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Finding the Centre of the Pattern and Fabric

Match the middle of the chart to the middle of the fabric so the design ends up centred with even margins.

Beginner5 min

Materials and tools

Check the fabric is big enough: design size plus at least 2 in (5 cm) on each side.
Fold the fabric in half top to bottom and pinch the fold lightly. Do not press a hard crease.
Fold it in half again side to side and pinch. The corner where the folds meet is the centre.
Mark that point with a pin, or run a line of large basting stitches along each fold in sewing thread. You will pull these out at the end.
On the chart, follow the top centre arrow down and the side centre arrow across to where they meet.
Start stitching at that square. If the centre square is empty, count from it to the nearest symbol and begin there.

On larger pieces, basting a grid line every 10 squares makes counting much easier.

The design ran off the edge of the fabric

The fabric was cut too small or stitching started in a corner. Always start from the centre on your first pieces.