Any embroidery file can be created into a patch. It may seem a bit daunting at first but it is possible. There are what I call “finished” patches that have a satin border around the edges and “base level” patches that are stitched on felt material. The main goal of both types is to prevent fraying. Neither option is honestly better than the other.
Last time we stitched out a cute little ballerina elephant design and in the video below I showcase how to turn it into a patch. Turning something into a patch is simple: either embroider it on felt or add a satin shaped border to a design. If you want the off-set outlined patches you’ll need to purchase some fancy software or a design that is already digitized that way.
There are a few of ways to adhere a patch; sewing, glueing, iron on, velcro and temporarily pinning. The approach you choose should be dependent on the material/item you are wanting to put the patch on. In this case I decided to add the patch to a small cosmetic bag that I will be using as a sewing tool bag. While it may seem simple to iron it on by adding Heat N Bond, there was an issue with the construction of the bag and material. So, I had to pivot to another method as you will see in the video below.
Overall, I am still very new to the world of patches because I have steered clear of them due to fear of not having the fancy software. Just try it! It’s no different than anything else you embroider. Perhaps the main takeaway from this project was that you can always try alternate ideas to accomplish the same outcome. Also using Heat N Bond on the back of raw stitches is less effective than adding an additional flat layer backing. Perhaps that will be another side by side comparison test later on.
