How to use the canvas calculator
- Choose needlepoint canvas or cross-stitch Aida, and pick the mesh or count.
- Enter the design size. Charts usually list it in stitches; if you only know the finished size you want, switch to "Finished size".
- Set the bare margin you want on each side for stretching, blocking and finishing.
- The calculator shows the finished design size and the smallest piece of canvas to buy, rounded up to a whole inch.
How the size is worked out
Every stitch on needlepoint canvas covers one mesh, and the mesh count is how many fit in an inch. So the finished width is the number of stitches across divided by the mesh. The calculator adds your margin to both sides, then rounds up so you have a whole-inch piece to buy.
Formulas
- Design width = stitches wide ÷ mesh count.
- Canvas width = design width + 2 × margin.
- Stitches, from a finished size = size × mesh count.
Worked example
A chart is 140 stitches wide and 140 high, and you're using 13 mesh canvas. 140 ÷ 13 is 10.77, so the design is just under 10¾ inches square. With 3 inches of margin on each side the canvas needs to be 16.77 inches, so buy a 17 inch square. On 18 mesh the same chart would be 7.8 inches, needing a 14 inch canvas.
Design size by mesh count
Finished width in inches for common design widths, before margins.
| Stitches wide | 10 mesh | 12 mesh | 13 mesh | 14 mesh | 18 mesh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | 7.0" | 5.8" | 5.4" | 5.0" | 3.9" |
| 100 | 10.0" | 8.3" | 7.7" | 7.1" | 5.6" |
| 140 | 14.0" | 11.7" | 10.8" | 10.0" | 7.8" |
| 200 | 20.0" | 16.7" | 15.4" | 14.3" | 11.1" |
How many stitches each mesh size means
Mesh changes the work as well as the size. A square inch holds the mesh count squared in stitches: 100 on 10 mesh, 169 on 13 mesh and 324 on 18 mesh. NeedlePaint, a needlepoint kit maker, makes the same 100 versus 324 comparison and advises against 18 mesh for designs wider or taller than 12 inches. The table shows the total tent stitches for a fully stitched square piece, worked out by the calculator.
| Finished size | 10 mesh | 12 mesh | 13 mesh | 14 mesh | 18 mesh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5" × 5" | 2,500 | 3,600 | 4,225 | 4,900 | 8,100 |
| 8" × 8" | 6,400 | 9,216 | 10,816 | 12,544 | 20,736 |
| 12" × 12" | 14,400 | 20,736 | 24,336 | 28,224 | 46,656 |
A 12 inch pillow on 18 mesh is 46,656 stitches, almost twice the 24,336 it takes on 13 mesh. That gap is why the finer mesh suits ornaments and other small pieces.
How much margin to leave
Advice on the bare border varies. Brooke Thorn McGowan's guide to stitching from a chart uses a 2 inch border on each side. It works the same 130 stitch example out to an 11.25 inch canvas on 18 mesh and a 14 inch canvas on 13 mesh. This calculator defaults to 3 inches, which leaves more room for stretcher bars and a finisher. Here is what each choice means for the 140 × 140 stitch chart on 13 mesh.
| Margin on each side | Exact canvas | Canvas to buy |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5" | 13.8" square | 14" × 14" |
| 2" | 14.8" square | 15" × 15" |
| 3" | 16.8" square | 17" × 17" |
| 4" | 18.8" square | 19" × 19" |
If a shop or finisher will make the piece into a pillow or ornament, ask them how much bare canvas they want before you cut.
Will it fit a standard frame?
NeedlePaint suggests planning a design around frame sizes you can buy off the shelf. Those include 5 × 7, 8 × 10, 11 × 14 and square 8, 10 and 12 inch frames. To fill a frame opening exactly, the design needs this many stitches.
| Frame | 13 mesh | 18 mesh |
|---|---|---|
| 5" × 7" | 65 × 91 | 90 × 126 |
| 8" × 10" | 104 × 130 | 144 × 180 |
| 11" × 14" | 143 × 182 | 198 × 252 |
| 8" × 8" | 104 × 104 | 144 × 144 |
| 12" × 12" | 156 × 156 | 216 × 216 |
A mat or the frame lip covers a little of the edge, so keep important details a few stitches in from the border.
Moving a design to a different mesh
If you only know a finished size, turn it back into stitches first. A design that measures 8 inches on 18 mesh is 8 × 18 = 144 stitches wide. On 13 mesh those 144 stitches come out 11.1 inches, and with 3 inch margins you need a 18" × 18" canvas. The coarser mesh needs thicker thread too, so check the fiber before you switch. The guide to needlepoint canvas types explains mono and interlock canvas.
Thread for the canvas
One way to estimate needlepoint thread is by area. Emily Corpora's guide to kitting a 13 mesh canvas counts about 20 square inches per skein of Silk & Ivory on 13 mesh and about 15 on 18 mesh. The 140 stitch square design covers 116 square inches on 13 mesh, so by that rule a single-color piece takes about 5.8 skeins. On 18 mesh it shrinks to 60 square inches, about 4.0 skeins. Coverage depends on the fiber and the stitch, so treat these as starting points and round up. For cross stitch on Aida, the floss calculator counts skeins per color.
Tips
- Tape or bind the cut edges of canvas before you start so they don't fray or snag your thread.
- Mark the center of the canvas and the center of your chart, and start stitching from there.
- Buy canvas from the same roll if a project needs more than one piece, since mesh can vary slightly between batches.
- Keep the canvas on stretcher bars or a frame to stop it pulling out of shape as you stitch.