So you have your beautiful fabric patches, now all you need to do is sew them on to your garment!
If at this point you feel yourself starting to sweat just a little, fear not, our expert seamsters have prepared a straight forward guide to help you achieve perfection. Here are 6 top tips to sewing on a badge:
1. Use a brand new needle.
A nice new needle will be sharper and you might be surprised at just how much easier it is to sew with. If your needle is blunt you will find it harder work to push through the fabric, and if it is really old it might make imperfect holes as it passes through.
Either way, you will find it a harder struggle to achieve a perfect stitch if you use an old needle.
2. Pick a thread colour that matches the embroidered edge of the badge.
For a seamless finish you will want to colour match the thread that you use as closely as possible to the edge of the badge, where your final stitches will be visible. If you can’t find an exact match, try choosing a colour very slightly darker. Hold it against the badge to judge the effect.
Alternatively if you consciously want a contrast colour to show off your stitches, and are confident enough to pull off the look, don’t hold back! Sometimes an unusual colour choice of thread can give your patch an extra level of impact.
3. Pin the badge in position before you start sewing.
This will mean that the badge doesn’t move while you are sewing. It will also allow you to double check the position of the badge before you commit with the first stitch.
Pins are your best friends when it comes to getting the positioning of your badge right. Use plenty of them, but don’t be afraid to manoeuvre the badge until you are completely happy with how it sits on the garment.
If the patch is too small to pin, you can use fabric bonding web to stick it in place while sewing. Fabric bonding web is an adhesive that is heat activated, and is easily available from your local hobby or craft shop.
4. Make sure your needle is only going through the patch and the fabric that you want it to.
To avoid embarrassment and giving away your amateur sewing status you should aim to avoid accidentally sewing a layer of fabric that you don’t mean to. Nothing makes you feel sillier than realising you have sewn through both sides of a shirt sleeve, or worse still stitched right through to the clothes you are wearing!
A sewing lap tray can help you avoid disaster, while also giving you greater comfort while you work.
5. Keep your stitches close to the edge.
Stitch up through the fabric as close to the patch as possible, then go down and through the patch close to the edge of the binding. Now repeat every few millimetres until you have worked all the way round the patch.
The more time that you take, the better the final result will likely be. Close stitches carefully made will be stronger as well as looking much more professional than widely spaced or loose stitches.
6. When finishing off, knot the thread on the underside.
Knotting on the underside will avoid leaving a loose piece of thread hanging from the front of the badge. If you can avoid this then your finish will appear much more professional, and no-one will question your skill with a needle. So when finishing your work and tying up the end of your thread, always be sure to knot on the underside where it won’t be seen by anyone. Nothing with give the game away like a visible knot of the front of your badge!
So there we have it, 6 top tips from our top sewers and stitchers that will help you achieve a perfect finish.
But if the idea of picking up a needle still fills you with dread, worry not. All of our fabric patches are also available with an iron-on adhesive backing!
