Planning the design When working a design onto an aida panel a little extra care needs to be taken. If the panel is square then it will be easy to count the blocks and check that the design will fit. However, if the shape is more complicated or continues onto a shaped border, you will need to make your own chart on graph paper first to be sure it will fit. First of all you should count the blocks on the aida panels and mark them out carefully on graph paper. The design can then be sketched accurately and the border design adapted if necessary to fit around corners. Ready-made items These are made with aida panels woven into the fabric ready for your cross stitch design. Each piece of tablelinen has a different layout - some have borders, others a centre panel and a few have both. Look out for these favourite brands in your needlecraft shop (these are UK stockists): * Zweigart - DMC stockists tel +44(0)116 2571759 * Rico - available from MacLeod Craft Marketing stockists - tel +44(0)1505 612618 for stockists details * Fabric Flair - Fabric Flair stockists - tel +44(0)1985 214 466 for stockists details How to stitch on ready-made items It is not essential to stitch the whole aida panel, but the design has to look right on your chosen item. The stitch count of the aida panel will vary on the make of the table linen, but usually is about 10-14 stitches to the inch. Use three or four strands of cotton for the 10-11 count fabrics and two or three strands when stitching on 12-14 count pieces. Plain fabrics If you would rather start your tablelinen from scratch, you will find that many evenweave fabrics can be bought in larger pieces to make tablelinen. Most of the fabrics are available in widths of to 140cm (55in) wide. Fabrics such as Belfast, Dublin and Cork linens make beautiful table runners, napkins or tablecloths for very special occasions. Cotton/viscose mix fabrics, such as Jobelan and Linda are great for every day usage. These fabrics are all made from plain weave and are available in a wide range of colours. Design from The World of Cross Stitching issue 44 Making your choice Whether you choose a ready-made tablecloth or buy fabric to make your own is very much a personal choice, but there are several factors to consider. Plain fabric has no restrictions on the shape or size but it can take a little consideration to decide where to put the stitching and to work out border designs. Ready-made products have distinct areas for stitching, but this can limit the size of the design you are able to stitch onto them. So, it really is just a matter of choosing the best sort of product for the type of design you want to stitch and the way the item is going to be used. If you want to have a go at stitching tablelinen, visit a good needlecraft shop to see all the different option that are available to you before making your final choice. If you're looking for tablelinen, select our Buyers Guide and discover a complete listing of Stitching RETAILERS and MAIL ORDER Companies. For all your stitching needs, whether hoops, fabric, threads, kits or needles ... you'll be able to find what you're looking for at the click of your mouse!