The ’90s are back and with them come a love for faded denim and vibrant patches. Mood has recently been adding to their online collection of patches and appliqués, many of which I’ve had my eye on for a while. Their selection features a variety of both iron-on and sew-on options, so for today’s post I’ll be walking you through the best ways to add these awesome details to your own jacket for some instant style!
Patches used:
The roses are not iron-on, so here I decided to hand sew. You could machine sew if you wanted, but then it would definitely be visible. If you go the hand sewing route, I advise a slip stitch (check out a sweet tutorial here if you’re unfamiliar with it!).
A slip-stitch, or ladder stitch, goes back and forth between your two fabrics, but stays behind the scenes so it doesn’t mess up the design of whatever you’re sewing. In this case, when slipping it through the rose, I only grabbed a handful of threads on the back of the appliqué, like you see in the first photo. Then, pull the thread tight, like the photo above, and you’ve got invisible stitches!
Ta-da!
Next are some iron-ons! I’ll tell you a secret: no matter how strong an iron-on claims to be, always sew it as well.
Personally, I pin the patches in place first, and then iron them on from the back of the fabric. This helps the adhesive melt a little faster, and also keeps your patches from melting. (Many patches are made from synthetic materials like sequins, so melting is often something to think about!)
Once they’re ironed into place, I take to the machine. For the most part, patches don’t typically need any special stitching. These, for example, were done with a basic 2.5 straight stitch. Others may not have a thick outline like the snake above; in these cases, it may look nice to use a zig-zag stitch, but it’s all personal preference!
I definitely love adding patches to an otherwise basic garment. There are so many directions you can take your project in; use gorgeous appliqués for light and airy look, sequined patches for a distinctly Gucci vibe, or get downright DIY punk with some attitude. Which way will you be leaning?
4 comments
Thank you! If I lived any where near Mood, I would be taking classes ALL the time. Sewing is my passion so I really appreciate anything online you have.
Thank you for reading! So glad you like the tutorials 🙂
Really informative post.Thanks Again. Really Great.
Denim jackets are excellent. The 90’s fashion time is coming again. Denim jackets pay patches are getting a good and fashionable. You shared a lot of useful information. Thanks for sharing the great information. Good Luck!