Fabric size calculation: how much fabric you need for cross stitch

This tutorial shows you how to do the calculations to figure out how much fabric you need for your cross stitch projects. Have no fear, I walk you through the few simple steps, all you'll need is a pen, a piece of paper, a calculator of some sort, and your pattern. By learning how to do these calculations by hand, never again will you not know which pattern will work on which piece of leftover fabric you have (or that stunning piece of hand-dyed fabric that you absolutely must have)... 🙂
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[@ceceliahudson4467]

Crystal clear. Extremely helpful. I'm picking this craft back up again after about 30 years of dormancy. So, when I got stuck with making my own pattern off of Graph Paper, I went searching for the famous "youTube Library" of helpful tips. Thank you! Super pleased. I allowed for a margin, but not enough. Glad for your experience & recommendations!!!

[@peacockandfig]

Glad it was helpful Cecelia! 😊

[@user-re4mt6iy4z]

You have presented this calculation so clearly, I am ready to do it. I can't thank you enough. Virginia Breaton

[@peacockandfig]

You're very welcome Virginia, glad it helped! 😊

[@those_eyes]

Thank you. As you started to explain the process, I realized how to calculate it. I'm so glad I found your video! Thank you sgain!!! Great video!!!

[@peacockandfig]

Glad it was helpful Annette! 🙂

[@patriqtrising6031]

​@@peacockandfig🎉 2:02

[@melissaorona2834]

I'm just beginning to learn cross stitch and have just found your videos. You are fantastic at explaining things so that a newbie can understand. Thank you! Subscribed!

[@peacockandfig]

You are so welcome Melissa, glad the tutorials have been helpful! 🙂

[@harajukumoon]

Wow this was really helpful, thanks!

[@peacockandfig]

No problem! 😊

[@lyncampbell992]

Thank you so much for sharing this tutorial.

[@peacockandfig]

It's my pleasure Lyn! 🙂

[@um6498]

Thanks you've given me a greater understanding

[@peacockandfig]

Glad to help! 🙂

[@patriciacclark7563]

Thank you so much. I really need to review this.

[@peacockandfig]

Glad it was helpful Patricia! 😊

[@patbarone4855]

Thank you for this very helpful video!

[@peacockandfig]

You are so welcome Pat! 🙂

[@meredithmackenzie9844]

very clear instructions...thank you:)

[@peacockandfig]

You are very welcome Meredith! 😊

[@marcialaycock1091]

Thank you so much for sharing this information!

[@peacockandfig]

Glad it was helpful Marcia! 🙂

[@cherylsoyster5894]

Great tutorial. Thanks for sharing.

[@peacockandfig]

You’re very welcome Cheryl! 😊

[@adelina1559]

Thank you! Hugs from Rome, Italy🤗🤗🧵🧵🧵🧚🏻‍♀️

[@peacockandfig]

You are so welcome! And I'm very jealous, I've always wanted to go to Italy, I'm absolutely mental about the Italian Renaissance and the ancient Romans... 😍

[@adelina1559]

Peacock & Fig I hope you will be here soon💜

[@peacockandfig]

Unfortunately travelling is quite painful for me nowadays, but I'd love to figure out a way to get there one day. 🙂

[@adelina1559]

Peacock & Fig Me too...but never stop dreaming💜 one day it’ll be all safe! 🤗

[@FrostyXStitch]

Wow, this was a really clear and easy to follow tutorial❣️ Thank you for putting this out there. I have one issue that comes up pretty often; as you might know I am Swiss and like a huge part of the world, we live with the Metric system. I don't even have a measuring tape with inches on and to be perfectly honest, I don't want one, as I can measure up to one millimeter with every ruler or measuring tape I have. Whereas information like 3/8" or 3/16" does not give me any clue as to what size that would be. (recently found as information on Button size) When checking Fabric count, I take 2.5 cm and count the holes there, but 2.5 is not the exact conversion of one inch, so sometimes it is difficult. I would prefer to be able to count my holes in a certain amount of cm, that would help me a lot. Also when the size of the finished stitching is put in inches I can ignore that is it does not mean anything to me, it would be nice if designers who put that information on their patterns would also put the cm size on there.... Just a suggestion🤷🏻‍♀️ Take care and happy designing and stitching 🧵💜 xx ps. Just received two new T-Shirts from Suzy Swede with your designs on them 😄🥰

[@peacockandfig]

I totally feel you Dawn, I'm Canadian and we use both the metric and imperial systems at the same time. The reason designers don't use metric conversions on the patterns and such is because it's not a thing, you can't buy fabric in say "20 count" but for centimetres. Fabric thread count is standardized to inches globally, so that's why everything has to be done in inches. You should be able to get a pretty good calculation of the fabric thread count by using your metric ruler, an inch is 2.54cm, and fabric thread counts come in standard sizing, like 11, 14, 22, 28, 32, etc, so you should be able to get pretty accurate as to which one you're working with. You could also make up your own fabric "ruler," like have samples of fabrics where you absolutely know the thread count, and you can compare your fabrics to your ruler or swatches which will make it easier to gauge. 😊

[@peacockandfig]

And enjoy your t-shirts! I'm expecting a surprise package from her any day myself, you don't want to know what she writes into the "order number" column of the packages she sends me... 😂

[@FrostyXStitch]

It is the 0.04 cm part that is the issue when checking fabric like that. I count until 2.5 cm and then I am never sure if the next hole is still in the inch or already outside. I know that the count by inch will not be changed, just like the Irish pint of Guinness will always stay the same, never mind the metric system 😄 I know there are fabric rulers out there (found some good templates on Etsy), but would you believe, they do not ship to Switzerland 🤦🏻‍♀️ But like you said, I might just have to make my own 👍🏻

[@FrostyXStitch]

I love browsing Suzy Swedes website. I can only imagine what you two come up with when you put your heads together. Same humor is such a great thing 😂 Maybe you should design some more T-Shirts... when you find time 😉 Thank you for taking time to answer my question 💜

[@jennym007]

@@FrostyXStitch Why not just buy a ruler with inches...? I only suggest this as I’m Australian, we have the metric system here, but all patterns I buy are American so in inches. 🌸

[@julliana2ify]

Excellent video...thank you, thank you, thank you! New subscriber😊

[@peacockandfig]

Welcome aboard Julliana! 😁❤️

[@MsDrientje]

I have been cross stitching all my life but I never knew this. XD My mom raised me wrong. I just always cracked on with whatever fabric I had and never looked back. Funny.

[@peacockandfig]

Haha you're lucky you never ran out of fabric during any projects, that's a very distinct possibility if you don't measure your fabric first. And glad you learned something new! 😊

[@MsDrientje]

@@peacockandfig I think I just always pick projects that will fit the fabric that I have. Looking at the stuff I have here I definitely have different counts so why that never stood out is a Mystery!

[@peacockandfig]

At least it always worked out for you 😊

[@addictedstamper52]

There are cross stitch fabric calculators online. So easy.

[@peacockandfig]

.... or you could use the basic math skills we all learned in school which is so much faster than jumping online, which may or may not be possible depending on where you are, if you randomly see some fabric while out shopping and aren't sure if it'll fit a project you want to do (or vice versa), etc. 😊

[@SapphireStar23]

Very informative. I may use this info in the future. I just need to remember to ALWAYS have a margin of fabric that is at least 2 inches with Aida fabric, especially with how easy it frays. I'm speaking from experience of not having margins in the past and yeah I've become a little wiser with my cross stitching hobby.

[@peacockandfig]

Yeah you usually only make the mistake of not having enough margin once (thankfully)... Glad it was helpful! 🙂

[@carolburton5983]

Brilliant thanks 🙏

[@peacockandfig]

You're very welcome Carol! 🙂

[@xstitchinglibrarian]

Thank you so much!

[@peacockandfig]

You're very welcome! 😊

[@christopherseba5937]

What if you created your own design w/o a stitch count in mind

[@peacockandfig]

That's not an issue, except you won't know how big your finished design will stitch up to be, or how much floss you might need. The stitch count of the fabric lets you figure that out. 😊

[@rhondahelfand6089]

Tutorial then on where to put frame ie q snap and where to start pattern?

[@peacockandfig]

I don't show Q snaps in any of my tutorials that I remember Rhonda, I used one briefly but it's so big and heavy it hurt my hands, so I use a hoop for pretty much everything now. 🙂

[@monicacassell2438]

Thank you, but a bit stumped. How would a calculation on 25ct 2 over 1 work?

[@peacockandfig]

If it's over one, it's 25 count. If you're doing it over 2, then it'd be the equivalent of 12.5 count. 😊

[@phyllisdevonish859]

How to estimate number of skeins??

[@peacockandfig]

Software does that for you when designing, but it's very hard to do on your own. Most patterns (good ones anyway) will tell you how many skeins you need of each colour. For individual calculations, it's really hard as each person's stitching tension is different, how long they like to "run" across the back before cutting, etc. So the short answer is, look at your pattern, and if it doesn't tell you, find more professionally made patterns that will. 😊