Frequently Asked Questions

A digital cross-stitch chart as a PDF file — the instructions for stitching the design. It is not a kit and not a finished piece. No fabric, no threads, nothing is posted to you. You buy the chart and gather the materials yourself.

• a full-colour chart
• a black-and-white symbol chart of the same design
• a complete DMC thread key with shade numbers, symbols and blend recipes where blends are used
• stitch count and finished sizes for different fabric counts
• fabric recommendations

Some patterns also include a page of backstitch notes.

English and Ukrainian at the moment. Other language versions are being prepared. The language is stated on each pattern page, so please check it before buying.

Worth knowing: the chart itself is symbols and DMC numbers, which read the same in any language. The language only affects the notes and the headings in the key.

Yes. Every pattern is drawn by me by hand, from the first sketch to the finished PDF. Nothing is auto-converted from a photograph by software.

Because if two shades can't be told apart on the fabric in daylight, one of them is redundant. Charts generated automatically from photos often carry 60–80 shades where 35 would look identical once stitched. A shorter palette means fewer thread changes, fewer mix-ups and a calmer project.

That's the stitch count — the width and height of the design in stitches. It's the single most useful number on the page: it tells you the finished size, and it's the best predictor of how long the project will take. Every pattern page lists the finished size for 14, 16 and 18 ct so you don't have to do the maths.

They're my honest assessment of each design:

• Beginner — full cross stitch only, small palette, no fine detail.
• Intermediate — a larger palette, some backstitch, a bigger area to cover.
• Advanced — high stitch count, 30+ shades, blends, French knots, single-strand backstitch.

On Etsy — every pattern page here has a direct link to its listing — or through Instagram by direct message. Buying straight from this website is planned but not available yet.

Immediately. The file appears in your Etsy account under Purchases and reviews → Downloads as soon as payment is confirmed. It isn't sent as an email attachment.

It stays in your account permanently, so you can re-download it whenever you like, from any device.

Three things to check, in order:

• Look in Purchases and reviews on Etsy — that's where the file is, not in your inbox.
• If you're on a phone, open etsy.com in a browser rather than the Etsy app — the app can't download digital files.
• If you paid by PayPal or card, give it a few minutes for the payment to clear.

If the file still isn't there an hour after payment, message me on Etsy or write to contact@stitch-stories.com and I'll sort it out.

Yes, but not through the Etsy app — Etsy doesn't allow digital downloads there. Open etsy.com in your phone's browser, sign in, and go to Purchases and reviews.

Send me a direct message telling me which pattern you'd like. I'll confirm the price, tell you how to pay, and send the file straight to you once payment goes through.

On Etsy — whatever Etsy supports in your country: card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Etsy gift cards, and in some markets Klarna. Payment is handled entirely by Etsy and I never see your card details.

Prices are shown in US dollars; Etsy converts to your currency at checkout. Some countries add VAT or sales tax on digital goods — Etsy calculates it and shows it before you pay. Nothing is ever added by me afterwards.

Yes, but not by buying it and forwarding the file — the licence covers one person, so passing the PDF on isn't allowed even as a present.

Two clean ways instead: buy an Etsy gift card so the recipient chooses their own pattern, or send me a message and I'll arrange for the pattern to be delivered to them directly.

Regularly — see the Special offers section. New patterns often go out at a launch price for their first weeks. Subscribers to the newsletter hear about it first.

Write to me and ask. It depends on what you have in mind and what I have room for at the time, but I'd rather hear the idea than have you assume the answer is no.

Any PDF reader. Adobe Acrobat Reader is free; Preview on a Mac, and the built-in viewers in Chrome, Edge and Safari all work fine, as does any phone or tablet PDF app. Nothing to buy, nothing special to install.

Yes — as many copies as you need for your own stitching. The PDF is laid out for A4 and Letter. Large charts are split across several pages with an overlap and alignment marks, so they tape together without guesswork.

Print at A3, or set a scale in the print dialog — 130% is a good starting point. The chart itself doesn't change, only the size it prints at.

One thing to avoid: "Fit to page". It rescales unpredictably and different pages of the same chart can end up at slightly different sizes. Choose "Actual size" or a specific percentage instead.

Yes. Printing for your own stitching is exactly what the licence is for, and handing the file to a print shop for that purpose is fine — just don't leave a copy with them or send the file on to anyone else.

Whichever suits you — both are in every file, so it costs nothing to try both. A common approach: keep the colour chart open on a tablet for reference and work from the printed black-and-white one, crossing off finished areas with a pencil or highlighter.

The black-and-white version also saves a lot of ink on large charts.

Plenty of people do, and it's kinder to the eyes because you can zoom right in on a section. If you like tracking progress, use a PDF app that lets you draw or highlight on the page.

If you bought on Etsy it's still there — Purchases and reviews → Downloads, permanently, no time limit. If you bought through Instagram, write to me and I'll resend it.

• Aida fabric (or evenweave) in the count recommended on the pattern page
• DMC embroidery floss in the shades listed in the key
• a blunt tapestry needle
• a hoop or a frame
• small sharp scissors

The key lists every shade number, so you can take it straight to the craft shop.

The recommended count is on every pattern page — usually 14 or 16 ct Aida. In general:

• 14 ct — bigger stitches, bigger finished piece, easiest on the eyes. The friendliest place to start.
• 16 ct — a good middle ground; noticeably finer without being difficult.
• 18 ct — smallest and finest, best for detailed designs, hardest to see in poor light.

Divide the stitch count by the fabric count. A 151-stitch-wide design on 14 ct: 151 ÷ 14 = 10.8 inches, about 27.4 cm.

Every pattern page already lists the finished size for 14, 16 and 18 ct, in both centimetres and inches.

Add at least 5 cm (2 in) of margin on every side beyond the finished size — 8 cm if you plan to frame or stretch the piece. Fabric is the cheapest part of the project, and running short is the one mistake that can't be fixed later.

Yes. Work over two threads, and the count halves: 28 ct evenweave gives the same finished size as 14 ct Aida, and 32 ct matches 16 ct.

No. If DMC isn't easy to find where you are, use a free conversion chart — search for "DMC to Anchor conversion chart" or "DMC to Madeira". Shades will differ a little, but the picture holds.

One caution: in areas where several close shades sit side by side, check the conversion carefully. Charts sometimes map two different DMC numbers onto the same substitute, which flattens exactly the detail you were stitching.

Two strands for full cross stitch on 14 and 16 ct. On 18 ct, one or two depending on how solid you want the coverage. Backstitch is usually one strand, and two where the pattern calls for a heavier outline — that's noted in the file.

Two different DMC shades threaded together in the needle, one strand of each, making a colour that doesn't exist as a single skein. It's how you get a soft transition without adding three more shades to the palette. The key gives the exact recipe for every blend used.

Small raised knots used for eyes, berries, flower centres and similar details. They add texture that flat stitches can't.

If you'd rather not, substitute a single small cross stitch or a tiny bead — the design still reads perfectly well, it just sits flatter.

A tapestry needle size 24 for 14 ct, size 26 for 16 and 18 ct. The tip should be blunt — it slips between the fabric threads rather than piercing them.

From the centre. Fold the fabric in half both ways to find the middle; the centre of the chart is marked with arrows on the edges. Working outward from the centre is what keeps a large design from drifting off the fabric — the most common way a first big project goes wrong.

Stitch count is the honest guide:

• a mini around 30×30 — an evening or two
• around 100×100 — roughly 20–30 hours
• 150×150 with 30+ shades — several weeks of evenings

Backstitch and French knots add time beyond the stitch count, so an advanced design takes longer than its size alone suggests.

The Mini collection: compact designs, 8–10 colours, full cross stitch only, no advanced techniques. You can finish one in an evening or two, which matters more than it sounds — the first finished piece is what makes the second one happen.

The listing photos show the colour chart, the symbol chart and the DMC key, so you can judge how readable the symbols are, how the palette looks and how fine the detail gets. Stitch count, number of colours, difficulty level and finished sizes are all listed on the page too.

Anything marked Advanced: high stitch counts, 30+ shades, blends, French knots and single-strand backstitch. They're lovely, and they'll still be there in six months — a first project that takes three months tends not to get finished.

Please do. Tell me your experience level, how much time you want to spend and where the piece will hang, and I'll point you at something that fits. I'd far rather answer ten questions than have you buy the wrong pattern.

Yes. Pieces you have stitched yourself may be sold — online, at fairs, on commission, made to order, in any quantity.

One condition: credit the design as "Pattern: Stitching Stories by Alina" in the listing, on the label or on the tag. This is required, not optional.

No. The licence covers one person — the one who bought it. That includes family and close friends, and it includes two people stitching from a single purchased file. If someone wants the pattern, send them the link to it.

No — the licence is for individual use only. That covers paid and free workshops, courses, lessons, schools and clubs, and it covers printing copies of the chart for a group.

Yes, please do — it's my favourite part. You can show a small fragment of the chart in the shot, up to about 5% of it: not a full page, and not enough for someone to stitch from.

Tag me and I may reshare your finished piece on the site or in my socials, always crediting you. If you'd rather I didn't, just say so.

No. Redrawing, recolouring, converting or adapting the design and presenting it as a new chart is copyright infringement, however much is changed. The same goes for feeding the files or images into AI or machine-learning tools.

On the Terms of Use page — written to be read, not to be scrolled past.

Patterns are digital files with instant access, so once a file has been downloaded it can't be returned and a refund isn't possible. That's standard for digital goods everywhere.

There are three situations where I do step in, all set out on the Returns page — and if something's genuinely wrong with a file, fixing it matters more to me than the policy does.

Write to me within 3 days of purchase with your order number (or a screenshot of the order) and a description or screenshot of what's wrong. I check it, correct the chart if the error is mine, and send you the corrected file. You end up with the pattern you wanted, working properly.

It happens more often than you'd think. Send proof of both purchases and I'll refund the duplicate.

Write to me before you open the file. If it hasn't been downloaded, I can cancel the order and refund it — but once it's downloaded that's no longer possible, so get in touch straight away.

The language of each file is stated on its pattern page — currently English or Ukrainian, with more in progress — so it isn't grounds for a refund. But the chart itself is symbols and DMC numbers, which work in any language, and if a note has you stuck, write to me and I'll translate it for you.

That's not something I can refund — stitch count, colour count, difficulty and finished size are all on the page before you buy. But do write to me. Often a design that feels impossible is just being approached in the wrong order, and there's usually a way through it.

Yes. Some are free to download directly from the site, and subscribers receive free patterns by email.

They come under exactly the same licence as paid ones — personal use, no sharing. Free to get doesn't mean free to pass on.

New patterns, free patterns and the occasional stitching tip. Nothing daily, nothing automated at you.

I collect your email address and nothing else, you confirm the subscription by clicking a link, and every email has a one-click unsubscribe. Your address is never passed to anyone.

• About an order — an Etsy message is best, it keeps the order attached to the conversation
• Anything else — contact@stitch-stories.com
• Instagram — @stiching_stories_from_alina

I answer within 48–72 hours, and it's genuinely me answering.

Very little: your email address if you subscribe, and anonymous analytics if you've agreed to analytics cookies. No advertising, no tracking pixels, no profiles, nothing sold to anyone. The detail is in the Privacy Policy and on the Cookies page.

Please do — it's the best part of doing this. Send it by email or tag me on Instagram. With your permission I may share it, always crediting you, and you can ask me to take it down at any time.