Emblem or badge on clothing or hats

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Scouting patches worn by adult leaders, Mexico City, March .

An embroidered patch, also known as a cloth badge, is a piece of embroidery which is created by using a fabric backing and thread. The art of making embroidered patches is an old tradition and was done by hand. During the first half of the twentieth century they were commonly embroidered using a shiffli embroidery machine. High-speed, computerized machines have led to mass production.

There are various methods of affixing them to the fabric surface. Embroidered patches can be attached with a pin, sewn on, or affixed with more modern methods such as iron-on, dryer heat-activated adhesive, and Velcro backing.

History

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Embroidered patches&#;an important identification tool for military and other uniformed personnel&#;trace their roots thousands of years ago to ancient cultures of the Mediterranean, Mideast, China, India and South America, where the art of decorating fabric with thread stitching originated.[citation needed] Elaborate hand-stitched designs and patterns were used to embellish the robes of royalty and for religious artifacts.[citation needed]

Today, embroidered patches are used by government organisations (including uniforms of military forces, emergency services and other specialised workers), sports teams and companies in the private sector to denote rank, job, specific position or specialised unit. Youth groups, including sports teams, scouting organizations and specialized clubs, often wear clothing emblazoned with embroidered patches. They are also used by space agencies on the uniforms of astronauts to denote the mission (mission patch). Patches are collected by enthusiasts as well.[1]

Military use

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As with other forms of heraldry, the colours and images in military patches are chosen to symbolically convey different positive traits and values.

United States

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Embroidered patches were first adopted by United States military units, with some crude, unofficial examples found on soldiers&#; uniforms from the War of , Mexican War, and the Civil War (&#;65) Unit identifications, also known as shoulder sleeve insignia (or SSI) is a relatively new component of the modern military uniform after originating during World War I, when Gen. John J. Pershing authorized limited use.

The oldest of all official U.S. military patches is the "Big Red One" of the 1st Infantry Division, first issued on October 31, . SSI became common during World War II and distinctive patches for individual units of the US Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard have become a proud tradition. There is an active collectors' market, especially for rare, limited-edition patches.

Various regulations exist on how badges are displayed, how many may be worn at one time and whether or not such badges may be worn on the uniform of more than one branch of service. In the U.S. Army, the SSI is worn on the upper left arm, just below the uniform&#;s shoulder seam. It is sometimes worn on other places, most notably when soldiers&#; body armor covers their shoulders.

For the U.S. military, patch designs are certified and protected by the Institute of Heraldry.[2] The institute decides how military patches are displayed, how it is worn, and the reasons for display. A hallmark is assigned to each certified manufacturer of military insignia to indicate which manufacturer produced the product. It is illegal for other manufacturers to create designs on their patches that incorporate the likeness of an official Army heraldic item.

The embroidered patch industry is dominated by several long established companies such as the Chicago Embroidery Company (founded in ), Lion Brothers (founded in ), St. Louis Embroidery (founded in ), A-B Emblem, and Penn Emblem (founded in ). As with much of the textile manufacturing industry in the United States, manufacturing of emblems has largely moved out of the country, though some manufacturers still maintain domestic factories.

Manufacture

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German police patch Montreux police patch

Before the advent of computer technology, patches were made by hand. The general process, however, remains the same today. First, a fabric backing is cut to shape. To prevent fraying, the edges of the backing are heat-sealed. Then, the thread is stitched into place. Some designs incorporate the backing as the background of the patch, while others completely cover the backing with stitches. To finish the patch, iron-on adhesive may be applied to the reverse&#;a step that was not originally done.

Machinery created during the 18th- and 19th-century Industrial Revolution changed garment production with technology such as power looms and sewing machines, making fabrics of more uniform quality and greatly increased production efficiency. Embroidery&#;once a time-consuming hand-made stitch-by-stitch process&#;was revolutionized by the introduction of the Schiffli embroidery machine, invented by Isaak Groebli of Switzerland in .[3] Like a sewing machine, it operated with a two-thread system. Early production from the multi-needle machine, powered by a hand-turned crank, wasn&#;t much quicker than handwork, but significantly, multiple copies of identical designs could be created. Groebli's machine utilized the combination of a continuously threaded needle and shuttle containing a bobbin of thread. The shuttle itself looked similar to the hull of a sailboat. "Schiffli" means "little boat" in the Swiss dialect of the German language, so his machine came to be known as a schiffli machine.[4] An automatic machine, refined by Isaak&#;s eldest son in , simplified the mechanical system so it could be run by a single operator.

Types of stitches&#;including chain stitch, buttonhole or blanket stitch, running stitch, satin stitch, and cross stitch&#; are the basis of embroidery. Patches are often crafted from chain, satin, and hemming stitches and machine work relies on the use of multiple threads.

Advanced technology allows virtually any design to be recreated in thread on an embroidered patch. Images previously created by hand in a time-consuming process can now be quickly, digitally scanned, and computer-controlled, with multi-head sewing machines use several colors of thread simultaneously.

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Other modern advancements include applying a plastic backing to the patch, improving stiffness, and preventing bunching or wrinkling of the design. Patches are often die-cut into specific shapes with a border protected from unraveling by serge stitching. Polyester blend threads are colorfast and have superior durability as compared to cotton thread.

Alternatives

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Modern alternatives to embroidered patches are PVC (polyvinyl chloride) patches, which allow more intricate designs.[5]

See also

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References

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Learn About The Types of Custom Patch Backings

Why Add a Backing to Your Custom Patch?

A custom patch can be sewn, ironed, traded amongst friends, given as gifts and then some! Whichever project your patches are being used for, we want to pick the right patch backing to go with them. Here are a few questions to ask yourself before moving forward:

• Do you need to make sure these patches attach permanently or not?
• Are you planning to sew these patches yourself?
• Are you using an iron to attach the patches onto a hat or something similar?
• What does the back of the patch itself already look like?

Using this insight, take a look at our most popular patch backings and their benefits.

1. Adhesive Backing

Adhesive backing is one of the most popular backings that we work with for any kind of custom patch. Also known as sticky backing, we use 3M adhesive and cover that adhesive with a sheet of paper. The patch will basically work like a sticker, so you can apply and reapply the patch where you need to place it. This is not a permanent attachment option for a patch! When we work with custom hats, the 3M adhesive sets the custom patch in place so that we can sew the patches onto hats. Adhesive backing is sticky but only stays on as long as you don&#;t reapply the patch too often.

2. Iron-On Backing

Iron-on backing is our choice if the patch is going to be permanently attached to something like a hat or jacket. This backing has a waxy finish on the back of a custom patch. The waxy back will be hard when you first receive them, and that&#;s the idea! The backing activates when heat is added to the patch via a heat press or iron. The wax melts on the back and then hardens as it cools, solidifying the attachment of a custom patch. These patches won&#;t budge after being attached, so make sure that you have them in the spot you want them to be forever!

3. Hook and Loop Backing

Hook and Loop backing is a hook (harder rough side) backing that is sewn on the back of a custom patch. This backing provides a more solid attachment for a patch while also still being able to move the patch somewhere else after application. We use hook and loop most often for any variety of police or military patches.

4. No Backing

Just because a patch can have a back doesn&#;t mean that it needs one. And that&#;s okay! We can provide the patch without any backing at all. Some people who work with patches would rather not have any backing at all in order to have more control over where the patch will attach when sewing. The only setback for this patch backing is if you decide not to attach it to anything, there is no safety for the back of your patch design. If you are doing a threaded patch, it means those threads are exposed and could possibly be pulled from that side if you&#;re not careful. We offer an alternative paper/plastic backing as a way to avoid any damage to the back of threaded patches.

Camille Felix Bio

Learning On the Go: Camille has always aspired to learn how to learn, and to explain new concepts to anyone willing to listen. She graduated from Georgia Tech with honors as a Literature, Media, and Communications major, and immediately paired that with experience as a freelancer with CNN Tech Training. Even now after moving across the country in , she has learned even more about entrepreneurship, search engine optimization, and customer service.

My Current Role: Always wanting to help teach people new things, Camille currently works as the company&#;s blog writer and video content creator. She absolutely loves being able to parse down information about everything custom into a consumable script for buyers experienced and new.

Putting on a Show: Camille doesn&#;t just create written blogs! Outside of the office, she doubles up her creativity by producing artwork and music, posting on YouTube and Spotify to a wide audience. She has even begun performing at conventions both local and across the country! She has always said her creativity keeps her sane, and now it lives in both her employment and her passion.

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