Skip to page content

Living Well

How It’s Made: Monogramming at Matouk

Cairo robe in Azure with monogram style 2070.
Diamond Pique with monogram style 2073.

[Edited version - originally posted on November 6, 2013]

We believe that a monogram adds a personal touch to the most intimate spaces in your home. Whether it is a set of initials, a first name, or a single letter, a monogram is a stylist statement that becomes a family heirloom representing history, love, and tradition.

At Matouk we monogram using techniques passed down for generations, and have recently expanded our capabilities by implementing the use of modern embroidery machinery. This rich tradition is reflected in our vast library of designs with options for most architectural styles, each one beautifully executed to the standards of Matouk.

Take a look at Matouk’s monogram offerings here.

Monograms are a lovely way to liven up a cozy robe or throw. The Strategist named our Cairo robe the best monogrammable bathrobe. Monograms are an easy way to add a personalized touch to a gift or to your home. 

Our monograms come in two styles: Embroidered or Appliqué.

What is Embroidered Monogramming?

 

 

 

 

The thread is stitched directly onto fabric. Elegant and light, an embroidered monogram is an understated finishing touch. 

Embroidered style 2022.
Embroidered style 2076.

What is Appliqué Monogramming?

 

 

 

Bolder and more graphic, the letters in appliqué monograms are cut of out fabric and sewn down with a hand-guided embroidery machine.

Appliqué style 2022.
Appliqué style 2076.

Regardless of whether monograms are hand-guided or machine-made, monogramming is a highly involved process that involves personal care and attention.

Take a look below at some behind-the-scenes photos of monogramming at Matouk. Now, for the first time, you can monogram virtually every product you purchase on Matouk.com, bringing the atelier experience to life. You can also visit your local Matouk retailer to place a monogram order.

 

 

 

Many of our monograms can be programmed digitally into an automated embroidery machine like this one. Some customers choose to have custom designs created, and have them digitized for future use.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trimming the loose threads from the just-monogrammed fabric. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The finished product being folded and packed for shipping. 

 

 

 

 

 

A hand-drawn monogram perforation with a tub of glow-in-the-dark paste in the background. The Monogram Prep Specialist takes the tool in front of her hand, rubs it in the paste, and then rubs the paste on top of a piece of paper that has been perforated with a needle. The paste goes through the holes in the paper and leaves a trace of glow-in-the-dark residue on the fabric to be monogrammed. Next, a Embroidery Specialist will put the fabric in an embroidery hoop to stretch it out and keep it stable. Sitting in a room that’s dark enough to see the glow-in-the-dark residue, she will place the fabric in a sewing machine and guide it through with her hands to complete the monogram. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monogram styles through the years hang on the wall at the Matouk factory in Fall River, MA.

Shop the Story

Diamond Pique Sham

$79.00 – $149.00
+4+8 colors

Cairo Robe

$275.00
+3+7 colors

Milagro Towels

$11.00 – $88.00
+19+23 colors

Virginia Sham

$297.00 – $574.00
+1 color