How to Monogram a Pocket

****ATTENTION!!****

 Some photos from this post are missing.  They were copied from my old blog and did not transfer over. New pictures will be added.  Thank you for your patients and understanding.  Please contact me if you should have any questions. 

    

 

Remember the preppy Oxford shirt from the 80’s?  It’s making a comeback and it looks great monogrammed.  This makes me so happy since I love monogram, and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the 80’s. (I’ve been working on my big hair for about 9 months now so I hope it comes back too. I’ve just been letting it grow and wearing it curly. I have natural curl in my hair.)

The Oxford is making its way back to fashion.  I have been seeing it referred to as being a “boyfriend” shirt.  I see it with the collars buttoned and unbuttoned like this one from Old Navy.  It looks great oversized with a pair of leggings or jeans AND of course adorned with a set of initials.

 

They are really popular with brides and their attendance to wear as they get ready for the wedding. The brides are usually giving them as gifts.  A few brides even put the wedding date and “Bride/I Do”  on the cuffs.    A big oversized button-up shirt is great for not messing up the hair or make-up. (Notice that this one below does not have a pocket.)

 

 

 

I have even monogrammed a shirt for a friend’s daughter for prom (seen above in the first picture).   And instead of handing down my son’s Oxford to my nephew, I monogrammed it for my daughter to wear with her leggings (seen below).  She is nine.  Her first reaction was “I’m not wearing that boy shirt!”  She changed her mind once she had the hot pink initials on it and especially after she was complimented on it in the grocery store.
 

 

I have had great success with adhering the pocket shut prior to adding the monogram.  I use Heat n Bond Lite to close the pocket.  Heat n Bond Lite (HNBL) is double-sided iron-on adhesive.  It can be purchased at any fabric store, Walmart, or even Amazon.
Materials needed:
Heat n Bond Lite
Medium Cut away stabilizer
Spray adhesive (if using fast frame)
Tear away stabilizer (optional)
Given: iron, thread and machine
STEPS:
I cut a piece slightly smaller than the pocket.

 

I slide it into the pocket making sure it is flat in the entire pocket.  I slide it in with the rough side of the HNBL facing down and the paper side facing up.

 

I iron the pocket.  I may need to pass the iron over the pocket several times before the HNBL sticks.  Follow the directions on the HNBL for iron temps as well as the suggested heat setting for your shirt fabric.  Steam is not needed for HNBL.

 

Once the shirt is cool to the touch, I peel the paper backing from the HNBL.  I work my hand towards the bottom of the pocket as I peel it away.

 

Then I slip the paper out.

 

I pass the iron over the pocket again to adhere the pocket to the now exposed HNBL.  This closes the pocket.  I like the stability that the HNBL gives the pocket.  Not only does it give a little stability to the pocket, it keeps the puckering around the monogram to a minimum.  Oxford and other men’s dress shirts are usually made of thin fabrics, and no matter what stabilizer  is used, the weight of the thread/monogram is heavy and usually causes some gathering/puckering around the curves of the monogram.  I have found that closing the pocket helps with this as well as keeps the pocket looking nice wash after wash.

 

 Now the is pocket is ready to be hooped or in my case attached to my fast frame. I use a medium cut away stabilizer and spray adhesive to attach the shirt to the fast frame.  Sometimes I float a piece of cut way under it all.  I am sure I over stabilize.

 

 With this shirt of mine, I used tone on tone for my color choice.
 

 

 

 

 Wondering about the cuffs???  I simply pinned them to a piece of tear away that I had attached to my fast frame.  They are one of the easiest things I have ever embroidered.
 If you have any  questions, please feel free to comment.