Where to Start

It can be overwhelming when you first open X-Stitch Tracker, and you wonder where you should start. Should you enter all your stash in first? Should you start with projects? Does stash have to be entered before projects?

Basic Settings

The first thing I recommend doing is going to Settings and set up some basic things to make using the app easier for you.

1. Open the menu by clicking on the 3 bars in the upper left
2. Click on Settings

If you prefer to use centimeters or prefer the date format like 5 Jan 2026:

3. Click on General
4. Select the appropriate options

Set your Favorites:

5. From the main Settings menu, click Favorites under Fibers
6. If you primarily use certain brands and collections, select those. Most stitchers will probably want to favorite DMC or CXC, and the associated 6-Strand Embroidery Floss collection.

You can also set Favorite Pattern Designers, Fabric Brands, Fabric Types, and Fabric Colors if you choose.

Now what?

There’s no one right way to get started. The right way for you will depend on what is most important to you, and what you want to get up and running with quickly.

So first decide: What part of X-Stitch Tracker do I want to use the most right now?

• Tracking What I Own
• Tracking My Projects or Progress on Projects
• Plans / WIPGO / Temperature Stitching

Tracking What I Own

If your primary goal for now is to see what you own and what you might need to purchase, you’re going to start with stash.

The quickest way to enter fiber stash is to do each type of thread at a time. If you store your fiber in multiple places, go location by location.

Use the Add to Stash button on the Fiber Stash screen and select the Brand and Collection for the type of thread you are entering. Use the method that is best for you:

• enter numbers (or names if there are no numbers)
• select from a list of checkboxes
• add an entire set of fibers from the collection (only do this if you do, indeed, have the entire set. There is no undo for this.)

About locations:

• You can create as many locations as you want, named whatever you want
• Use names that will remind you exactly where to find this fiber

You can choose to enter all your fibers, or just the ones you use the most and then come back later to enter the rest. For example, if you primarily use DMC but use some specialty flosses for certain projects, you can wait to add the specialty flosses until you add those specific projects.

With your fiber stash entered, you’re ready to kit up projects using any of the three methods. (See Three Ways to Kit Your Projects).

You can continue to add your patterns and fabrics to your stash if you want, or you can jump to projects. Patterns and fabrics can be added as you create your projects in the app.

Tracking My Projects

If you want to jump right in with project without setting up your stash first, you can!

You do not need to add patterns to your stash before creating projects.

From the Projects screen, click the New Start button.

Search the pattern database. If you pattern isn’t in the database, you can add it.

Under Stitching Setup, choose Add New Fabric and enter the details.

If you are substituting any fibers from the pattern’s called-for, scroll down to the Fibers section and handle that now.

When you Save the project and are asked how you want to kit your fibers, you need to consider how you stitch.

If you keep all your flosses with your project, separate from a shared stash

In this case, you want to use Floss in Hand. You’ll be given a check list of the fibers in your project.

If the project is already fully kitted up, you can just Select All.

If the project is only partially kitted up, select the fibers that you have with the project already. Anything NOT checked off will be added to your shopping list, so you’ll remember to buy them.

If you stitch from a shared stash or master set

In this case, you want to use Stitch From Stash.

This will automatically look at your stash (which is empty) and add any missing fibers to your shopping list (which will be all of them).

Now you can go to your shopping list and check off the fibers you know you have. If you know you have all of them, you can check them all off. Click Save on the shopping list. Now those fibers will be automatically added to your Fiber Stash AND your project.

Continue with the next project.

WIPGO / Temperature Stitching / Plans

Before you can set up any games or plans, you need to have projects. So go back to the Tracking My Projects section, and start there!