Key Concepts

X-Stitch Tracker is built around a few core ideas. Understanding what each one means will help you get the most out of the app.

Abbreviations and terminology

Some common abbreviations and terms in the cross-stitching community used in X-Stitch Tracker:

• WIP: Work in Progress
• UFO: Unfinished Object. Usually in reference to a project you will probably never work on again.
• FFO: Fully Finished Object. The stitching is done AND the item has been finished for display. Could be framed, made into a pillow, or a number of different options.
• Kit Up: (verb) When you gather you pattern, fabric, and fibers for a project
• Kitted: (noun) A project that pattern fabric, and fibers gathered together
• Fabric Count: The number of stitches per inch in a fabric
• Strands: Many fibers come in multiple strands plied together. These strands are usually separated and stitched using 1, 2, or 3 strands held together.
• X Strands Over Y Threads: The number of strands of fiber you are using (X) and how many threads of fabric you are stitching over (Y). On Aida and lower counts of fabric, this is usually over 1 thread. On Evenweave or Linen, it can be 1 or 2. This article has a good explanation and diagrams.

Stash

Your stash is the collection of all the fibers, patterns, and fabric you own. In X-Stitch Tracker, your stash is the heart of the app — everything else, from starting a project to planning what to buy next, connects back to what’s in it.

Fiber Collections

Within a brand, fibers are organized into collections. A collection represents a specific product line — for example, DMC makes standard 6-strand embroidery floss (their most common product), but they also make Perle Cotton in several sizes, Étoile, and more. Each of these is a separate collection.

Other brands have their own collections too. Rainbow Gallery, for example, makes Petite Treasure Braid and Silk Lamé among others.

When you’re adding fibers to your stash or looking something up, knowing the collection helps you find the right product quickly — especially for brands with large and varied ranges. If a brand or collection you use isn’t in the database, you can add it yourself.

Fibers

Fibers are the threads you stitch with. X-Stitch Tracker lets you track your entire fiber stash — what you have, how many of each, and where they’re stored.

The app comes with over 10,000 fibers pre-loaded across many brands and types, so you can quickly find and add what you own without typing everything in from scratch. If a fiber you’re looking for isn’t in the database, you can add it yourself.

Patterns

A pattern is a design in your stash — something you own or plan to stitch one day. Your pattern stash is a record of all the patterns you’ve collected, along with details like the designer, stitch dimensions, floss colors, and where your copy lives (physical, digital, or both).

The app comes with over 13,000 patterns pre-loaded from popular designers, so you may find yours already there. You can also add your own.

If a pattern came as a kit — with fabric included — you can mark it as a kit and assign the fabric to it directly on the pattern.

Patterns are the starting point for projects — every project is built around one pattern.

Fabric

Fabric is what you stitch on. X-Stitch Tracker lets you track your fabric stash so you always know what you have and where it is.

Each fabric entry stores details like the brand, type (Aida, Linen, Evenweave, etc.), color, count, and size. When you start a project, you can pull fabric directly from your stash or create a new fabric entry on the spot. If you’re cutting from a larger piece, the app helps you figure out where to cut and tracks what’s left over.

Locations

Locations are where your stuff lives. You define them yourself to match how you actually store things — a drawer, a bin, a shelf, a binder. Once set up, you can assign a location to any fiber, fabric, or pattern in your stash so you can always find it.

Locations also play a role when you finish a project and return materials to your stash — the app will ask where each item should go.

Projects

A project is an active or completed stitching piece. Each project links together one pattern, one fabric, and one or more fibers — everything you need to stitch it.

Beyond the materials, a project can also track:

• Status — where you are in the process (New, Partially Kitted, Kitted, WIP, UFO, Finished, FFO, or Gifted)
• Progress updates — stitch count updates and progress photos as you go
• Deadlines — target dates if you’re working toward something
• Design and fabric size — calculated automatically from your pattern dimensions and fabric count

Kit Up

Kit Up is a feature that helps you pull together everything you need to start a project. With one tap, the app compares the fibers listed on your pattern against what you already have in your stash and shows you exactly what you’re missing. Anything you don’t have gets added to your shopping list automatically, so you know what to buy before you sit down to stitch.

Shopping List

The shopping list is where you track fibers, fabrics, and patterns you still need to buy. Items can be added manually or generated automatically when you Kit Up a project. The list is organized by project, so you can see at a glance what you need for each one. There’s also a Stash Building category for items you want to pick up that aren’t tied to a specific project. Once you’ve bought something and added it to your stash, you can check it off or remove it from the list.

Plans

Plans are a way to set goals for your projects and keep your stitching on track. The app currently offers two planning tools:

• WIPGO — set up your projects on a BINGO-style board and let randomly called numbers dictate what you work on. Play along with the official WIPGO calls from Jessie Marie Does Stuff or create your own boards and do your own thing. Your board, your rules!
• Temperature Stitching — assign a project to each digit 0–9 and let the daily high (or low) temperature dictate what you stitch that day.

More planning tools are on the way.

Adding your own data

The app’s built-in database covers a wide range of patterns, designers, brands, fibers, and fabrics — but it doesn’t have everything. If something you’re looking for isn’t there, you can add it yourself.

Anything you add is private to your account. Other users won’t see it, and it won’t appear in search results for anyone else. Over time, entries you’ve added may be reviewed by an admin and approved for inclusion in the community database, where they’d become available to all users — but that happens separately and won’t affect your own stash or projects either way.