Today, I’d like to share with you another embroidered monogram from the Delicate Spray alphabet – this one is an N and it’s just lovely!
And then, for the fun of it, I’ll add the next three letters for the alphabet – P, Q, and R.
Nupur Heise, who blogs about her needlework over at The Song of My Needle, embroidered the N from the Delicate Spray alphabet on a day when she just wanted something to stitch. And that’s one thing I really love about monograms. They are elegant. They are beautiful. And they are usually manageable, as far as time is concerned.
Because monograms are generally small, they can be stitched in a (relatively) short amount of time, and at the end of that time, you have something that is lovely, something that is personal and endearing. Something that will withstand the Test of Time. And there aren’t too many “quick” embroidery projects that fit into all those categories!
Nupur used one strand of regular cotton DMC floss on cotton muslin with a #12 crewel needle. Everything is worked in satin stitch, except the stem stitch stems. And the results are lovely!
Embroiderers in general and sampler lovers especially will enjoy The Song of My Needle. I love this Margret Gatis Sampler that Nupur completed in March – the pictures are fantastic!
The next three letters up in the alphabet are P, Q, and R. The P is one of those scripty P’s that are slim at the top. It’s a Pretty P.
Looking at the Q, you can see why either the O or the Q could be eliminated from the alphabet, as we discussed last time we looked at M, N and O.
It’s often the Q that’s eliminated, though. If I were going to eliminate one or the other, I’d eliminate the O. It’s easier to remove that little extra swash on the Q and end up with an O than it is to draw in a well-proportioned, matching swash to create a Q!
And last but not least, the R.
I’m not sure what the most commonly embroidered monograms are, but I’d guess M and R are pretty high up on the list.
I don’t know why I think about these kinds of things (does it really matter, after all?), but I do!
Monograms for Hand Embroidery – Printables
Here are the PDFs for today’s monograms. The letters will print at 1.5″, 3″ and 4″ high if you choose no scaling (or a similar setting) on your printer. You can enlarge and reduce them by using the scaling feature on your printer or by using a photocopier.
Monogram for Hand Embroidery – Delicate Spray P (PDF)
Monogram for Hand Embroidery – Delicate Spray Q (PDF)
Monogram for Hand Embroidery – Delicate Spray R (PDF)
Favorite Monograms – PDF Collection
You’ll find this complete alphabet – along with 15 other decorative alphabets – all in one place in Favorite Monograms, a downloadable PDF collection of 16 monogram alphabets perfect for hand embroidery and other crafts.
In the photo above, you can see samples of each alphabet available in Favorite Monograms.
Each letter in each alphabet in Favorite Monograms has been carefully traced into a clean line drawing that can be easily enlarged or reduced on a home printer or a photocopier.
The 16-alphabet collection is delivered as via a download link to your inbox shortly after purchase, so that you can begin creating right away! Priced at less than $1.00 per complete alphabet, monogram lovers can’t go wrong with this collection!
Favorite Monograms is available in my shop, here.
I’ve recently (over the last couple of years) taken up hand embroidery. I’m wondering how you organize and store all of your embroidery threads. I’ve inherited my mother-in-law’s stash and everything is in ziploc bags. It’s a LOT of thread. Do you have any suggestions for me?
Belinda
Hi, Belinda – I use Bisley collectors cabinets for most of my threads. You can find several posts on thread organization here on Needle ‘n Thread, under this link: https://needlenthread.wpengine.com/tag/organization Hope that helps! ~MC
Hi,
Long time reader, thankyou so much for being so open and sharing with your skills and knowledge 🙂
I have a bit of a tricky question I’m afraid – I’m trying to track down the metallic braid used in this post:https://needlenthread.wpengine.com/2012/09/i-dont-stitch-with-this.html – the ‘Au Ver a Soie’s #16 metallic braid’ thread.
I just can’t seem to find anyone selling a thread called that that looks anything like the photo – could you let me know if there’s another name for it or where you purchased it from?
If it’s been ages and you don’t have the spool anymore, that’s understandable – it’s an older post!
Thankyou,
MJ
Hi, MJ – This is a metallic braid from Au Ver a Soie. It actually comes in some 150 colors, in several different sizes. If you know of someone Down Under who imports Au Ver a Soie threads (Soie d’Alger, Soie de Paris, etc.), then they may have it, or they may be able to get it for you. Hope that helps! ~MC
Dear Mary
I do like the N monogram from the Delicate Spray alphabet, there are lots of ways to embroider this and I really like Nupur’s N sampler. Thanks for sharing the Delicate Spray alphabet and for the free patterns. I hope you have a good weekend.
Regards Anita Simmance
Merci pour ces belles lettres, et merci pour le lien cité qui est superbe en broderie.
à bientôt
Good morning, Mrs. Corbet. Forgive me, but I have another one of those stupid questions that most people could probably find out looking on their own… Are their rules for using colored threads in monograms for a couple? I already read the article for the placement of the initials, and I’m just wondering if any guidelines are typically followed in color choices. Sorry if it’s dumb. Have a grate day!
No, not at all. Color choices would vary depending on whether you’re trying to match a color scheme in a room, or what have you. -MC
Thanks, Mrs. Corbet.
Hello Mary,
is it ok the back of the embroidery to be visible on napkins, table runners and etc ? Is this monogram stiched onto a handkerchief ?
Yes, it’s ok. On most table cloths, handkerchiefs, cloth napkins, and pretty much all household linens, the back of the embroidery is visible. No, this monogram is stitched on a piece of cotton -I don’t know if she is planning to make it into something else or not.
Thank you again dear Mary;
The R is so popular because of all the people embroidering lovely things to give to me. 🙂
I’m sure you’re exactly right, Robin! 🙂
Dear Marie
Thank you, Thank you for the rest of the alphabet and always for easy printing, I always look for a way to achieve otherwise.
Beautiful work, as ususl, Nupur!! Very nice to find your blog, as well.
The ‘M’ and the ‘R’ are ones that I would use a lot, simply because of my name. I am planning to use this ‘R’ on a project I’m doing for my son and daughter-in-love. It’s perfect!
Thank you for providing these letters, I would like to use them to stitch a whit work monogram of my husband’s and my initials for our 25th anniversary next year, do you know of a good book or website with design tips?
Dear Mary and Everyone else,
Thanks for posting this initial attempt and mentioning my blog, Mary.
Thank you all for your kind comments and good wishes!
The beauty of old monograms is unsurpassed and showed tremendous skill. I am glad that I decided to just ‘go ahead and try’ my hand at it without much study… I will definitely be working on this needlework technique more often in between – it is a nice break from other projects.
Thanks again!
Nupur