About

Mary Corbet

writer and founder

 

I learned to embroider when I was a kid, when everyone was really into cross stitch (remember the '80s?). Eventually, I migrated to surface embroidery, teaching myself with whatever I could get my hands on...read more

Contact Mary

Connect with Mary

     

Archives

2024 (30) 2023 (125) 2022 (136) 2021 (130) 2020 (132) 2019 (147) 2018 (146) 2017 (169) 2016 (147) 2015 (246) 2014 (294) 2013 (294) 2012 (305) 2011 (306) 2010 (316) 2009 (367) 2008 (352) 2007 (225) 2006 (139)

Free Pattern: Monogram for Hand Embroidery

 

Amazon Books

Since we’re on the subject of hand embroidered monongrams (are you sick of it yet?!), I thought I’d share with you an alphabet! Unfortunately, it has to come in bits and pieces, since it requires a lot of clean-up work!

Here’s the first letter! This is taken from an old publication (1912) called La Broderie Blanche, an old French magazine that sported lots of embroidery patterns. The image is not as clean as I would like, but it does suffice for a pattern!

You can enlarge the monogram or reduce it either on your computer or on a photocopier. An easy way to transfer the monogram onto white fabric is to use a sunny window. Tape the monogram onto a sunny window, tape your fabric over it, and trace it. If you have a light box, it may save your arm a bit!

You can also trace the monogram onto good tracing paper (use red ink), then turn the paper over and trace over the design with either a regular #2 pencil or with a white dressmaker’s pencil (if you’re transfering onto darker fabric). Place the monogram red-ink side up on your fabric where you want it, and use a ball point pen (don’t break through the paper!) and trace back over the monogram. This should transfer your design clearly enough to see it, and then you can go back and touch up if needed.

Anyway, here’s the A. I’ll post the rest of the alphabet as I get it cleaned up.

Free Hand Embroidery Pattern: Monogram, Letter A

Ain’t it perty? I love this alphabet! I like it a lot better than the one I used on my guest towel project; it just lacks the convenience of an iron-on.

As far as embroidering, and what stitches to use, it really depends on your project. If you’re doing something large, like a pillow case or sheets, or something medium-sized like a guest towel, you could outline the letter and fill in with tiny seed stitches, then satin stitch the flower petals and leaves, which would give a nice, light effect, and good contrast in texture and so forth. If you’re doing something small, like a hanky, I’d probably go with overcast (barely padded, if at all) satin stitch. For hankies, the monogram needs to be pretty small, so in reducing this, I think you’d get to the point where you wouldn’t have double lines on some parts of the letter. I think overcasting would work well in areas like that.

If anyone’s positively antsy for a specific letter, let me know! I’ll skip ahead.

For more monogram patterns, please visit my Index of Monograms for Hand Embroidery.

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.

Favorite Monograms 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.

 
 

Leave a Reply to Mary Grace McNamara Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*


(33) Comments

  1. Thank you, Mary for sharing the patterns and since you gave permission, I’ll be the first to put in my request for the “M”.
    ~Susan

    2
  2. Thank you Mary for the detailed instructions on how to transfer monograms on fabric. I will definitely use your method.
    The letter ‘A’ looks so simple and yet dainty. I would love to have the patterns for letters ‘M’, ‘V’ and ‘S’ if it’s not too much of a problem. Greatly appreciate your work!

    3
  3. Mary, thank you for this alphabet. I did go to the site, but all the letters in the book looked quite ‘messy’.

    I will wait until all the letters are done.

    4
  4. Hey Mary, what a great idea to ‘reprint’ beautiful old patterns that may otherwise be lost. I’m not in the market for monograms myself, but am curious to see what the S will look like. I’ve always thought S was such a pretty letter anyway!

    Thanks for all the great ideas and inspirations!

    5
  5. Very pretty! I don’t know as I’d be able to do it justice but I’ll look forward to seeing more of the alphabet later anyway. 🙂
    -Jeannine

    6
  6. CONGRATULATIONS
    on reaching over 1000 RSS feeders! 🙂

    (That was sneaky – it went up over 1000 quickly, didn’t it!)

    7
  7. Hi, I love your monograms!!! i love the little flowers in the corner. I’m still patiently waiting on L, R, and Y.

    keep up the wonderful work!
    ~Hilary

    8
  8. Hi Mary Loved the letter A but I am desperatly looking for letters K S E CAN i POSSIBLY GET IT!!!!! I WILL GREATLY APPRECIATED THANKS

    11
  9. I want to make a coaster set for a Bridal shower gift with the monogram C on Aida cloth. Can you please give me some direction on how I could use your Monogram for the gift?

    12
    1. Hi, Kathie – these monograms here are pretty much usable for surface embroidery, rather than counted work. I think if you’re using Aida cloth, you’ll want to look around for some nice counted cross stitch monograms. There are heaps of them online. Try googling “pattern maker charts” – he posts the various old Sajou (and other) cross stitch monograms. You’ll find a great collection of counted cross stitch monograms there! Hope that helps! MC

  10. I am planning to hand embroidery a bible verse into the hem of my daughter’s wedding gown. I need someone to create the design for me. Do you offer custom design services and if so , what would the cost be? Also…it has been many many years since I have embroidered and am certain I will not remember any of the stitches. Could you also furnish some basic stitch instructions?

    thank you
    glenna carter

    13
    1. Hi, Glenna – I have a some church embroidery patterns here on Needle ‘n Thread – in fact, I’ve got a whole book of them available, and I’m sure there would be several in there suitable for a Bible cover, so you might want to check that out. For stitching instructions, I’d suggest taking a look at the How-To Videos here on the website. You’d might play around a bit on a practice cloth to see which stitches you’d like to use. Hope that helps! ~MC

  11. What a wonderful education I am getting from your website. I just LOVE IT!!!. I am making a wedding quilt for my granddaughter and her future husband and I wanted to emblish it with their initials. I have the A. I need W, K, if that’s possible. Thank you so much for all you have put in this website. I’ll be spending hours just reading.
    Pamela Brown

    14
  12. I want to make a ‘sampler’ quilt and this alphabet is exactly what I’m looking for – but how do I copy it? Cut and Paste doesn’t work, is there another method?

    Many thanks!

    Eileen

    15
  13. Hi Mary, I am looking for a full monogram kit. I don’t know if they exist so I thought I’d ask you. I want to stitch monograms for my two nieces and was hoping I could order a customized kit. Do you have anything like that?

    16
    1. Hi, Linda – No, I sure don’t. I’ve not seen any customized monogram kits available, but I’ll do some looking around to see if I can come up with anything! ~MC

  14. Dear Mary,
    Am working on a big (the design itself is17″x17″) commissioned ribbon embroidery piece of all Texas flowers and wanted to do the monogram in padded satin stitch. But if I follow your tips for going around curves, how do I join the stitches from the “feet” at the base of the “P”? And how can I send you a picture of the piece? BTW, I love your website! I have learned so much!

    19
  15. Buenas tardes Maria, un gusto poder decirte me encanta cada vez que vengo a aquí a tu pagina, siempre aprendo algo mas, gracias por compartir los monogramas son espectaculares, al fin puedo bordar un juego de fundas para mi cama.

    abrazos desde Colombia

    ah, mañana es el dia de las madres aqui en mi pais asi que FELIZ DIA DE LAS MADRES muchas bendiciones

    20
  16. Would love all this alphabet to embroider, I have a new grandchild coming in April 2014 and would love to make a cover for the crib

    21
  17. Is it possible to print the Flowered Monogram Letters. They are beautiful. I would like to do them all.
    Thank you,
    Rose

    24
  18. Mary, thank you so much for sharing! I’m a beginner and these letters are both beautiful and easy to follow.

    Thanks so much!

    26
More Comments