How to Sew Patches on a Leather Vest

Motorcyclists wear leather vests for many different reasons. They offer protection, warmth and pockets to carry things in. Motorcyclists also use their leather vest to display the many patches they accumulate. These patches may advertise where they have traveled, events they have attended, awards they have gotten or even a memorial for a lost friend.
The motorcyclist either takes the vest and the patch to a professional shop to be sewed on, or they may do it their self, if they have a sewing machine. Patches can be sewn on within minutes if you follow a few helpful tips.

Things You'll Need

• Sewing machine equipped with a heavy duty needle
• Thread to match patch trim
• Scotch tape

Instructions

1. Lay the leather vest out on a flat surface and decide where you want to place the patch. Avoid seam areas and pockets as these are harder to sew into or through. If you have several patches to sew on at once, lay them all out until you are satisfied with the arrangement.

2. Use scotch tape to hold the patch in place. Roll a small piece of scotch tape into a circle with the sticky side out. Flatten the tape out and stick it to the patch and then to the vest. You can use double sided tape if you have it. Do not try to use straight pins, as this may damage the leather vest.

3. Set your sewing machine up with the color of thread that matches the trim thread around the patch. Fill a bobbin with the matching thread and insert it into the machine's bobbin holder.

4. Adjust the stitch on the sewing machine. You can use a straight stitch and sew just inside of the outer trim thread on the patch, or you can choose to use a zigzag stitch to sew across the outer trim thread of the patch and into the vest.

5. Make sure you are using a heavy duty type needle in your sewing machine. Sewing machine needles are either color coded or number coded to help you select a needle. A larger number on the needle size means it is a heavier needle designed to sew heavier fabrics.

6. Place the vest with the taped on patch under the sewing machine foot feed. Work slowly and evenly around the patch in either a straight stitch or a small zigzag stitch. Change the thread to the appropriate color for each patch. Trim all loose ends of thread when you are finished sewing the patches on.

Tips & Warnings

• Some less expensive sewing machines may not have the power to sew through leather. Be sure you know what the machine is capable of doing.