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Alignment and Placement Embroidery Tips & Techniques Lettering & Monograms Wearables

Discreet is the Word – Monogramming for Men

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It’s not too late to show your dad how much you care about him. And nothing says it better than stitches. Just remember to keep the embroidery subtle. Here’s a few timely tips on stitching for men.

Materials

If there’s one word to describe monogramming on menswear, it’s discreet; discreet in size and contrast. Now don’t go by my samples – my samples are done for photography – highly contrasting so you can see them well on camera. But when stitched for someone to actually wear, a discreet monogram is the one most gentlemen will be comfortable wearing.

You have several choices when it comes to placing the monogram. Some very popular choices are on the pocket, above the pocket, or on the pocket flap if there is one, on the left cuff, inside the placket between the second and third button or on the placket at the bottom, just below the last button on the top placket and just for identification purposes: inside the collar.

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There are countless ways to arrange the letters but I’ve focused on three versions of the three-letter monogram. The traditional diamond shape: first name initial, last name initial and middle name initial. The two outer letters are proportionally smaller than the middle letter. Diamond

The standard order: first, middle and last initial – all the same size. Standard

On the pocket flap, go for a contemporary approach with the first initial stacked over the middle initial. This ‘tower’ of letters is equal in size to the last initial. Take this approach when the garment is a casual shirt like flannel, worn every day. Contemp

Let’s take a look at how you do it.

Pocket Flap

Find the vertical center of the flap. Place a target sticker just right of the edge of the flap. Hoop sticky stabilizer and place the hoop under the Perfect Alignment Laser. Turn on the laser and center the hoop under the laser. Position the flap on the sticky stabilizer. Smooth the flap on the stabilizer making sure the shirt is not caught under the flap.

Flap1

Support the weight of the shirt while transporting the hoop to the machine. Attach the hoop on the machine and verify the needle is centered over the target sticker. Remove the sticker and embroider the monogram.

Cuff

Button the left cuff and place it on a flat surface. Cuff2

Place the Perfect Placement Kit Cuff template on the cuff, aligning the fold with the template fold line and the topstitching line with the topstitching. Slide a target sticker under the template – use A for sizes small and medium and B for Large and extra-large.

Cuff

Unbutton the sleeve and pull the sleeve inside out. Hoop adhesive stabilizer and center the hoop under the Perfect Alignment Laser. Slide the cuff under the beam, aligning the crosshairs. Attach the hoop to the machine and embroider the monogram.

These small precise monograms take under three minutes to stitch – you could do a whole closetful in an afternoon!

 

Here’s your assignment this week:

What is your most appreciated mens embroidery project? Was it the golf club covers you made for your son-in-law, the personalized seat covers for your husband? Tell us the project that wowed and one comment will be chosen to receive a $25 gift certificate to spend on the DIME website. Thank you for reading and good luck!

Gift-Card

The winner of last week’s assignment is:

If you owned the Scrollwork Alphabet from EmbroideryOnline, where would you stitch the designs? What thread colors would you use? One comment will be randomly selected and will win a copy of Machine Embroidery in 6 Easy Lessons.

And the winners is..Susan M. “Greetings Eileen. I think the showcased monogram would look stunning on a accent pillow for any room in the house.. one or multiple initials. Thanks for sharing.”

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44 COMMENTS

  • Kathy

    My husband love the car cruising shirt I made for him. He would be wearing it every time we took our car out for a show.

  • Mary Simmons

    Boring, I know. A hankie. When I got my first embroidery machine, I was very eager to use it. My supportive husband grabbed his clean hankie from his pocket so I did not have to decide what to embroider and I used a built in design to make things easier. Every time he used the hankie and saw Eeyore, he thought of my evil grin. We had years if laughs before Eeyore was retired!

  • Kim Necaise

    I made matching ice chests, golf towels, can size huggies, and water bottle huggies for my brothers-in-law for Christmas, and golf towels for my husband’s golf buddies, and “daddy’s lil girl/boy” golf towels for sons-in-law. (For those that don’t golf, they use the golf towels on their boat!)

  • Frances Powell

    I embroidered a teddy bear over the last name of a very dear friend from church. He is 92 years old and is a vet and former police officer. When he was on the police force, all of his fellow officers called him teddy bear. So glad to be able to embroider something for someone so very special who has served our country and community.

  • Kay

    My dad had his Stearman bi-plane restored several years ago. Several men helped with the project, as it was practically rebuilt. He asked me to make each of the guys that helped in the restoration a white collared shirt with an embroidered yellow Stearman on the chest, with his plane’s tail number below it. He loved it!! And I got paid to do it! I loved that! 🙂

  • Jennifer Berry

    I monogrammed groomsmens’ initials at the bottom of their seersucker ties for the wedding. They were really sharp looking!

  • Devora Olson

    I recovered the seats and backs of my husband’s golf cart. Clearly the hardest project I’ve ever taken on. The piping actually looked good. I embroidered golf clubs on the seat backs. Luckily I embroidered the design in the right direction because I made one of the backs upside down. The golf clubs facing the right way on the seat backs made the covers look like one of the backs was suppose to be made with the fabric upside down.

  • Jill caperton

    432 Calle vista Torito

  • Jill caperton

    Silk boxers with two entwined hearts

  • Bonnie Gray

    I made embossed mongrams on towels for my sons, they realy loved them. Also did a towel for one of the boys’ dog, embossed with a picture of a boxer. For my husband, I embroidered the logo of his business on his right cuff. That way when he shakes someone’s hand the logo is right there!

  • Rachel Price

    My husband absolutely loved the truck and trailer with his company name I embroidered on the back of his jacket. Then embroidered his names on the left side on the front.

  • Nancy Weber

    One of my first embroidery projects was a shirt for my husband with a deer on one side and a fish on the other. He loved it and in fact still wears it even though it is wearing thin! Hugs.

  • Patty

    Monogrammed fleece blankets with the edges serged in Lana wool!

  • Sylvia

    I made a design to match our angus farm sign, with a running fox and the name of our farm. I used it on shirts for my husband. He gets compliments, when he wears them. This was one of my first projects, when I bought my first embroidery machine almost two years ago.

  • corky

    I embroidered a Bar BQ design on an apron for my future son-in-law. He loves to Bar BQ & I have many pics of him proudly wearing it.

  • Carole D

    I made a monogrammed towel set for a friend’s bathroom as a Christmas present, and every time I visit, the set is displayed on his towel racks.

  • Rosalyn

    I have embroidered on many BBQ aprons for men. I use purchased aprons from Sams’ Club and the guys have loved them. There are many great designs for aprons out there for men.

  • Sandy P

    My hubby loves horses and I embroidered a lovely horse head right above his pocket on his tee shirt.

  • Linda W

    My husband likes to play golf. He loves the golf towels I’ve embroidered for him.

  • Belinda Germain

    Your newsletters are so informative, I would really miss them if you stopped doing them! My favorite item I did for my husband was a shirt I embroidered “Official member of the grumpy old men club”. He actually wears it proudly and gets many comments on it! It has also brought business my way when they ask him where he got it.

  • b tucker

    When I got my machine my husband asked me please to NOT embroider his ANYTHING because he wouldn’t wear it and didn’t want to hurt my feelings. Christmas I couldn’t resist and did him a sweatshirt with and elegant deer silhouette. He loves having crawfish boils so I surprised him with an apron that had a hugh red crawfish on it with a crown on the letter K in the words Crawfish King. He loved it!

  • Barbara Ward

    I embroidered a trout on a denim shirt with fishing flies on the collar points. He loves wearing that shirt and continually gets comments from other men on the embroidery. I really need to do more shirts 🙂 if only I could find the time.
    Barbara

  • Barb Miller

    I made an garden apron for my son. It is his first yard with enough room for a large garden. I made it like a tool belt holder that my husband has. Large pockets, loops and a tie in back.

  • Vicky Isliefson

    I make my husband’s outerwear spring/fall jackets using a MacPhee Workshop No Sweat pattern. On the latest one, I embroidered an Icelandic flag (his heritage) on one sleeve and a replica of a V-8 ford hubcap on the other. Both of these I digitized myself. On the collar, the embroidery consists of only two eyelet holes so he can wear a vintage regimental army cap badge that is similar to the one his uncle wore in WWII. The cap badge does not have a pin, but has two brass loops that fastened to the cap. The eyelets allow these loops to go through the collar so I can put a chain across them on the back to keep the badge on.

  • Beverly Schulte

    I embroidered monogrammed initials on cuffs of dress shirts. Additionally, I put the embroidered logo on boxer shorts of his karate studio as a gag gift. Actually did 2 of them, one with the logo on the front on the left side and one on the right side. He loved them!

  • Cathy

    I made my husband a quilt that is big enough to cover his feet and head at the same time. All the designs are tools/truck/tractor, etc. All items he uses in his work as a general contractor.

  • Shirley Clark

    When my oldest grandson graduated from high school, he brought me his graduation robe to iron. I made him some purple and gold boxer shorts, and I pinned them under the robe so he wouldn’t know they were there until he put on his robe. I wish I could have seen the look on his face!
    He loved them, so of course, I had to make some for the 2nd grandson who graduated. I couldn’t play favorites! LOL

  • Darlene Pino

    Mine is really simple. I got my first embroidery machine, My husband wasn’t at all interested in it until I monogrammed the cuff on one of his dress shirts. I showed it to him and he smiled in approval. I started to embroider a bag, and he comes back in the room with ALL of his dress shirts to be monogrammed! He likes my embroidery machine now!

  • Kristal

    When my husband tore a hole in his favorite shorts, I embroidered a golf design
    to cover the tear. He loves his new “golf shorts!”

  • Colleen Bell

    My son came home from the Army on leave and asked that I make him headrest covers for his Challenger. He wanted the Red Sox, Bruins, and the Patriots logs on them ( 3 sets for the seasons). I measured the rests and made a template. I made them with a thin swimsuit material at my local sewing store with a skinny elastic tie on the bottom. They fit like a glove and he is so proud of them. This is coming from the guy who said that I would never embroider anything for him as guys don’t do embroidery!

  • Doreen

    I monogrammed scarves for my brother’s one Christmas.

  • Sharon Brockhouse

    My husband liked the golf towel with the club distances on it.

  • Sharon

    I embroidered a motorcycle on gray linen using a 5×7 hoop and used the design in a travel tray made of the linen and denim. It was a gift for my husband’s birthday. He loves it and is asking for more personalized gifts.

  • Mary Ann Genre

    I embroidered the name of my son’s boat on seat cushions. He loved them.

  • Elia

    That’s such a great blog! as an embroidery artist I will definitely check this out!
    Thank you, Elia
    https://www.etsy.com/shop/EliaDesigns

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    You have some really good posts and I think I would be a good asset. I’d love to write some material for your blog in exchange for a link back to mine. Please blast me an e-mail if interested. Regards!

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