How to Resize Your Cross Stitch Pattern (with 8 Examples)

Can a Cross Stitch Pattern be Enlarged?

You can enlarge a cross stitch pattern, and it is not as challenging as you may think so! The most common way is to use a smaller count Aida. Doing so will give you larger and fewer squares per inch, making your design larger.

Did you ever work on a project but discover later that you used an incorrect size Aida cloth? Also, did you ever work on a pattern that you wish you can do again but making it a bit bigger?

Do not worry because whatever your reason is, you can enlarge your cross stitch pattern! Also, the methods you can do are not too complicated, so even beginners can do them.

How to Enlarge a Cross Stitch Pattern?

The most common way to enlarge a cross stitch pattern is to use a smaller count Aida. But, there are also other methods to rescale your piece. So, here are two ways to make your work bigger, together with a few examples:

Method 1: Change the count of your Aida.
The “count” is the number of stitches per inch in a cross stitch pattern. For example, if your Aida is a 14 count, it means it has 14 stitches per inch. So, the smaller the cloth, the higher the number.

You will find that most cross-stitch patterns are best for 14-count Aida. But, if you want to enlarge your design, you can use a smaller count such as 6-, 8-, or 11-count Aida.

These fabrics will have fewer and larger squares per inch that make your finished pieces larger. But, remember that using three to four strands of yarn might be best when you work on smaller count Aida.

You can get the size of your finished piece doing this simple calculation:

• Take the number of stitches across, then divide it by your fabric’s thread count
  
• Then, count the number of stitches down and divide it by the fabric’s thread count.

Example 1:

1. Suppose your stitch count across is 200 and your Aida count is 18. Then, divide 200 by 18, and you will have 11.11.
2. Next, suppose your stitch count down is 160. So, dividing it by 18 gives you 8.88.
3. Given these measurements, your finished cross stitch piece will be 11.11 inches across. And it will be 8.88 inches down.

Example 2:
If you want to enlarge the pattern from Example 1, you can use a smaller Aida like 14-count. Note that a 14-count Aida cloth is the most common size, so it should work well on your piece.

1. Based on Example 1, your stitch count across is 200. So, you will divide it by 14 (a smaller count Aida) to get 14.29.
2. Next, you will divide the stitch count down, which is 160, by 14. So, you will get 11.43.
3. Given these measurements, your finished cross stitch piece will be 14.29 inches across. And it will be 11.43 inches down.

Example 3:
Because a 14-count Aida is the most common size for cross stitch patterns, you may want to enlarge it too. So, here is another example of making a cross-stitch design bigger.

1. Suppose your stitch count across is 200, and you want it to enlarge to an 11-count Aida. So, dividing 200 by 11 will give you 18.18.
2. Next, suppose your stitch count down is 180. So, dividing it by 11 will give you 16.36.
3. Given these two measurements, your finished piece will be 18.18 inches across and 16.36 inches down.

Note how your finished cross stitch pattern becomes larger when you use a smaller count Aida. So, following these steps, you can enlarge other designs as big as you want. But, be careful of making your design extremely large, which can significantly affect its appearance.

Method 2: Change your cross stitch (slightly).

You will slightly alter the design so it becomes larger while using the same size Aida. But, it may seem a bit more complicated, although it works well. So, practicing this method is best if you want to try it.

To enlarge your design, you will turn every cross-stitch into four when drawing your pattern. As a result, the stitches you make will be four times larger than before.

When you use this method, it will help to know the size of your finished piece. Because your design will become bigger, the amount of floss and cloth you use will also increase. So, it is best to compute for it to determine how much you need.

Again, like in the first method, you can get the finished piece’s size by doing this simple calculation:

• Take the number of stitches across, then divide it by your fabric’s thread count.
• Then, count the number of stitches down and divide it by the fabric’s thread count.

Example 1:
Suppose the original pattern you are working on is 38 inches by 40 inches. So, you will get 76 inches by 80 stitches when you turn a stitch into four stitches.

Example 2:
Suppose you have a pattern that is 70 inches by 91 inches on a 14-count Aida. So, multiplying the number of stitches across (70) and down (91) by two gives you a piece that is 140 inches by 182 inches.

Note how the stitches on the enlarged design are twice the stitch sizes from the original scale. So, with this method, you can also tell the stitch count on your finished piece with a simple calculation.

As I mentioned, it is best to know the finished piece’s size to help you determine how much fabric you need. But, it would also help to see the stitch count of your finished work to know how much floss you need.

Can a cross stitch pattern be made smaller?

Resizing cross-stitch patterns do not only involve enlarging but also making them smaller. You can make almost any cross stitch pattern smaller, and the most common way to do it is to use a larger-count Aida.

How to Scale Down a Cross Stitch Pattern?

Opposite to enlarging a design, you can use a larger-count Aida to scale down a cross stitch pattern. So, when resizing your cross stitch patterns, it would help to remember that the fabric count is a vital factor.

These fabrics will have more and smaller squares per inch that make your finished pieces smaller. Follow this simple guide to scale down your cross stitch pattern:

As I mentioned, the “count” of your Aida is the number of stitches per inch in a cross stitch pattern. So, for example, if your Aida is a 14 count, it means it has 14 stitches per inch.

Suppose you are working on a pattern that recommends a 14-count Aida. So, to make it smaller, you can use an 18-count or other larger-count fabric. But, it would also help to use fewer strands of yarn since your material’s squares will be much smaller.

Again, you can get the size of your finished piece doing this simple calculation:

• Take the number of stitches across, then divide it by a larger-count fabric’s thread count.
• Then, count the number of stitches down and divide it by the fabric’s thread count.

Example 1:
Since a 14-count Aida is the most common size for cross stitch patterns, you may want to make the design smaller. So, here is what you will do:

1. Suppose your stitch count across is 200, and you want it to enlarge to an 18-count Aida. So, dividing 200 by 18 will give you 11.11.
2. Next, suppose your stitch count down is 180. So, dividing it by 18 will give you 10.
3. Given these two measurements, your finished piece will be 11.11 inches across and 10 inches down.

1. Suppose your stitch count across is 200 and your Aida count is 18. Then, divide 200 by 18, and you will have 11.11.
2. Next, suppose your stitch count down is 160. So, dividing it by 18 gives you 8.89.
3. Given these measurements, your finished cross stitch piece will be 11.11 inches across. And it will be 8.89 inches down.

Example 2:
If you want to make the pattern from Example 1 smaller, you can use a smaller count Aida like a 22-count Aida.

1. Based on Example 1, your stitch count across is 200. So, you will divide it by 22 to get 9.09.
2. Next, you will divide the stitch count down, which is 160, by 22. So, you will get 7.27.
3. Given these measurements, your finished cross stitch piece will be 9.09 inches across. And it will be 7.27 inches down.

Example 3:
If you want to make the pattern much smaller, you can use a 28-count Aida. It is one of the largest sizes stitchers use.

1. Based on Example 1, your stitch count across is 200. So, you will divide it by 28 (one of the largest-count Aida) to get 7.14.
2. Next, you will divide the stitch count down, which is 160, by 28. So, you will get 5.7.
3. Given these measurements, your finished cross stitch piece will be 7.14 inches across. And it will be 5.7 inches down.

It is best to notice how using a larger-count Aida gives you a much smaller piece. Although it depends on your original pattern, it would help to consider some factors too. For example, does the design suit the size you are going for, or is it too challenging to make?

Conclusion

Resizing your cross stitch pattern has a lot to do with increasing and decreasing your Aida’s size count. If you want to enlarge your design, you will use a smaller count. But, if you wish to make scale it down, you will use a larger count.