Cross Stitch Grid

A cross stitch chart is a grid where every square is one full cross on the fabric. The bold line every 10 squares matches how stitchers count: you work a 10×10 block, check it against the chart, and move on. Most mistakes in hand-drawn charts come from losing count, so the bold lines are the part of a cross stitch grid that matters most.

Fabric count turns the grid into inches. 14-count Aida has 14 squares per inch, so a 40×40 grid is 2.9 inches square, a 70×70 grid is 5 inches, and a 100×100 grid is 7.1 inches. On 18-count the same grids come out at 2.2, 3.9, and 5.6 inches. Pick the Aida count above and the finished size updates as you resize. Add about 3 inches of fabric on every side for the hoop and for framing.

The palette starts with 19 everyday DMC colors: 310 black, white, grays, the common reds, blues, and greens, and skin and wood tones. The + button adds any other color and snaps it to the nearest of the 489 DMC numbers, so every square on the chart is a thread you can buy. Colors used lists each DMC number with its stitch count and the skeins to buy, using the same estimate as the cross stitch pattern generator.

Download PNG saves your chart with the grid. Download blank grid PNG saves an empty grid at the current size, ready to print and fill in with colored pencils. Start from a photo shrinks a picture onto the grid using the colors in your palette, which is good for small motifs and icons. For a full photo, the cross stitch pattern maker picks the DMC colors for you, cleans up stray stitches, and adds symbols and backstitch.