Blog
Latest news, tutorials, and updates from the team
How to Keep a Cross Stitch Project Journal
A chart records the stitches and nothing else. Here is what is worth writing down while you stitch, when to write it, where to keep it so you can still find it in a year, and what to record when you put a piece away part done.
How to Keep Track of Your Thread Stash
A stash only saves you money if you know what is in it. Here is how to keep a record of your thread that stays accurate, how to check a pattern against it, and how to work out how many skeins a pattern really needs.
Marking Up PDF Cross Stitch Charts on an iPad or iPhone
Pattern Keeper is Android only, so iPad and iPhone stitchers need something else to mark off the PDF charts they buy. Here are the real options, and what each one does well.
How to Sell Cross Stitch Patterns
Selling your own charts is one of the few ways to earn from the hobby. Here is what buyers expect in the file, how to make sure a design is yours to sell, and how to put your name on it.
Cross Stitch Symbols and Chart Keys Explained
Why charts use symbols at all, what the standard markings mean, and how to read a key without squinting.
How Long Does a Cross Stitch Project Take?
A realistic way to estimate hours before you start, and why most estimates come in optimistic.
Cross Stitch Pattern Makers: What They Do, and How to Choose One
Pattern makers, generators, converters and charting software all overlap. Here is what the categories actually mean and which one you need.
Using a Cross Stitch Pattern Editor to Draw, Edit and Fix a Chart
A pattern editor is not only for designing from scratch. Most of its value is in fixing charts you already have.
How to Design Your Own Cross Stitch Pattern
Designing your first chart is less daunting than it sounds. Start small, work in blocks, and add outlines last.
DMC Thread Conversion Chart
Most charts are written in DMC numbers. Here is how conversion between brands actually works, and where it lets you down.
How Much Aida Do You Need? A Fabric Size Guide
Work out the finished size of any design, how much fabric to cut, and how much margin to leave for framing.
Cross Stitch Apps Compared: What to Look For in 2026
An honest look at the cross stitch apps stitchers actually use, what each is good at, and where they fall down. Including where we do not win.