Photograph - Jill Wellington / 2021 images
AIDA CLOTH
Aida cloth was designed specifically for cross stitch in 1907 by Zweigart, a German textile company that was established in 1877. It’s invention was significant in making cross stitch more accessible to crafters. For more on the history of Aida click here.
To download click on the download button on the far right or click on the pattern name and then click on download at the top of the page.
DMC FLOSS
Dollfus-Mieg et Compagnie (DMC) was originally a textile company established in Mulhouse, France in 1746. DMC floss has been manufactured there since 1898. For more information on DMCclick here.
Discontinued DMC Solid Colors
The FROG
is a major part of our cross stitch experience!
Help him celebrate his day on the next
WORLD FROG DAY,
Friday, March 20, 2026.
This day has been observed annually on March 20th since 2009.
STITCHES PER INCH
A skein of six strand embroidery floss is 8 meters. This translates to 8.7 yards or 313 inches in length. If you are stitching on 14 count, using 2 strands, you will be able to create approximately 2,347.5 full stitches per each skein.
See the chart below to find how many stitches per inch you can get when stitching on different counts of fabric.
To see 2026 Keepsake contest entries:
LOVE HIM? HATE HIM?
OFFICIALLY DISCONTINUED
In 2013 DMC introduced 16 new colors to their line. These colors were never included on DMC's floss list as they were mainly only available in the US due to strict dye restrictions in other countries. Initially they were not sold individually and were only available in sets of 16.
These 16 colors were officially discontinued in 2021 although some of them are still available individually at DMC, 123Stitch and other locations.
Below is a list of these discontinued colors along with an alternative color suggestion. Since these are not necessarily close matches, it is recommended that you do a floss toss to see how well they blend in with the other design colors and make substitutions accordingly.
photograph - Irene from Oregon
WORLD CROSS STITCH DAY
.
Discontinued Color
504
731
776
781
806
868
971
3773
Do You Have Trouble Making Cross Stitch Decisions?
Can't decide which pattern to start next, which UFO needs some attention or maybe which pattern should be next in your extensive stitching rotation? Access a free, customizable, Spin It spinner HERE to randomly make your choices easier.
To use for your cross stitch purposes highlight the list of exercises in the box on the right and delete. Create your own list in the box, you can even add pictures to fancy it up a bit. Spin the wheel and enjoy.
A small, free design to commemorate your participation in
World Cross Stitch Day 2026.
Replacement Color
3813
732
3326
782
3760
801
740
407
Ever need help choosing coordinating colors for a project?
Use the handy, Stitch Palettes embroidery color palette generator. Just enter the DMC color number that you want to use and it will find colors that coordinate with that specific color.
STORK - WHY?
Visit Caterpillar Cross Stitch to find out the history behind why embroidery scissors are shaped like storks.
FUTURE WCSD DATES
There have been several inquiries about future WCSD dates. WCSD is always the second Friday in August. Here are the actual dates for the next several years:
2026 - August 14
2027 - August 13
2028 - August 11
2029 - August 10