16 Count Wheat Rustico Aida Cloth Precut Cross Stitch Fabric 19x21 in by Zweigart 3321/54

Stitch on Wheat, a 16 count Rustico Aida cloth by Zweigart: a natural wheat-colored Aida with an oatmeal speckle from its linen slub fibers. A coloured ground saves stitching a full background and sets the mood of the piece.

A little stitcher's folklore: girls once worked a sampler as a school exercise, stitching alphabets and numbers on linen before they embroidered anything for the house, and many of those samplers survive in museums today.

Why this fabric: Rustico Aida blends cotton with linen, so it has a natural, flecked look while keeping the easy counting blocks of Aida. This shade suits rustic, farmhouse and primitive designs.

In the pack: one precut piece of Zweigart Rustico Aida, a cotton and linen blend, 16 count (6.4 squares per cm), in Wheat. Not included: chart, floss, needle and hoop, sold separately.

Getting started: overcast or tape the edges, fold to find the centre and stitch one cross over each block with a size 24 or 26 tapestry needle, using two strands of floss. Wash finished work by hand in cool water and press face down on a towel.

Size: 48 x 53 cm (19 x 21 in). Stitched one cross per block with a 2 in margin all round, it fits a design of about 235 x 265 stitches. Large enough for a framed picture, or cut it down for cards, bookmarks and ornaments.