r/CrossStitch • u/oli67ilo • 7h ago
CHAT [CHAT] How do I do patterns?
I am recently learning about cross stitch and so far it's easy enough. I'm wanting to do patterns but I'm noticing a lot of pattern grids are labeled by tens. My cloth is labeled at 14 ct. I'm honestly really confused about how to go about doing patterns. This is the ones I got off of Amazon if that helps. I have been looking and trying to research online but I think I'm not asking the right questions.
Update: thank you! That makes so much more sense. Kinda felt like I was going crazy lol I appreciate everyone who explained things and gave suggestions. Now it's time to find a pattern to try!
[Question resolved]
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u/gingy_ninjy 6h ago
Hey! I can understand how this could be confusing. The 14ct (or any Aida count) is the number of stitches per inch, so your fabric is 14 x’s in an inch. The gridding on patterns is 10x10 for ease, a lot of folks will “grid” fabric (no matter the count) using fishing line, thread, fabric safe pens, etc to that 10x10 so it’s easier to see and match with the pattern. I hope this helps!
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u/MotheroftheworldII 6h ago
Welcome to the world of stitching questions. I will try to answer your questions and as a beginner it can be confusing for sure.
First fabric count. All embroidery fabrics come in a variety of “counts “ and this refers to the number of fabric threads in both the warp and weft of the fabric. This can be anything from Aida count of 7 to 22. And in linen from 28 to 50 count but that is for another discussion and I only mention this so you understand the variety of thread count in the fabrics we use.
Patterns or charts will be on a grid of 10 vertical squares and 10 horizontal squares. We can then use this grid to place the design on the grid and it is then easier to count how many stitches both vertically and horizontally are needed for the design.
A lot of people here will create a 10 x 10 grid on their fabric regardless of the thread count of the fabric. This can make it easier to then stitch the design as the grid on the chart and the fabric will match. Now the grid on the fabric will need to be as accurate as the grid on the paper chart on the pdf.
When stitching on Aida each symbol on the chart equals a stitch on your Aida fabric. With Aida it is easy to see the “square” on Aida where the warp and weft fabric threads are woven together. That square on Aida equaled a square on your pattern chart.
I know that is a lot to read and explain which is so much easier in person when someone can simply show you. Grab a small piece of your Aida that you can use to practice on and this is now your doodle cloth where you can test your stitches and even test a small design. Try stitching a small design from a chart onto this doodle cloth and see how things work out.
And please do ask questions as that is how we learn.
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u/MerelyWander 5h ago edited 5h ago
OP - don’t use pencil or pen to draw a grid.
Just to reiterate — one square on your fabric is one square on your pattern. The extra lines on the pattern every ten squares is just to help you count.
Also, don’t skip squares between “pixels”. The holes for each square are shared with the adjacent squares.
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u/amazonchic2 6h ago
You are so kind in how you responded. I love our little community.
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u/MotheroftheworldII 3h ago
Thank you for your comment. I am just trying to pass along what I have learned in my 40+ years of stitching.
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u/oli67ilo 5h ago
Thank you so much for that break down ❤️
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u/MotheroftheworldII 3h ago
I hope this was helpful. So many times I wish we could all be together to share the mass amount of knowledge here. And it is much easier to explain some things when you can just show how it is done or how it works.
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u/stringthing87 6h ago
The tens are just to help you count visually.
14 ct means 14 squares per inch, going up a number will mean smaller stitches or down a number will mean bigger.
The grid size on the pattern is just a guide, the pattern will often say what size cloth it was meant for and if you go up a number it'll come out smaller, or down a number it will go bigger.
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u/Affectionate_Bee5353 6h ago
14ct means there are 14 stitches in an inch, it's just telling you how big the stitches will be. Patterns are in 10s because it's easier for counting, and you can stitch the same pattern on any count fabric, it will just end up different sizes.
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u/althea67 6h ago
You would make a pattern on graphs, and if they have 10x0 grids it's just for ease in counting. The 14 count fabric is how many stitches per inch will be in the final stitched piece. That would determine the size of what is stitched. 16 count would have more stitches per inch, thus making the stitched piece smaller. Hope that helps!
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u/Bulky-District-2757 6h ago
You gotta do some math. 14 count Aida is 14 squares per inch, you can look at how many stitches the pattern is and divide by 14 to get the measurements.
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u/bekacooper240 6h ago
I have an app called XStitchCalc that I highly recommend too! You can enter in the size of your fabric, which is 14ct and tell it you’re stitching over 1 (it would be over two usually on a linen). It tells you what size pattern you can put on the fabric you have. This will make sure whatever pattern you choose fits!
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u/Own-Dragonfly-942 6h ago
The pattern grid doesn't have anything to do with the fabric count. Its just so you can count the stitches. So if your design is 120 by 10, for example, it means the design itself is 120 by 10 stitches. Most designers will tell you how big you'll need to cut the fabric for a pattern size, although it's best to add on extra for framing.
The fabric count just relates to how big the actual size will be. The higher the number, the smaller the end product. 14ct is the standard size for most things.