the count, the more stitches per inch. Similarly, 16-count Aida has 16 squares or stitches per inch and 18-count Aida has 18 squares or stitches per inch. Squares per inch and stitches per inch are interchangeable in this example. For example, 14-count Aida has 14 squares per inch, which means stitching on it will give you 14 stitches per inch. The number of squares per inch determines the count of the fabric. Appropriately called evenweave fabrics, they are perfect for cross stitch because they produce evenly-sized stitches. What is fabric count?Ĭross stitch fabric like Aida and linen are woven with the same number of threads in each direction to create evenly sized squares. How does count impact your cross stitch? Read on to find out. In short, count is the number of holes per inch in a piece of fabric. If you have spent any time looking at cross stitch patterns and kits, you have no doubt run across the phrase fabric count, as in "stitched on 14 count fabric." But what does 14-count mean when it comes to cross stitch?