I have lately been hearing a lot about embossed embroidery designs.  In such a design it is the area surrounding a letter or name that is covered with thread rather than the letter or name itself.  When a plush fabric such as terry cloth or fleece is compressed by the stitching, the unstitched area inside pops out in contrast.

     This type of design often has a very high stitch count, as the fill for the background area is fairly dense.  Satin stitches around the perimeter and the edge of the inner design add even more stitches.  I have seen designs for the 100 x 100 mm hoop that have more than 10,000 stitches.  The look is lovely, but I wanted something quicker.

     Once again, I turned to the contour fill pattern my digitizing software offers.  I started with a tall hexagon and added a monospace font. (Monospace means that each letter is the same width.  Since the hexagons are all the same width I thought the letters should be, too.)  I named the alphabet Contour Cut-Outs since the letters appear to be cut out from the contour fill with scissors.

     I just had to play with the variegated threads I love.  The KCS design is stitched with a Robison-Anton thread and the CAB with Superiors Rainbows.  I prefer the all-over color of my initials but many others (including my friend KCS) prefer the look of the bands created by the longer intervals of color.

     I also tried the Superior thread on white terry cloth.  Since I forgot to use a soluble topper for the embroidery, the loops peek through the embroidery, but it still gives a very nice look.  The tone on tone version shown with it isn't quite as bold.

     Here is Lacy enjoying her fleece awning.  I arranged her name and stitched it in the diagonal corner of the fleece.  What better home can a cat want?  To embellish a similar blanket (for pet or human), fold one corner diagonally and lightly mark the fold.  Use a ruler to mark a centering line perpendicular to the first, making sure the space is wide enough for the design you have arranged.  If you prefer, you can print a template and use that for determining the position for your design.  Stitch and enjoy.

     Seeking feedback, I shared my new alphabet with a few friends.  One of them suggeted that a rectangular block would also be nice.  It does give a very different look, doesn't it?  I named this version Contour Cut-Outs Rectangle.

     Both alphabets are available 35 and 45 millimeters wide.  The rectangular blocks are about twice the width in height and the hexagons are slightly taller.  I kept the blocks small so that a reasonable number of letters can fit in a hoop.  Six 35mm or five 45mm letters will fit in a 240mm wide hoop.  (If there is enough interest in larger blocks, I will be happy to create them later on.)

     In addition to upper case and lower case letters, numbers and punctuation, I also include a club, a diamond, a heart, a spade and a flower.  A pound sign (#) will allow fun embellishment for guest towels:  #1, #2, etc. will help your guests identify the towels they used.

     Click here to view the complete collections.  You can also download a sample letter and a guide to using this alphabet.