Hand Embroidered Patch with Retro Lettering

Like it or not, a trend of embroidered patches from the 90s is making a big comeback. Embroidered patches that used to be a rebellious way for the punks to make a statement became part of pop culture in the 90s and now are reliving their times of glory. 

Besides that, mending clothes has become increasingly popular to fight fast fashion and the pollution this industry creates. And the patches are great for mending.

Last week my daughter bought a second-hand sweatshirt and asked me to make her a patch to cover the brand logo that she does not like. She’s 17, so she knows what’s cool now.

If you want to make an embroidered patch with retro lettering, grab your needle and thread and follow the instructions below!

Tools and materials you will need for this project

Photo credit: Tatjana Iljaseviciute from Practical Embroidery

• Embroidery pattern. I created my design using a Franky retro font from the Creative Fabrica library.
• Fabric. I used a 12×12 cm piece of cotton canvas. We will cover all the material with stitches, so the color is unimportant. Also, I used a small piece of felt fabric to back the patch.
• Embroidery floss. I used DMC Embroidery floss: Light dusty rose (#963), Light sky blue (#3761), and Ecru. You can use different threads and colors to your liking.
• Embroidery needle.
• Pattern transferring tools. I used a friction pen for pattern transfer. It will go out with the iron heat when the project is finished. 
• Embroidery hoop. Any small hoop that fits the size of the pattern will work. Mine is 10 cm in diameter.
• Scissors – fabric shears to cut the material and small embroidery scissors or snips to cut the thread.

Embroidery stitches

For this project, we will use the following:

• Split stitch
• French knots
• Running stitch
• Satin stitch

If you are unfamiliar with these hand embroidery stitches, these articles on The Artistry will be helpful:

• Six Basic Hand Embroidery Stitches to Learn First
• Six Hand Embroidery Stitches for Lettering
• Six Hand Embroidery Stitches for Filling

Step-by-step tutorial

Step 1 – Prepare the pattern

• Download the Franky retro font from the Creative Fabrica library. Import it to your favorite tool and write the word you want to embroider. I wrote “Hapi” as it’s my daughter’s nickname. You can use Canva, Photoshop (as I did), or other digital tools. Resize the letters to your liking and layer them with an outline and extrude. 
• When you are happy with the design, print the pattern.

TIP. Choose contrasting shades of gray for printing. It will be easier to transfer the pattern this way.

Step 2 – Transfer the pattern to the fabric

Photo credit: Tatjana Iljaseviciute from Practical Embroidery

• Tape the printed pattern to a bright window.
• Tape the fabric above the design.
• Outline all the outlines of the letters with a friction pen.

Step 3 – Frame the fabric into a hoop

Photo credit: Tatjana Iljaseviciute from Practical Embroidery

• Prepare the fabric for embroidery. Place it in the hoop, adjust the tension, and tighten the screw.

Step 4 – Embroider the outlines

Photo credit: Tatjana Iljaseviciute from Practical Embroidery

• Start with the main letters. Outline the shapes of each letter with a split stitch. I used two strands of pink (DMC #963) embroidery floss.
• If the letters are connected, follow the outer line and make connected outlines. 
• If the letters have space in the middle (like a or o), outline the inner border too.

Step 5 – Fill in the letters

• Fill the outlined shapes of the letters with the rows of stem stitch. Move in circles from the outer edge towards the center, adding row after row while all the shapes are filled. Use two strands of pink embroidery floss.

Photo credit: Tatjana Iljaseviciute from Practical Embroidery

• For the dot on the letter i, I used French knots. You can do the same if your chosen word has the letter i.

Photo credit: Tatjana Iljaseviciute from Practical Embroidery

Step 6 – Embroider the outline of the font

• For the outline, I used light blue embroidery floss (DMC #3761). First, embroider the outer line of the outline with a split stitch.

Photo credit: Tatjana Iljaseviciute from Practical Embroidery

• Then, start filling the shape. This time the rows of stitches are applied in lines (not in circles as for the lettering). Start from the border near the letter embroidered in pink and add rows of split stitches till you reach the edge.

Photo credit: Tatjana Iljaseviciute from Practical Embroidery

Step 7 – Embroider the extrude of the letter

• I chose an Ecru color for the thread for the last part of the lettering. First, embroider the outer line of the extrude with a split stitch.

Photo credit: Tatjana Iljaseviciute from Practical Embroidery

• Then, fill the shape, starting from the blue border of the outline.

Step 8 – Prepare the fabric

Photo credit: Tatjana Iljaseviciute from Practical Embroidery

• Remove the fabric from the hoop.
• Remove tracing lines and iron the embroidery.

Note. Apply the heat from the back side of the embroidery.

Step 9 – Add backing

• Turn the embroidery and place the piece of felt fabric above the back side of the embroidered word.
• Pin the felt backing with some pins.
• Sew with the running stitches around the embroidery to secure the backing and the main material and remove the pins.

Photo credit: Tatjana Iljaseviciute from Practical Embroidery

• Cut around the embroidery, leaving ~ 5 mm border. 
• To make a double border from the front side, trim the fabric, but leave the edge of the felt material.

Photo credit: Tatjana Iljaseviciute from Practical Embroidery

Step 10 – Outline with satin stitch

Photo credit: Tatjana Iljaseviciute from Practical Embroidery

• To finish the patch with a nice edge, embroider the Satin stitches around the whole edge. It will cover the running stitch and firmly keep the patch layers.

Where to use an embroidered patch?

Photo credit: Tatjana Iljaseviciute from Practical Embroidery

This embroidered patch with retro lettering I just made will be used on the front of the sweatshirt – to hide an unwanted brand logo. But there are many other fun ways to use the patches:

On denim

Photo credit: Levis denim jacket. Adhzc online shop.

Depending on the size of your patch, you can sew it on the back pocket of your jeans, denim jacket sleeve, or the back of the jean jacket. Also, a collage of many different patches can look very nice.

On the backpack

Adding one or more embroidered patches on the backpack’s front pocket will give you 90’s vibes. Also, patches look great on travelers’ backpacks.

On tees, sweatshirts, or hoodies

Monochromatic apparel like T-shirts or hoodies is a great blank canvas for your art display. Any boring tee will become cool if you add a hand-embroidered patch with retro font lettering.

On hats

Another place to sew a patch is the front side of the baseball cap or a bucket hat.

For mending

Besides using the patches to decorate the garments, you can use them to cover up the stains, rips, or holes in the clothes you want to mend. Sew the hole first and add a patch above it. You will save a piece of apparel from a landfill and have an original piece of clothing instead.