16 Count Aida Cloth Calculator
16-count Aida fits 16 squares per inch (6.3 per cm). Designs finish 12.5% smaller than on 14-count, with smoother curves and finer detail. Enter your stitch count to get the finished size in inches or cm and the fabric to cut.
Last reviewed September 15, 2026 · How these figures are calculated
Fabric count
16-count Aida · finer detail, 12.5% smaller than 14
2 in for hoops, 3 in for framing
Units
Enter the stitch width and height to see the fabric size
Fabric = (stitches ÷ stitches per inch) + (border × 2)
16-count Aida at a glance
- Stitches per inch
- 16
- Stitches per cm
- 6.3
- Square size
- 1.6 mm
- Strands of floss
- 2
- Tapestry needle
- Size 24–26
- 100 stitches
- 6.3" / 15.9 cm
16-count Aida size chart
Finished design size for common stitch counts, with the fabric to cut when you leave a 2-inch border on each side. For a design 150 wide and 200 high, read each dimension from its own row.
| Stitches | Inches | cm | Fabric to cut (2" border) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 1.6" | 4.0 cm | 5.6" |
| 50 | 3.1" | 7.9 cm | 7.1" |
| 75 | 4.7" | 11.9 cm | 8.7" |
| 100 | 6.3" | 15.9 cm | 10.3" |
| 125 | 7.8" | 19.8 cm | 11.8" |
| 150 | 9.4" | 23.8 cm | 13.4" |
| 200 | 12.5" | 31.8 cm | 16.5" |
| 250 | 15.6" | 39.7 cm | 19.6" |
| 300 | 18.8" | 47.6 cm | 22.8" |
| 400 | 25.0" | 63.5 cm | 29.0" |
A worked example on 16-count Aida
Take a detailed piece, 200 × 200 stitches. 16-count earns its place on larger charts, where a 12.5% reduction is what brings a design inside a frame size you already own. Every number below comes from the same formulas the calculators on this site use, so you can follow the arithmetic rather than trust it.
200 wide x 200 high, counted from the chart. This number never changes with the fabric.
200 and 200 divided by 16 stitches per inch. That is 31.8 x 31.8 cm.
The finished size plus a 2-inch border on all four sides, for hooping and for the frame to grip.
40,000 stitches at 2 strands is 40,000 inches of single strand, before the waste allowance. That total is spread across the colors in your key, not all one shade.
At six strands to a 315-inch skein, with 15% added for starts, ends and mistakes.
The largest standard hoop that still leaves grip on every side of the fabric.
At 150 stitches an hour, a steady average pace. Backstitch and colour changes add to this.
The count that solves a sizing problem
Most people arrive at 16-count for a reason rather than a preference: a chart finishes slightly too large on 14-count. The step down is 12.5%, small enough that few stitchers need magnification, and often exactly enough to move a piece into a standard frame. A 200 × 200 design measures 14.3 inches square on 14-count and 12.5 inches on 16-count, and it saves nearly two inches of fabric in each direction while you are at it.
Needle choice matters more here than on 14-count. A size 24 still passes through, but it drags and gradually opens the weave; a 26 slides cleanly and is the better default, at the cost of being easier to lose and slightly harder to thread. Two strands gives full coverage on 16-count, though large areas of pale color sometimes look better with one, because the smaller squares make two strands sit slightly proud.
Thread estimates are a small bonus on this count. Each stitch is physically shorter than on 14-count, so a figure calculated for 14-count is a safe over-estimate on 16. Our floss and skein calculators use one flat rate per strand rather than scaling with the count, which means the number they give you on 16-count includes a little extra headroom on top of the waste buffer.
What goes wrong on 16-count Aida
Buying a kit for 14-count and substituting 16-count fabric
The floss supplied is enough, but the fabric will not be: the kit is cut for the larger finished size, so the border is generous rather than wrong. Check the hoop and frame instead — both were chosen for a bigger piece.
Keeping the size 24 needle from your last project
It fits, so nothing obviously goes wrong. Over a long piece it widens the holes and leaves the weave looking loose around heavily stitched areas.
Converting the size but not the border
The 2 to 3 inch border for hooping and framing is fixed in inches, not a percentage. It does not shrink with the design, so keep adding the same allowance.
About 16-count Aida
Each square is about 1.6 mm. The step down from 14-count is small enough that most stitchers manage it without magnification, though good light helps. European suppliers usually sell it as 6.4 or 64 holes per 10 cm.
Use 2 strands for full coverage, or 1 strand for a lighter, delicate finish. A size 24 or 26 tapestry needle suits the smaller holes.
14 vs 16 count Aida
To convert a design from 14-count to 16-count, multiply its size by 0.875 (14 ÷ 16). A piece measuring 10 × 8 inches on 14-count measures 8.75 × 7 inches on 16-count. Going from 16-count to 14-count, multiply by 1.14. The stitch count stays the same.
For every count side by side, see Aida counts explained. To estimate floss for this design, use the floss calculator.