Embroidery patch
Introduction
This page will include some tips and technology for creating removable badges.
Badges can be made with embroidery or simple "iron on" techniques.
Creating the fabric badge
Below a summary of some reading. Not tested so far !
Creating a fabric badge is not very easy and there exist several methods. In each case:
- You may have to add a placement stitch outside of the border of your badge.
- Add a Cut Line & Tackdown Stitch inside the the design borders
- Design a heavy Cover Stitch, i.e. a 3.0 to 3.5mm wide and 6/mm dense zig-zag stitch as border.
- Use a heavy and stable fabric, e.g. felt or denim.
Creating badges uses similar tricks as creating appliqués and as with the former you could either use "pre-cut" or "trim-in-place" strategies.
Open questions:
- What distance of the placement stitch with respect to the border (outside of the border zig-zag). About -1.5 mm, i.e. in the center of the border's zig-zag line ?
Method 1 (fastest)
- Hoop 2 or 3 layers of soluble stabilizers
- Stitch the design
- Iron the badge if necessary
- Glue a stabilizer to the bottom (with an iron)
- Add some seam sealant (water-proof glue for textiles like Fray Check (Amazon US) or Prym fray check (Amazon fr)") to the borders (to prevent accidents when you cut). In french: colle anti-effilochage.
- Cut out the design
Method 2 (pre-cut)
- Cut out some fabric of the size of the badge. You can print out a paper version of the design and use it as model.
- Hoop a water soluble stabilizer (either a very strong one or use 2 layers)
- Stitch the placement stitch (same as appliqué)
- Remove the hoop
- Glue the fabric within the placement line with a temporary glue spray
- Put the hoop back
- Stitch the rest, a tackdown stitch followed by a the zig-zag border first.
Method 3:
- Hoop some heavy stabilizer (water soluble)
- Glue a heavy fabric on top
- Stitch a tackdown stitch and and a cutout stitch. The former is a few mm inside and the latter about 0.5mm inside the border
- Remove the hoop
- Cut out the fabric along the cutout stitch
- Put back the hoop
- Stitch the rest (border zig-zag first)
Method 4:
- Similar as above, but use an opposite order of design - border stitching
- Hoop some heavy stabilizer (water soluble)
- Glue a heavy fabric on top
- Stitch a tackdown and a cutout stitch
- Stitch the design (but not the border)
- Remove the hoop
- Cut out the fabric along the cutout stitch
- Put back the hoop
- Stitch a heavy zig-zag border on top.
Technology for removable adhesion
So, far we did not find a perfect solution for badges that could stick to ordinary cloth and then be removed. The best solution is probably using double-sided removable fabric to fabric/skin tapes (used to hold cloth in place) and the second best is removable hemming.
All of these should be tested with the fabrics to be used on in order to avoid damage.
Velcro pads
- Sew Velcro pads on the fabrics (works well, but is intrusive)
Poster hanging strips
These are a kind of velcro strips that glue to both sides. E.g.
- 3M Poster Hanging Strips
Glue
- Scotch Removable Restickable Glue Stick (formerly "post-it glue stick")
- There is a also some 3M spray (forgot it's name)
Using a non permanent glue (spray), but has to be tested for residuals on fabrics. E.g.
Double coated tape
The best solution is probably take some non-permanent tape sold under the name of Wardrobe solutions by Scotch.
Removable double coated fabric tape, e.g.
- Scotch Essentials Wardrobe Tape Strips
- Scotch Essentials Accessory tape circles
- Braza Double Sided Flash Tape
- Adribou Fashion Tape (Boydy and clothing tape)
These models should all or most stick to both fabrics and skin
Single sided fabric tape
- Scotch™ Removable Fabric Tape
This must be glued on the none sticky side to the fabric. Probably a bad solution since the sticky glue will wear out after a while.
Removable hem tapes / removable hemming tapes
- Gaudy Guru Adjustable Two Side Fabric Hem Tapes for Clothes
- Scotch Essentials Adjustable Hem Tape
- Hollywood Fashion Secrets Temporary Hem Tape
Tape not made for fabrics. There are removable double sided tapes that are not specifically made for fabrics.
- Scotch® Double Sided Removable Scrapbooking Tape
- Elmer E4005 CraftBond Double Sided Scrapbooking Tape
- 3M 238 Removable Double Sided Tape
- Scotch® Removable Mounting Squares
One variant has assymetric tack. The removable sides has low or medium tack and the other side is strong
- 3M 9425 Removable Repositionable Tape
- 3M Scotch 9415PC Removable Repositionable Tape
These probably do not work for textiles.
Removable glue not made for fabrics
'Removable adhesive gum, removable mounting, e.g.
- Scotch Removable Mounting
- Glue Dots
- Elmers reusable adhesive
- Mounting putty
Permanent
Fixing a badge permanently is easy, either by (1) sewing it on to the cloths or (2) by using some "badge magic" double-sided tape, hemming tape, glue, tape to iron on, etc.
Links
Creating badges
- Patch it up (Tutorial at urban threads)
- How to make an embroidered badge (echidnasewing, 2017)
- Trim in Place Applique Tutorial
- [https://www.embroideryonline.com/project-hub/embroidery-101/embroidery-techniques/pre-cut-applique-tutorial/
Pre-Cut Applique Tutorial]