Updated October 22, 2019
I often get quesztions about converting cross stitch charts to needlepoint. This is an easy process if you are careful about the charts you pick. It can also be economical, allowing you to use charts from your stash and less expensive floss.
It’s also the method you use to stitch from the charts in needlepoint books, both old and new. Knowing this broadens your options for stitching more of these designs. This article will cover three topics: charts, thread, and stitching. Those interested in making charted needlepoint from books will find the last topic most helpful.
Charts
When you look for Cross Stitch charts, look for ones which have two things: whole stitch only and minimal backstitching. These will be the easiest to convert to needlepoint.
Because of the structure of needlepoint and canvas, you cannot make precise partial stitches on needlepoint canvas. Therefore by looking for charts which have no quarter, half or three-quarter stitches you will save yourself lots of trouble.
This means that the chart should look like the one at the top of this article with symbols filling the entire square. Sometimes, but not always, the chart has partial stitches listed on the color key.
A chart with partial symbols looks like this. You can see how some of the squares are only partially filled. These would be made with partial Cross Stitches. These soften lines in Cross Stitch but aren’t done in needlepoint.
Another common feature in Cross Stitch charts is Backstitching. Often this is used to outline or to create details in the design. Backstitch is hard to do in needlepoint. You don’t need it to outline in most cases, so that kind of backstitching can be ignored. Details that are made in Backstitch can be stitched over the Tent Stitch.
If backstitching provides details, as is the case with this gingerbread house, you stitch the backstitching over the Tent Stitch base. This way you preserve the fine details of this kind of backstitching.
Thread
Cross Stitch uses considerably thinner thread than needlepoint. If you think about it, this makes sense. In Cross Stitch. you are embellishing a fabric. In needlepoint, you are making a fabric. A Cross Stitch has two layers in it. A Tent Stitch has only one.
If your chart has strand recommendations, don’t use them, you’ll start with this table for number of strands of silk or floss:
- 12 mesh: 8 strands
- 14 mesh: 6 strands
- 18 mesh: 4 strands
- 24 mesh (Congress Cloth): 2-3 strands
Remember always to strip, ply, and recombine your threads before using them.
Stitching
In needlepoint canvas (pictured above) the threads are bigger than the holes and stitches are made from hole to hole over intersections or threads.
In Cross Stitch fabric the threads are bigger than the holes and you stitch over the threads from hole to hole. When I did Cross Stitch, I always thought of the fabric as a huge piece of graph paper and my stitches as coloring those holes. Cross Stitch charts and similar charts for needlepoint all use this convention. Each square on the graph represents a stitch.
A stitch is a stitch and still goes over one thread. It’s just that the threads are thinner and the holes bigger in needlepoint.
When you stitch needlepoint from a chart, make each graphed square a Tent Stitch, going over one intersection of thread.
This needlepoint was stitched from a vintage needlepoint chart in my files. The chart could have been done in either needlepoint or cross stitch.
Once you are comfortable with stitching from charts, you’ll find a whole new world of great designs out there waiting for you!
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
Thank You so much for replying to my question. You taught me so much about this subject. I am so glad I found your site. I visit it every day.
Happy Memorial Day to you.
I need someone to explain how to convert a needlepoint chart to a counted cross stitch chart. No one can answer this question for me so I hope you can.
Converting Needlepoint to Cross Stitch not Cross Stitch to Needlepoint. Please help.
Sandy Hodges
Watauga, TX
sandrahodges1943@aol.com
It’s more or less the opposite of this. In most charts the symbols will be in squares. One square on the chart represents one “square” of Aida fabric. Because of the weave of this fabric there are squares of thread with small holes in each corner.
The cross stitch should be made from corner to corner, filling the square, according to the color for the symbol on the key.
HTH!
Keep Stitching,
Janet
The only problem I have with conversion, is how much thread to buy. How can you tell how much? Isn’t there a conversion for how many stitches certain length of thread covers?
The convention for Cross Stitch is that it’s ones skein per color unless noted.
To do a ball park conversion, you need to know the number of strands for both.
On 18 mesh needlepoint uses 4 strands of floss, on 14 mesh 6 strands.
On 14 count cloth, Cross Stitch uses 3 strands and 18 2.
So if you were going from 18 count cloth to 18 mesh canvas, I’d figure on double the amount.
Now the only problem is that often you don’t know how much of a skein is used. You’ll have to eyeball it. Colors where there is lots and lots I’d probably add one skein or two if the chart calls for more than one skein.
I don’t have a rules of thumb for doing this as the guidelines I’ve seen aren’t reliable enough for me to recommend them.
HTH
This web site truly has all of the info I wanted about
this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
Jaimie
I have purchased a painted tapestry canvas as I thought it was for cross stitching, then noticed it isn’t as some of the colours won’t make a full cross stitch any suggestions as to what I can do I wAs thinking just half stitches where needed but was wondering if that would ruin the outcome of the final picture.
I’m open to any suggestions thanks in advance ?
It’s likely that the problem you are seeing with more than one color per intersection is happening because your canvas was printed by machine rather than hand-painted. This is because needlepoint canvas is not exactly even;ly woven everywhere.
When a person paints a canvas by hand, the painter compensates for this by painting straight lines along a single canvas thread, which we see as straight. The machine can’t compensate this way (although the giclee-printed canvases come close). So the actually straight line goes on more than one thread, so it doesn’t look straight and we have the problem of two colors per intersection.
You cannot split an intersection into two colors almost all the time. As a result, you will need to make an “executive decision” and decide what color it should be.
If you are indeed stitching bought a needlepoint canvas thinking you could do it as cross stitch, you can indeed use cross stitches over each intersection as your stitch, but you will still need to make a decision of what color to use for each stitch. You cannot split stitches over one intersection in half, the way you can split stitches over one square in Cross Stitch.
I hope this answers your question.
Keep Stitching, Janet
How do you decide what mesh gauge to use?
I want to convert a 16 count aida cross stitch to tapestry.
Is there a conversion chart availsble.
Yes you can. You don’t need a conversion chart to know the size, you just need simple math. If you know the size of the cross stitch chart and the mesh size you are using, just divide the size by the mesh & you’ll get the finished size.
For example a chart that is 140×70 would be 10×5 on 14 mesh. But doing the math, it would be about 7.8x 3.9 or, rounding up 8×4 on 18 mesh. That’s enough so you’ll know what size to cut your canvas.
Keep stitching,
Janet