Patches

[Eye Kandy Designs]

Anyone got any tips for sewing on patches?...I have sheriff patch I am trying to do just a walk stitch along the outside, but am having troubles with it not grabbing the bobbin and holding...so basically it will stitch some of the line fine but in other areas the needle goes down but isn't holding with the bobbin and keeps going so it looks like it skipped a couple of stitches. Does this make sense...lol....ok I have my stitches 30pts away from each other...parts stitches out just fine and then in others it looks like it does 90 or 120pts even though it is still hitting down every 30.

I have two layers of tear away backing...am using a 80/12 bp and have tried standard actifeed set to 8 and 12 and also have tried auto actifeed. Have also checked the bobbin which is fine and have also made sure the needle eye is in the right position.

Any help or advise would be greatly appreciated as always.

[Eye Kandy Designs]

...is anyone able to help?...really would like to become better at using my machine...and I have been trying and re-trying this by myself with different settings but am having no luck...and having to keep cutting off these patches is really starting to take a toll on me (frustrating as well as feeling like a failure because I can't figure it out).

[Judy]

I always sew patches onto shirts using a sewing machine.

When I sew thick stuff, like collars, I always use manual settings and a material feed of at least 20.

It might not be catching because your needle is bending due to all of that stuff it's trying to go through.

[Russell Silva]

I sew patches on using 75/11 sharp needles, give it a try and see if it helps.

[Eye Kandy Designs]

Thanks guys...will give these suggestions a shot and let you know...thanks again.

[Steve I]

R.J.

Try shortening your stitches also. I sew alot of patches on and sometimes the backing is thick in spots or you run across the overlap of the merrow and it gets thick. Shorter stitches or a zig-zag will help the skipping (along with the other suggestions of the sharp needle and the higher lower limit.)

Steve I.
Trinity Embroidery

[signman]

If your patches have the 'adhesive' glue on the back side, slow the machine slow...900 or so. That stuff gums up your needles fast.
I sew on scout patches occasionally and just use one layer of backing to keep the sash or shirt from moving around-first 'outline' is 50 point normal stitch to align the patch, small pieces of masking tape to hold it down, then the second outline is a narrow zigzag, 30 points, but still-slow speed!
I've attached a few patches onto hat faces but used a stiff backing to hold the hat still.

[Eye Kandy Designs]

Just wanted to touch base on this again and say thanks to all that helped...the patches did get done and your suggestions were a great help...the stitching didn't end up perfect...had a lot of problems along the top parts of the patches with it skipping...I think it was mainly due to the kick down bar behind the needle not hitting the patch...so used a pencil most of the time to try and hold down the patch while the needle was coming out in this area...even slowed it down to 300 spm...anyways again thanks for all the suggestions...it definitely helped on parts of it.