Monogram Napkin #4 Finished

I finished the fourth monogrammed napkin a week ago, threw it in the wash, and finally got it out and ironed it.

I think this one is the best looking of all. I was much more careful making sure that the outline wasn't extending beyond the lines, so the thinner areas of the letter look much better.

I did start on #5, but decided to use pencil instead of the blue washout marker. This is looking better already, notwithstanding the tiny wobble in the center column. I'll fill that in with a stitch later.

One thing I have noticed is that compared to the vintage napkins I bought in an antique store in Michigan, this fabric is somewhat coarser.  I think, but am not quite sure, that this is affecting my ability to place the needle exactly where I want. Look at the outer curve on the left side of the G. The uneven stitch placement really annoys me! It could be that I'm just not skilled enough at this. The other thing I've noticed is that the monogram on the vintage napkins is much firmer. I suspect this is due to a few things. First, the embroiderer probably used coton a broder, not floche as I'm using. And it was likely a fairly fine weight, say 25 or even 30. Second, with the finer fabric, the embroiderer was able to pull the threads harder without worrying about enlarging the stitching holes. Third, initial on the vintage napkin was much narrower than this one, enabling the embroiderer to make it much firmer.

Things to try on #6: I may try using coton a broder on one or two of the napkins just to see how it looks, and I will starch the daylights out of the napkin before tracing the letter. This should keep the fibers firmer, in theory at least. One thing I've learned, the pencil is definitely better than the washout pen as it is so much thinner. But adding in the stitch direction lines with the pen really helps.

Practice makes perfect, or at least better, I hope.