How to Create a Custom Stitched Patch

You need good embroidery skills to create custom stitched patches.

Good embroidery skills are necessary to create a custom stitched patch. If you can embroidery a simple back stitch and satin stitch, you can create a custom stitched patch from velvet-flocked synthetic, canvas or denim fabric. Find embroidery transfers in craft and fabric stores to use in creating your custom stitched patch if you don't already have a design in mind. Use a sewing machine or serger to finish the edges of the patch if you don't want to finish by hand.

Things You'll Need

• Fabric circle--3-inches diameter
• Embroidery transfer
• Iron
• Ironing board
• Chalk
• Embroidery needle
• Embroidery floss
• Scissors
• Sewing machine or serger *optional
• Thread *optional

Instructions

1. Iron a 3-inch diameter fabric circle of canvas, denim or velvet-flocked synthetic on the ironing board. Use an iron setting appropriate to the fabric.

2. Position an embroidery transfer over the fabric circle. Choose a transfer with a simple design such as an initial or a line illustration of an animal head. Iron the transfer to the patch according to the transfer manufacturer's instructions. Trace over the transfer design with chalk if the design is hard to see on the patch, for example if you're using black fabric.

3. Embroider the design onto the patch using embroidery floss. A simple back stitch works best when outlining small items such as a custom patch. According to Sharon B's Dictionary of Stitches for Hand Embroidery, the back stitch is a very old, all-purpose stitch that is good for straight lines as well as outlining curves. Fill in outlined letters and so on with a satin stitch. Chain stitches also work well.

4. Finish the edges by working a close satin stitch around the patch from the front, over the edge, and onto the back in the width you prefer. Finish the edges in floss of a contrasting or same color. If you don't want to finish the edges by hand, use a sewing machine set to a tight, wide zigzag stitch and go around the edges. A serger also will finish the edges of the patch quickly and neatly.

5. Sew the patch to the item or apply the patch with a fabric adhesive. Fabric adhesives are available at craft and hobby stores.

Tips & Warnings

• To embroider a back stitch, according to Sharon B's Dictionary of Stitches for Hand Embroidery, bring your thread up through the underside of your fabric where you wish to create a line of stitches. Make a stitch. Bring your needle back up through the fabric, in the middle of the previous stitch, and pull the needle/thread through the stitch/fabric. Insert the needle into the fabric. Repeat the stitch, back stitch, stitch, forming a straight outline of "back" stitching. To sew a satin stitch, embroider single stitches of the desired width close together forming a satiny appearance of smoothness. For example, if you're embroidering a dog tail. Bring the needle up through the fabric through the transfer outline of the tail, insert the needle down through the fabric on the other side of the dog's tail through the transfer. Repeat these single stitches right next to each other until you fill the dog's tail.

References

• Sharon B's In a Minute Ago Dictionary of Stitches for Hand Embroidery: Back Stitch

Resources

• Sharon B's In a Minute Ago Dictionary of Stitches for Hand Embroidery: Embroidery Stitches
• Sharon B's In a Minute Ago Dictionary of Stitches for Hand Embroidery: Satin Stitch