There are two kinds of cross stitch. In counted cross stitch the fabric stays blank and you count squares on the chart and holes on the Aida. In stamped cross stitch the design is printed on the fabric and you stitch over the printed crosses. "Transferring a pattern" can mean anything between the two: from a few guide lines that help you count, to a full-colour print you simply cover with thread.
Which method is right depends on the size of the design, the fabric and how permanent the marks are allowed to be. Before you start, print your chart with stitch numbers along the edges — every chart from the FlossChart pattern maker has bold lines every 10 stitches and numbered rows and columns, which is exactly what most of these methods rely on.
Before you mark anything: find the centre
Almost every method starts at the centre, because a centred design leaves equal margins for framing. Fold the fabric in half one way, then the other, and pinch the folds; the crossing point is the centre. On the chart, the centre is where the middle row meets the middle column — divide the width and height in stitches by two. A 120 × 90 design is centred at column 60, row 45. Mark the fabric centre with a pin or a tiny stitch in a contrasting thread, not with a pen.
Also check you have enough fabric. The finished size is the number of stitches divided by the fabric count, plus a margin of at least 8 cm (3 in) on each side for framing — our size calculator and the metric size calculator do the sums.
Method 1: grid the fabric with basting thread
The traditional method, and still the safest. Using a single strand of a light, smooth thread (sewing cotton or one strand of pale floss), run a line of long running stitches across the fabric every 10 squares, then the same vertically, so the fabric is divided into the same 10 × 10 blocks as the chart. Go over two squares and under two, or over five and under five, so the line always sits exactly between the same holes.
- Start at the centre lines you just found and work outwards; that way any counting error is caught at once.
- Use a colour that contrasts with the fabric but not with your floss — pale grey on white Aida, white on black.
- Stitch over the gridding thread as you go and pull it out when a block is finished, or leave it until the end.
Gridding takes an evening for a large piece but repays itself quickly: you only ever count to ten. It leaves no marks, works on every fabric including linen and black Aida, and is the method most experienced stitchers use for big photo patterns.
Method 2: pre-gridded fabric or gridding line
Some Aida is sold with a printed or woven grid every 10 squares that washes out after stitching, and there is also nylon or polyester "easy count" gridding line that slips under the fabric threads and slides out at the end. Both give you the basting-thread result with less work. Check the fabric is genuinely wash-out before using it on a gift, and wash the finished piece as instructed — printed grids sometimes need warm water and gentle rubbing to disappear completely.
Method 3: water-soluble marking pen
A blue water-soluble pen lets you draw grid lines, the centre or even the outline of a design directly on the fabric. The ink disappears with cold water. It is quick and very useful for marking where a name or date should go on a sampler.
- Always test first on a scrap of the same fabric: mark, leave it a day, then rinse.
- Never iron over the marks and keep the work away from sunlight and heat until it has been washed — heat can set the ink permanently.
- Rinse, don't spot-clean. Soak the finished piece in plenty of cold water so the ink doesn't migrate into a brown ring.
- Mark lightly along the lines between holes rather than over them, so the floss isn't stained as it passes through.
Heat-erasable pens are popular too, but the marks only become invisible — the ink can reappear in the cold and may leave pale ghost lines on dark fabric. Use them only where a faint mark will be covered by stitching. Pencils and ballpoints are a bad idea on anything you plan to frame.
Method 4: trace with a light box or a window
For a design with large shapes — an outline, lettering, a stocking shape — you can trace it. Print the chart at the exact finished size (set the printer to 100% and check a ruler against the stitch grid), tape it to a light box or a sunny window, tape the fabric over it and trace the key lines with a water-soluble pen. Light Aida colours (white, cream, pale blue) work best; 14-count and coarser show the print clearly. This is the quickest way to place a name exactly in the middle of a birth announcement or a sampler.
Method 5: print on fabric (stamped cross stitch)
Inkjet-printable fabric sheets, or plain cotton ironed onto freezer paper so it can feed through a printer, let you print the colour chart directly onto the fabric. You then stitch over the printed colours, which turns counted cross stitch into stamped cross stitch — no counting at all.
The catch is that Aida itself rarely survives a home printer, so this method is used with plain-weave cotton or linen and the stitches follow the printed squares instead of the fabric holes. Stitches are less even than counted work, and any uncovered print shows, so stitch every square fully. For the print, use the colour view of your chart without symbols, at exact size. It is ideal for children, beginners and large, simple designs; experienced stitchers usually find it slower than counting.
Method 6: waste canvas for clothing and bags
To cross stitch onto a T-shirt, tote bag or towel, which have no countable holes, tack a piece of waste canvas (a stiff, loosely woven grid) onto the item, stitch the pattern through both layers, then dampen the canvas and pull its threads out one by one with tweezers. The stitches stay on the garment. Pick a waste canvas count to match the size you want: 14-count waste canvas gives the same finished size as 14-count Aida.
Method 7: printable water-soluble stabiliser
A newer option: sheets of sticky, water-soluble stabiliser that go through an inkjet printer. Print the chart onto the sheet, stick it on your fabric (Aida, felt or clothing) and stitch straight through. When you are done, soak the piece and the stabiliser dissolves. It combines the convenience of a printed pattern with clean results, but the sheets are relatively expensive and stiff to stitch through for large areas.
Which method should I use?
| Method | Best for | Leaves marks? | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basting-thread grid | Large and photo patterns, linen, dark fabric | No | Medium (one evening) |
| Pre-gridded fabric / gridding line | Large patterns on Aida | No, if washed | Low |
| Water-soluble pen | Centre lines, placing text and borders | Only if heated before washing | Low |
| Light-box tracing | Outlines, names, stockings | As per the pen used | Low |
| Printed fabric | Kids, beginners, simple large designs | Yes — must be fully covered | Medium |
| Waste canvas | T-shirts, bags, towels | No | Medium |
| Printable stabiliser | Small motifs on any fabric | No, after soaking | Low (higher cost) |
Worked example: a birth announcement on 14-count Aida
Say your chart is 98 × 68 stitches. On 14-count Aida that is 98 ÷ 14 = 7 in by 68 ÷ 14 ≈ 4.9 in (17.8 × 12.3 cm), so cut the fabric at least 13 × 11 in (33 × 28 cm). Find the centre (column 49, row 34) and baste a horizontal and a vertical line through it. Add basting lines every 10 squares only across the band where the name sits, because lettering is where a miscount shows most. Stitch the name first, from the centre outwards, then the border: if the border meets itself at the corners, everything in between is right.
Need a starting layout? The birth announcement pattern maker, wedding sampler maker and Christmas stocking name maker build a chart from your own text, and the guide to reading a cross stitch pattern explains the symbols and grid lines you will be transferring.