# Patches and Felt on T-shirts



## jbenjaminbrand (Apr 29, 2009)

I am looking to use felt lettering and custom embroidered patches on a t-shirt. My question is whether or not a basic cotton tee would suffice for the life and wear of the garment. My concern is that the shirt may become pinched around the lettering where it would be sewn on or the weight of cotton wouldn't be strong enough to hold this kind of stuff. Does anyone have experience using these two features?


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## Flint54 (Oct 16, 2008)

I don't know your situation but instead of sewing on lettering what about using/getting a vinyl cutter and cutting out the lettering on "Flock" and then using a heat press to apply it to the T-Shirt. Sewing them is a pain in the posterior not to mention that each letter would need to be sewn on both the outside and inside edges, a REAL BIIGG Pain. I would also look into having the same patch printed with DTG or Dye Sub processes. 

Link for some Flock http://www.bestblanks.com/decoflock.html


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## tfalk (Apr 3, 2008)

Embroidering on T-Shirts can be done but you will get puckering if not stabilized correctly. Another option is Stahls and I think Imprintables sell cut lettering that looks like it's been sewn but all you do is heat press it...


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## jbenjaminbrand (Apr 29, 2009)

I have never worked with heat press and I plan on selling the shirt I make. Does heat pressing last over time on the shirt? I don't want someone to come back and complain after a short time for poor craftsmanship.


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## Flint54 (Oct 16, 2008)

IMO  and in my limited contact, properly  applied, properly  laundered and cared for, shirts done with heat transfers, heat pressed vinyl and dye sub transfers last a very long time. I personally have 2 Ts with vinyl that are over 5 years old, 4 with dye sub over 3 and 5-7 with heat transfers over 3 also. All the embellishments look better than the base T that shows extreme wear. Granted, I wash and dry all inside out in cold water and at low heat or line dry, I also have them on hangers not folded in a drawer.

I do not like embroidery on a T, after the first couple of washes the embroidery looses its shape, when wearing it feels like crud, it is very difficult to embroider Ts unless the embroidery is very small and of low density. 

IMO heat press methods or direct screen printing are the only way to go on T-Shirts......


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