Monograms on Linens for more than three Initials?

Question

When doing embroidery and you have three initials, ie Greg Troy Wood, you put the capital "W" in the middle with the smaller "G" to the left and the "T" to the right. But when you have four initials - ie Ambler James Charles Wood, and you want to make a symmetrical monogram on a napkin or handkerchief, how do you align the letters? Old fashioned, I know, but I'd like to do it right! Many thanks...

Answer 1

Well, I don't embroider, but am delighted with this question.

If I could embroider, I would use a fancy curly script for all the letters, making the surname initial large and the others smaller. I would put a large "W", then place a smaller "A" on the left, but overlapping the "W" a little, similarly, I would place the "J" under the "W" also overlapping the "W" a little, and the "C" on the right, also overlapping the "W" a little. I think that would be very elegant.

Thanks for the opportunity to visualize a delightful peek into days gone by.

Answer 2

I'd line them up in a single row either horizontally or vertically and maybe embroider a simple border around them. Kind of like an Egyptian cartouche.