Cross Stitch Fabric Count Explained

ficklestudio26 · Facts checked October 15, 2026

Before you buy fabric, you need to know how big the finished piece will be. The answer comes from one number printed on the package: the count.

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What "count" means

Fabric count is the number of threads per inch. Cross stitch fabrics are sold in counts from about 11 to 40. Aida has one block per stitch, so 14-count Aida gives 14 stitches per inch. Evenweave fabric has the same number of threads per inch in both directions, which keeps stitches uniform, and it is usually stitched over two threads.

The formula

The formula below is our own arithmetic, not a quotation from a source. It follows from what the count means.

Finished size in inches = number of stitches ÷ stitches per inch.

A pattern 140 stitches wide on 14-count Aida is 140 ÷ 14 = 10 inches wide.
The same pattern on 18-count Aida is 140 ÷ 18 ≈ 7.8 inches wide.
Over two threads on 28-count evenweave, the stitches per inch are 28 ÷ 2 = 14, so the size matches 14-count Aida.

Always leave extra fabric beyond the design for the margin, framing and handling.

Floss

Standard cotton embroidery floss is made of six strands that lie loosely together and can be separated. How many strands to use per stitch depends on the fabric and the look you want, and the pattern or the floss maker usually suggests a number.

A short history

Cross-stitch has been found around the world since the Middle Ages. The earliest known American cross-stitch sampler, kept at Pilgrim Hall in Plymouth, Massachusetts, is attributed to Loara Standish, around 1653. Patterns with shaded, many-colored designs are a more modern development, based on the Berlin wool work of the mid-19th century.