Expert: Henry Babcock - 7/7/2008

Question
How do I calculate the yardage of fiber I need to complete a needlepoint....is there a rule of thumb?

Answer
Gloria,

There are several factors to take into account to precisely calculate how much thread you will need for a given project.

The most basic rule of thumb is one yard for every square inch of the project.

For more precision, start with a 18 inch thread, stitch a square half-inch (e.g. on a 12 count canvas, stitch 6 holes by 6 holes), and measure the length of the thread left over and subtract from 18.  Multiply that length by 4 to get the coverage for a square inch, then multiply that number by the number of square inches in the project.

Hope this helps,

Henry Babcock
AllExperts Needlepoint Expert