How to work out the size and the thread

Updated: 2026-09-27

Before buying fabric, work out two numbers: how big the finished piece will be and how much fabric you need with margins. Thread is harder to estimate — more on that at the end.

Finished size

Chart size is given in crosses, for example 150 × 101. The finished size is:

in inches: crosses / count;
in centimetres: crosses / count × 2.54.

If you stitch over two on evenweave, use half the fabric count (see "Fabric and count").

Example

A 150 × 101 chart on 14-count fabric:

width: 150 / 14 ≈ 10.7 inches, or 10.7 × 2.54 ≈ 27.2 cm;
height: 101 / 14 ≈ 7.2 inches, or about 18.3 cm.

The same chart on 18-count comes out at about 21.2 × 14.3 cm.

How much fabric to buy

Add a margin on every side:

fabric = design size + 2 × margin

Choose the margin for how you'll finish the piece: a mount and frame need spare fabric, and so does a hoop, so the fabric has something to grip. For example, with 5 cm margins a 27.2 × 18.3 cm piece needs 37.2 × 28.3 cm of fabric.

How much thread

There's no exact formula for every case. Thread usage depends on:

the number of crosses in each colour — often printed in the chart's key next to the thread code;
the count — on looser fabric a cross is bigger and uses more thread;
the number of strands — two strands use thread twice as fast as one;
how you stitch — long jumps on the back and frequent colour changes add up.

So the estimate works like this: stitches of one colour ÷ stitches per skein = number of skeins, rounded up.

A skein of DMC or Anchor stranded cotton is 8 m of 6 strands (DMC, Anchor).
On 14-count with 2 strands a skein gives roughly 1,500–1,800 stitches — that's what stitchers report (Lord Libidan, Cross Stitch Boutique). Use the lower figure to be safe.
On other fabric the thread per stitch scales with the square size, and with the number of strands: stitches per skein ≈ 1,500 × count / 14 × 2 / strands.

For example, 3,200 stitches of one colour on 14-count with 2 strands is 3,200 / 1,500 ≈ 2.1, so 3 skeins. You can work out size, fabric and skeins in one go with the calculator.

If the designer lists skeins in the key, go by that. And buy a little extra of each colour: thread from different dye lots can differ slightly in shade.