Photo Pattern Maker

How many stitches wide should a cross stitch portrait be?

Updated · Photo Pattern Maker

For a face or a pet, 80 to 120 stitches wide and 20 to 30 DMC colors. Below about 60 stitches the eyes and mouth are only a few squares and the likeness goes; above 150 it takes months. On 14-count Aida, 100 stitches is about 7 inches.

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  1. 01 Your photo

  2. 02 Craft and size

  3. 03 Preview

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Finished size on 14-count Aida

PatternWidthFabricStitches
40 × 407.3 cm (2.9 in)on 14-count Aida1600 stitches
60 × 6010.9 cm (4.3 in)on 14-count Aida3600 stitches
80 × 8014.5 cm (5.7 in)on 14-count Aida6400 stitches
100 × 10018.1 cm (7.1 in)on 14-count Aida10000 stitches
120 × 12021.8 cm (8.6 in)on 14-count Aida14400 stitches
150 × 15027.2 cm (10.7 in)on 14-count Aida22500 stitches
200 × 20036.3 cm (14.3 in)on 14-count Aida40000 stitches

How many colors?

Skin, fur and soft backgrounds need 20 to 30 colors to blend; a logo or cartoon needs 6 to 12. Fewer colors means fewer skeins and fewer thread changes.

Steps

  1. Pick a photo with one clear subject. Pick a photo with one clear subject and a plain background. Pets work from 80 stitches wide; for a portrait, 100 to 120 keeps the eyes and smile clear. Details below one stitch disappear.
  2. Upload it on the cross stitch pattern maker page and choose the width and how many colors. The preview updates as you change them.
  3. Get the full pattern: After that the full pattern is ⁠$1.99⁠ on its own, or from ⁠$0.20⁠ a pattern with credits (⁠$4.99⁠ for 15). Credits never expire.
  4. Print the PDF (A4 or Letter): the chart with symbols, the color key with codes and counts, and what to buy.

What it costs

The color preview is free, and a new account gets 5 patterns free. After that the full pattern is ⁠$1.99⁠ on its own, or from ⁠$0.20⁠ a pattern with credits (⁠$4.99⁠ for 15). Credits never expire.

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