16 Count Beige Aida Cloth Precut Cross Stitch Fabric 19x21 in by Zweigart 3251/3740

Stitch on Beige, a 16 count Aida cloth by Zweigart: a warm beige Aida with a soft sandy tone. A coloured ground saves stitching a full background and sets the mood of the piece.

A little stitcher's folklore: girls once worked a sampler as a school exercise, stitching alphabets and numbers on linen before they embroidered anything for the house, and many of those samplers survive in museums today.

Why this fabric: 16 count Aida gives a finer, neater finish than 14 count while the holes stay easy to see, and it matches charts written for 32 count linen worked over two. This shade suits rustic, farmhouse and primitive designs.

In the pack: one precut piece of Zweigart Aida, 100% cotton, 16 count (6.4 squares per cm), in Beige. Not included: chart, floss, needle and hoop, sold separately.

Getting started: overcast or tape the edges, fold to find the centre and stitch one cross over each block with a size 24 or 26 tapestry needle, using two strands of floss. Wash finished work by hand in cool water and press face down on a towel.

Size: 48 x 53 cm (19 x 21 in). Stitched one cross per block with a 2 in margin all round, it fits a design of about 235 x 265 stitches. Large enough for a framed picture, or cut it down for cards, bookmarks and ornaments.