How long does a cross stitch take?
"How long will this take me?" is the first question before a big chart. You can work it out in advance. You need two numbers: how many stitches the chart has, and how many you stitch in an hour.
How many stitches are in the chart
The stitch count isn't simply width × height. That only works for full-coverage charts, where every square is stitched. On other charts part of the grid stays bare fabric. Check the key: many charts list a stitch count for each colour, and the total is your answer.
Our free charts after museum paintings are full coverage, so the count is easy:
| Chart | Size | Stitches |
|---|---|---|
| The Great Wave | 150 × 101 | 15,150 |
| Yokkaichi | 150 × 100 | 15,000 |
| Cypresses | 116 × 150 | 17,400 |
| Wheat Field with Cypresses | 150 × 118 | 17,700 |
| Irises | 150 × 119 | 17,850 |
| Oleanders | 150 × 123 | 18,450 |
How many stitches an hour
Everyone's speed is different. Stitchers who time themselves report anywhere from about 100 to 250 stitches an hour; about 200 is the figure quoted most often (Knytstudio, Sirious Stitches). Confetti — areas where the colour changes every few squares — is noticeably slower.
To find your own speed, stitch for an hour on an ordinary part of the chart and count.
The maths
Hours = stitches ÷ stitches per hour.
| Speed | The Great Wave (15,150) | Oleanders (18,450) |
|---|---|---|
| 100 an hour | 152 hours | 185 hours |
| 150 an hour | 101 hours | 123 hours |
| 200 an hour | 76 hours | 92 hours |
At an hour and a half a night, The Great Wave is 50 to 100 evenings. That doesn't include preparing the fabric, washing or framing.
Small pieces
The same formula works the other way round. A 50 × 70 full-coverage chart is 3,500 stitches — about 23 hours at 150 an hour, two or three weeks of evenings. If a big project feels daunting, start with one of these, and you'll learn your own speed along the way.
How to keep going on a big project
- Split it up. A page of the chart or a 10 × 10 block is a clear goal for an evening.
- Count weeks, not days. A missed evening doesn't break the week.
- Mark what you've stitched. You can see your progress and never hunt for where you stopped.
- Keep the threads for the current area to hand. Time goes on finding the right colour, not just on stitches.
About the author
This article was written by the Crossette team. We're building Crossette, a cross stitch tracker for iPhone and iPad: you mark stitches right on the chart, highlight one thread, and see how much is stitched and what's left of each thread. It's in development; to join the beta, email [email protected]. The charts in the table are free in Patterns.