Making an embroidered patch from start to finish

The sequence

1. Placement line. A running stitch sewn on the stabilizer alone (tear-away or water-soluble, taut in the hoop) that draws the outline of the patch: it shows where to lay the twill.
2. Machine stop. The machine stops; you lay the twill (cut larger than the patch, or as a strip) on the line, possibly with a dab of repositionable adhesive.
3. Tack-down line. A running stitch, 1 mm inside the final edge, that holds the twill. On a multi-head, the operator lays the twill on every head during the stop.
4. The design. Logo, arched text, optional background.
5. The satin border. Sewn last, it covers the edge of the twill. Two methods: cut the twill flush with the tack-down before the border (an extra stop, a perfectly clean edge), or sew the border and then cut flush (faster, needs curved scissors or a laser).

The studio's patch tool generates this sequence with the stop in the right place; "Patch around" adds it to an existing design, with a classic shape or an outline that follows the design.

The border settings

• Width: 2.5 mm for a 5 cm patch, 3 mm for 8 cm, 3.5 mm above 10 cm. Too narrow, it does not cover the cut edge.
• Density: 0.35 to 0.40 mm, zigzag underlay. A border that is too dense lifts.
• Position: centred on the cut line, the outer half covering the edge.
• Corners: rounded (8 mm radius) if possible; sharp corners need mitred angles, which the studio makes automatically beyond 100°.

The fabric and the background

Polyester twill is the reference: stable, does not fray, comes in fifty colours. Choose it in the colour of the patch background so as not to embroider the background: that is half the stitches saved, a softer and cheaper patch. Felt suits soft patches for children; leather and faux leather need a denser border (0.30 mm) and a leather needle.

Cutting and attaching

With scissors: curved, 1 mm from the border, twill held taut. With a laser or a plotter: the studio exports the cut line as SVG or DXF, to be aligned with the embroidery. Heat-seal: embroider on twill that is already laminated with a heat-adhesive film, or apply the film after cutting with an iron (140 °C, 15 seconds). Hook-and-loop: sewn on the back, or twill with laminated hook-and-loop. Sew-on: nothing to do, the border serves as the guide.

Frequently asked questions

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Updated 2026-09-24.