Cross stitch guide
Stamped vs counted cross stitch
In stamped cross stitch the design is printed on the cloth and you stitch over the print. In counted cross stitch the cloth is blank and you count each stitch from a chart. Stamped is quicker to pick up, and counted gives you far more designs and fabrics to choose from.
On this page 7 parts
What each one is
Stamped cross stitch (1). The design is printed on the cloth itself, as small Xs or as symbols, in an ink that washes out. You make a stitch over every printed X, in the color the instructions give for it. Nothing is counted. When the stitching is done, the piece is washed and the ink goes.
Counted cross stitch (2). The cloth is blank. The design is a chart on paper or on a screen: a grid in which every symbol is one stitch. You count squares on the chart, count the same squares on the cloth, and stitch there.
Stamped and counted side by side
| Stamped | Counted | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the design is | Printed on the cloth | On a chart |
| What you do | Stitch over the print | Count, then stitch |
| Cloth | The piece it is printed on | Any cloth you can count: Aida, evenweave, linen, in any color |
| Using it again | Once: the print is covered and washed away | As often as you like: the chart is untouched |
| Mistakes | Hard to go wrong | One miscount shifts everything after it |
| Washing | Needed, to remove the ink | Only if the piece needs it |
How stamped cross stitch is worked
- Do not wash the cloth first. Water takes the print away, and with it the design.
- Put the cloth in a hoop or frame, if you use one, so that it is flat and taut.
- Read the instructions for the colors. They say which thread goes on which printed mark, and how many strands to use.
- Stitch over the printed Xs. Make a row of half stitches, then come back along the row to cross them, with every top leg leaning the same way.
- Wash the finished piece the way its instructions say, to take out the ink. How to wash cross stitch covers washing in general.
Stamped designs are often printed on ordinary household cloth: pillowcases, towels, tablecloths, napkins and quilt blocks. Cloth like that has no holes to find, so it is stitched with an embroidery needle, which has a sharp point, where counted work uses a blunt one.
Which to choose
Choose stamped if counting puts you off. You can see where every stitch goes, which is reassuring on a first piece.
Choose counted if you want the widest choice. Any chart can go on any cloth, at any size the count gives, and you can stitch it again. Most patterns are counted charts, and every cross stitch pattern on this site is one. The counting takes care at first and soon becomes a habit.
Both are fine for a beginner. If you start with counted, start small: the Easy patterns here are four colors or fewer and 1,000 stitches or fewer.
Stamped patterns and pre-printed pieces
The words overlap, so here is what each means.
- Stamped and pre-stamped: the design is printed on the cloth, to stitch over.
- Printed and pre-printed: usually the same thing as stamped. A printed cross stitch kit has its design on the cloth.
- A printed pattern can also mean a chart printed on paper. That is counted cross stitch. If you are looking for charts to print at home, every cross stitch pattern here downloads as a PDF.
- Counted: blank cloth and a chart.
To put a design onto plain cloth yourself, so that it can be stitched without counting, see How to make your own stamped cross stitch.
Questions people ask
Can I use a counted chart on stamped cloth, or the other way round? No. Stamped cloth already carries its own design. A chart needs blank cloth.
Does the ink always wash out? It is made to, which is why the cloth must stay dry until you finish. Follow the washing instructions that came with the piece.
Is the stitch different? No. The cross is made the same way in both. How to cross stitch teaches it.
Where to go next
Ready to try counted? Cross stitch for beginners sets out a first project. For what the craft is and where it came from, read What is cross stitch?