Cross stitch guide
Aida band and banding
Aida band is a narrow strip of cross stitch fabric woven to its width, with both long edges already finished. It is sold by its width and its count, and its width in squares is the tallest design it will take.
What it is
Aida band is cross stitch fabric woven as a strip. Shops also call it banding or stitch band. Its two long edges are finished in the weaving, often with a row of small loops or scallops, so they do not fray and need no hem. Only the two cut ends have to be secured.
It is sold by the length, off a reel or in cut pieces, and described by two numbers:
- Width. Bands 1, 2, 3 and 4 inches (2.5, 5.1, 7.6 and 10.2 cm) wide are the usual ones.
- Count. Aida band is mostly 14 count, and some is finer, such as 16 count. Linen band is finer again, 24 to 28 count, and is stitched over two threads like other linen.
How many stitches fit across
Count the squares across the band, edge to edge. That number is the tallest design the band takes. The band in the picture is 7 squares wide, so a design 5 squares tall fits with a bare square on each side.
Do not rely on the label alone, because sellers' figures differ. One lists a 14 count band 2 inches (50 mm) wide at 25 stitches, and another lists a band of that width and count at 26. The first also lists a band 1.18 inches (30 mm) wide at 14 stitches.
Along the band there is no limit but the length you buy. Divide the stitches by the count to see how long a design runs: 100 stitches on 14 count is a little over 7 inches (18 cm). The fabric calculator, opened on a design of 100 by 20 stitches, gives the size and adds a margin for the two ends.
What people make with it
- Bookmarks. A band 1 or 2 inches (2.5 or 5.1 cm) wide is already the right shape. See making a bookmark.
- Trims. A stitched length is sewn onto a towel, a piece of clothing, a pillow or other household linen.
Which designs suit a band
Long, low ones: a row of small motifs, a line of letters, or a repeat that can go on for as long as the band does. Check the design's height in stitches against the band's width in squares before you start.
On this site, the towel patterns are band designs, each 30 stitches high or less. The bookmarks are tall and narrow, for a band turned on end. For a pattern that repeats, look at the borders: each frame is built from a short repeat. Every pattern's page gives its size in stitches: compare it with your band's width in squares.
Where to go next
For the fabric the band is made from, see Aida cloth.