Monograms, Mayhem & More – Book Review

MONOGRAMS, MAYHEM & MORE, Tink Boord-Dill, self-published, 2006.

Adding names or initials to a needlepoint project is always a popular idea. Or maybe you have a word or saying you want to needlepoint.

But even with the many books of alphabet charts out there, this can be a confusing process.

Tink Boord-Dill, whose previous books include several of both alphabets and monograms, has written the step-by-step guide for all of us. Monograms, Mayhem & More will help even the most design-challenged stitcher to add monograms, names or words to needlepoint perfectly the first time.

Beginning with the introduction, which discusses the different types of monograms and the first chapter which covers the basic principles of design, you will learn to identify those types of design which appeal to you, so that when it comes to applying the principles to make your own monogram or word, you can do so successfully.

Every example has an illustration so that you can easily see the different types of balance, say, with three examples.

The second chapter goes on to discuss the details of charting. The book takes into account, and shows you, the difference between needlepoint canvas and linen for cross stitch and discusses how charts for knitting and duplicate stitch differ. This chapter continues by covering how to enlarge letters both uncharted and charted.

The third chapter covers designing your own charted alphabet. It begins by discussing the way you choose an alphabet and then goes on to talk about designing a single letter or a complete alphabet. Even if you aren’t familiar with typesetting terms, such as “baseline,” you will learn about them here and be able to use them to design an alphabet or letter. The chapter goes on to show a simples charted alphabet in detail.

The fourth chapter provides the same exhaustive information for monograms,The fifth does so for words.

I can’t emphasize enough how complete these instructions are. With them every detail is described, you are given a practice example to try the process and, with these instructions, you will get perfect results every time.

And, if all this isn’t enough, the final chapter, has even more examples and illustrations of monograms and words to inspire you.

The book also includes several different grids for charting (which you can reproduce), and twelve new monogram alphabets.

It’s an essential reference.