About CrossStitchCalc
CrossStitchCalc is a free set of calculators and guides for planning cross stitch projects: how much fabric to cut, how much thread to buy, which hoop fits and how long the stitching will take. The tools work in the browser with no account.
Last reviewed September 15, 2026 · How these figures are calculated
Why the site exists
Every project starts with the same arithmetic: stitches divided by fabric count, a border added twice, inches converted to centimeters, thread estimated per color. None of it is hard, but it is easy to slip, and a mistake means fabric cut too small or a color running out mid-project. These calculators do the arithmetic and show the formula, so you can check the result.
How the calculators work
Fabric size
Design size = stitches ÷ stitches per inch. Fabric = design size + border × 2. Centimeters = inches × 2.54. 28-count evenweave is treated as stitched over two threads, 14 stitches per inch.
Thread and skeins
A full cross stitch on 14-count is estimated to use 0.5 inch of each strand, including the travel on the back. A skein is 8 m (315 inches) of six strands. Skeins = stitches × 0.5 × strands × 1.15 ÷ 1,890, rounded up for each color, which works out to about 1,643 stitches per skein with 2 strands. Real use varies with tension and stitching method by roughly 20% either way; backstitch is not included.
Stitching time
Hours = stitches ÷ stitches per hour. The speed presets are 100, 150, 200 and 275 stitches an hour. Estimates cover full cross stitches only.
Hoop size
The recommended hoop is the largest standard size that fits inside the fabric with 1.5 inches to grip on every side. Designs wider than a 14-inch hoop get a scroll frame suggestion.
Pattern creator
The photo is reduced to the chosen number of colors in your browser and each color is matched to the nearest shade in a set of DMC stranded cotton colors. Screen colors differ from real floss, so check shades before buying.
Sources and reviews
Fabric counts and skein lengths come from manufacturer specifications for DMC and Anchor stranded cotton and standard Aida. Planning figures such as thread per stitch and stitching speed are working estimates, labeled as estimates wherever they appear. Pages show the date they were last reviewed.
Where these estimates stop being reliable
Two of the calculators are arithmetic and two are estimates, and the difference matters when you are deciding how much to trust a number.
Fabric size and hoop size are arithmetic. Stitches divided by count is exact, and the only judgement in it is the border you choose. If the result looks wrong, the input is wrong.
Thread and time are estimates built on a single assumed rate, and they are deliberately generous. Thread runs on a flat 0.5 inch per strand per stitch, which is about 45% above the geometry of a stitch on 14-count, plus a 15% buffer on top. Because the rate does not scale with the fabric, it is most generous on fine counts and tightest on 11-count, where stitches are physically longer. It also excludes backstitch entirely, so a chart with heavy outlining needs more than it says. Time runs on stitches per hour and counts only full cross stitches, which is why the figure you get is best read as stitching time rather than elapsed time.
Neither estimate can account for how tightly you stitch, how far you travel on the back between stitches of one color, or how much you unpick. Treat both as a planning range rather than a measurement, and when a project is close to a boundary, buy the extra skein.
How this site is funded
The calculators are free and there is no account, no paid tier and no watermark. The running costs are covered by display advertising. Where a brand is named in the text, DMC and Anchor in thread lengths, Jobelan or Monaco as evenweaves, it is because that is what the figure refers to, not because of any commercial arrangement. There are no affiliate links on the site and no sponsored content.
Advertising is separated from the calculators and the guidance. No result changes based on what is advertised, and nothing on the site is written to recommend a product.
Privacy
Calculator inputs and uploaded photos are processed on your device and are not stored. The site uses analytics and advertising cookies, described in the privacy policy.
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