Hi,
One way to decide on what count fabric to use is to ask yourself, "What size do I want my COMPLETED project, to be?" If you look at a picture you like and tap on the picture, it will take you to the detailed description of the chart; look at "Product Specifications" and it will give you the pattern stitch count width and height.
You will see that this specific pattern count is 400 wide x 299 high. The description does say that on 18-count fabric, this completed pattern stitch count will be 22.2 inches wide by 16.6 inches high. By taking this pattern count width and height, you can take it to the fabric CALCULATOR under the "fabric" heading, insert the pattern count width and height, then insert any fabric count ie. 14, 16, 18, or 22 and it will give you the width and height in inches. REMEMBER to ALWAYS have a minimum of two inches of extra fabric on EACH side for mounting and framing.
On the ECS calculator it tells you how much fabric you need AND tells you how many inches on each side of fabric you will have for mounting and framing.
Some stitchers, like myself, add a minimum of 3-inches each side of extra fabric, but that is my choice.
One nice thing about using the calculator is I can "play" with the different stitch counts to help me decide what fabric count to use to have my completed project a certain size.
For example, I have a pattern that has a stitch count of
350 wide x 350 high and I do it "over one" ( over one square) on 14 count Aida.
My finished pattern size will be: 25" wide x 25" tall.
I do NOT want it that size, it's too big, so I go back to the calculator and insert the number 18 count Aida; now I see that on 18-count Aida my finished pattern size
Will be: 19.4 wide x 19.0 high which is a better size that I want the completed pattern to be. This is what I call 'playing' with the finished pattern size.
Hope this helps. :)