Custom Stained Glass Design - Custom Family Name Panel

I've made Family Name panels since 2002 when I created a front porch hanging with my family name at the bottom. Since then I've made a number of panels, some with family names, others with just first name (as shown on the right), or other symbols that the client wanted displayed. Some use colors related to a countries flag or a college's colors.

In 2024, I started making family name panels using the Nautical Signal Symbols for the letters. These are the flags that are run up the mast of a ship to signal another ship. Each symbol has a unique design of colors and shapes set within a square. The flags are proportional, that is to say they can be of any size as long as the ratio of parts is the same. Each symbol has a name where the first letter of the name is the designated letter. For example to indicate the letter A the flag is call Alfa. The symbol flag is white and blue with the blue shape looking like the letter K.

In the usual family name panels there are three sections:

• The letters, usually 3" high capital letters and 1.75" lower case letters,
• The area surrounding that surrounds the letters,
• And finally an outer border, sometimes done using a color glass and other times bevels.

With the height of the letters a panel is usually just a little over 9" high. The length depends on the number of letters or symbols.

The Nautical Symbols are a little different. Each letter symbol is a 3" square. The symbol is surrounded with clear glass on all sides to better set off the symbol. Thus the width is approximately 5". The length is set by the number of symbols with each approximately 5" as well. So the Nautical panel shown below for the name G R U B B S was about 30" in length.

Below are photographs of some designs.

• Top Row:
• Left is a panel with an Irish Theme.
• Center is a name panel done in the Naval Academy sports colors with two small pewter anchors on either side of the name.
• Right is a panel with a slightly different Irish "feel".
• Second Row:
• Left is panel with the Air Force symbol and two stars done with jewelry grade silver.
• Center is a name panel with the letters done as close to the Crimson College color I could find.
• Right is a Family name done in the colors of the Italian Flag.
• Third Row:
• Left is a Family name done with lots of color in the border area.
• Center is a name panel with the letters done in the colors of the Irish Flag.
• Right is a the detail of the first three letters of a Nautical Signal panel, the letters G R U
• Fourth Row:
• Left a signal panel for the name G R U B B S positioned horizontally. It would usually be vertical on a rope run-up a ship's mast.

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