The Legend  All designs have keys, or legends, usually placed under or at the side of the design.These keys tell you what color to sew where, and if there is an outline, where to place it, and in what color. It will also tell you if the design has beads, specialty threads, etc.

The Floss  Having found the center on your chart, look and see what symbol is printed there.  The key will tell you what floss  number the symbol represents. i.e. Q = DMC 501. Take this card of floss out of your box and cut a length of approximately 36 inches, or from the end of your hand to the tip of your nose. You will now have 6 strands of loose floss. Select one and pull it out, and put the other five back on their card.

The majority of cross stitching is done with two strands, unless the instructions are to the contrary.

Thread your tapestry needle putting together both ends through the eye of the needle so now you have a double strand with a loop at the long end.

If you are right-handed you will probably sew from left to right.  It is probably better to sew in rows than in columns, but both are done.

First Row  Find the beginning of the row with the color (same symbol) at the center.  Count the number of stitches from the center to the start of that row.  If you are one or two stitches out at the start, it will not make any difference.  Every other stitch is now dependent on this starting stitch position.

Notes:
Evenweave (All linens and similar types usually of counts from 24 to 36)  Sew in every other hole.  For every stitch on the chart, double the number, and that is the equivalent number of holes across the fabric.

Aida  Sew in every hole.  The number of stitches on the chart represent the number of equivalent holes on the fabric.

Bring your needle up through the correct hole from the back and start cross stitching.
 

Loose ends sticking out of the back look ragged.  Knots make the piece lumpy.  Therefore, here are two methods of starting and finishing a row of cross stitches.  If you are going to use the same threads a few holes away, there is no need to cut off the ends.  Leave it were it is and run it under the few stitches to the next starting point.

When you sew with two strands of the same floss, fold a strand in half, put the two ends through the needle, leaving the loop on the long end.  Bring the needle up from the bottom and make the first half cross stitch.  Then you go through the loop behind at the end to make a nice firm anchor before you make the second half cross stitch.

With one thread, or two different colors, turn the fabric over and run the floss under five to six stitches next to your first hole for sewing pulling gently until the ends disappear, then come up to do your first cross stitch.

To finish, pass the thread under five to six stitches at the back immediately next to the last cross stitch, and cut off close to where the thread comes out.
 

In quick terms, the size of the fabric you want is dependent on the size of the design (the number of stitches across and the number of stitches high that the designs tells you), and the number of stitches per inch you want to sew.  You cannot change the design.  If you sew "over 2" (linen, etc.), the count of the fabric will be twice the number of stitches per inch.  If you sew "over 1" (Aida, etc.), the count of the fabric will be the same as the number of stitches per inch.  Use the number of stitches per inch, not the count of the fabric.

To find the size of the design
Divide the number of stitches per inch into the number of stitches across or high, and you will get the number of inches of the design across or high.  Remember - the fabric has to be bigger for framing and holding, and fraying, etc.

Design Size for Aida = number of stitches (across or high) / fabric count (holes per inch = stitches per inch)
Design Size for evenweave = number of stitches (across or high), / stitches per inch (usually this will be one half of the fabric count, e.g. if you are stitching on 28ct linen, this number will be 14).
 

To find the count of the fabric needed
If you want a design to be sewn as a certain size:
Divide the width or the height in inches into the number of stitches that the design is wide or high, and you will get the count of fabric you need.  Remember - if you calculate the width, the height might come out differently to what you want.  You usually cannot have the height and width as you want them, as they may not be in the same proportions and the designer laid down.

Count = number of stitches (wide or high) / width or height wanted.  If the answer is 14, you can use 14 count Aida, or 28 evenweave, and get the same result.
 

Example for Linen:  If a design is 210 stitches wide by 150 stitches high, and the design is sewn over 2 on 32 count linen, that is 16 stitches per inch:
the linen will have a width of: 210 / (32/2)  or  210 / 16 =  13.125"  or 13 1/8",
and the height will be 150 / (32/2)  or 150 / 16 =  9.375"  or 9 3/8"

Example for Aida:  If a design is 210 stitches wide by 150 stitches high, and the design is sewn over 1 on 16 count Aida,
the Aida will have a width of: 210 / (16/1)  or 210 / 16 =  13.125"  or 13 1/8"
and the height will be 150 / (16/1)  or 150 / 16 =  9.375"  or 9 3/8"

You will see that you need the same size piece of 16 count Aida as you would for a 32 count linen, for the same design.

Changing Fabrics
If you have a design in 32 count that uses 14" by 10 1/2" of linen, you might want to sew it on 28 count instead.  The long way round is to calculate the number of stitches from the 32 count size and then calculate the 28 count size from the above formula.  It is easier to do this:

Width multiplied by (old count/new count) if sewn over the same number of threads. And the same for the height. Or again, width multiplied by (old stitches per inch / new stitches per inch).

Remember that if 32 count and 16 count require the same size of material, converting from 32 to 14 count is NOT  size x 32/14.  Use the number of stitches per inch.
32 to 14 conversion is normally:  width x 16 / 14

Useful Note:
Remember that as the count gets smaller, the finished size gets larger.  So, if you calculate it and the answer gets smaller instead of larger, reverse your ratio.

If the size on 32 count was 15" by 10 1/2", the size on 28 count will be 16" x 12".

If the size on 32 count was 15" by 10 1/2", the size on 16 count will be the same, and the size on 14 count will be 16" by 12" (the same as the 28 count).

Please note:
1  Not all stitching on linen is done over 2 threads!  Check your instructions first.
2  The above gives the finished size of the design, but you need about an extra 3" all round for holding, framing, etc. for the fabric cut size, or you may decide to have a broader boarder. So, if your design size is 11" x 20", you would need a piece of fabric at least 17" x 26".
3. There are linens from 36 count down to 16 count, so check what the 16 or 18 count material is, Aida or evenweave.
4. Where the word 'linen' has been used above, evenweave may be substituted.
5. If you do not know the size of the design, count the little squares on the chart.  Each one represents a stitch.  Also, most charts have a thicker line every ten stitches, so count in tens across and up, and add the two or three stitches at each end if any.