# [Plan a repeated border on table linen](https://threadcabin.com/explore/432/plan-a-repeated-border-on-table-linen)

> Reserve corners and finishing margins before fitting repeated motifs along the straight sides.

- Canonical page: https://threadcabin.com/explore/432/plan-a-repeated-border-on-table-linen
- Language: en
- Published: 2026-09-25T17:26:35.6662803+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-25T17:26:40.2108687+00:00
- Craft: Embroidery
- Primary image: [Plan a repeated border on table linen — example diagram](https://threadcabin.com/images/learning/b08-plan.png)

Reserve corners and finishing margins before fitting repeated motifs along the straight sides.

## Before you start

Have the chart key, chart width and height, fabric thread count and threads crossed by each stitch. Keep floss strands separate from fabric threads.

## How to do it

1. **Fit complete embroidery border repeats** — A 24 cm run fits five 4 cm motifs with 1 cm gaps between them: 5 × 4 + 4 × 1 = 24 cm. There are four internal gaps, not five.
2. **Plan embroidered border corners** — Choose whether corners are separate motifs, mirrored turns or continuous repeats. Reserve their chart dimensions before dividing the remaining sides into repeats.
3. **Add finishing margins without enlarging the stitched design** — A 140 × 98-stitch design at 14 count over one measures 25.4 × 17.78 cm. A chosen 5 cm margin on every side needs 35.4 × 27.78 cm of fabric.
4. **Test cleaning before washing embroidery** — Choose cleaning from the least tolerant component, including ground, thread, markings and embellishments. Valuable or fragile historical work needs a conservator’s assessment rather than a home-wash experiment.

## Try this example

A 24 cm straight run with 4 cm motifs and at least 1 cm between motifs fits five motifs with 1 cm gaps. Plan each corner separately and verify the last-to-first relationship around the whole linen.

## Check your result

- Count from two independent reference points before filling a large area. Verify the outer stitched dimensions on the actual ground; include finishing fabric separately.
- Changing fabric count changes physical size, not chart complexity. Fractional stitches, mixed scales and non-square grounds need explicit chart instructions.

## Sources

- [rsnstitchbank.org: cross stitch](https://rsnstitchbank.org/stitch/cross-stitch)
- [rsnstitchbank.org: counted thread](https://rsnstitchbank.org/technique/counted-thread)

[Browse editable craft templates](/crafts?craft=embroidery)

[Report a correction](/corrections).

## Sources and provenance

- [Fit complete embroidery border repeats](https://threadcabin.com/explore/76/fit-complete-embroidery-border-repeats)
- [Plan embroidered border corners](https://threadcabin.com/explore/266/plan-embroidered-border-corners)
- [Add finishing margins without enlarging the stitched design](https://threadcabin.com/explore/73/add-finishing-margins-without-enlarging-the-stitched-design)
- [Test cleaning before washing embroidery](https://threadcabin.com/explore/339/test-cleaning-before-washing-embroidery)
- [Border repeat planner](https://threadcabin.com/tools/border-repeat-planner)
- [Fabric count, stitch size, and thread coverage](https://threadcabin.com/explore/6/fabric-count-stitch-size-and-thread-coverage)

## [Border repeat planner](https://threadcabin.com/tools/border-repeat-planner)

Fit complete motifs along a straight border and distribute the remaining space.

Measure only the straight run available to complete motifs. Choose whether gaps belong between motifs only or also at both ends.  The result gives whole motifs and the redistributed actual gap; reserve corners separately before entering the run length.

The planner fits the largest whole number of motifs that preserves the minimum gap. Remaining length is shared either only between motifs or equally across both ends and every internal gap.

- Available border length: 24 cm
- Motif width: 4 cm
- Minimum gap: 1 cm
- Gap distribution: Gaps between motifs