# sewing patches on beanies, what about stretch?



## miktoxic

i've just placed an order for patches for a client. i will be sewing some on some work coats for them as well as some knit winter hats (beanies). they have the heat-seal backing so i will heat press them first to place and then sew for permanency. i was wondering: do i need to somehow sew the patches onto the hats while they are stretched out? i'm worried that if sewn on properly that when the person(s) put them on, the area around the patch will wrinkle or look not right. anyone know what i'm talking about? any help is appreciated. thanks!


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## AndTees

You may want to try the hat with some heat first. I've done some that did not like the press. Plan on sacrificing one then make a decision.


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## propsuper

We embroider on beanies on a daily basis. We just place a piece of heavy cut away backing under(inside of beanie) and stitch the logo. I think if you do the same , you will be ok.


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## bornover

Tim, my wife does exactly what you are talking about. She sets the patch and then sews the edges for permanence on knit beanies (for women) and has not had complaints. She also just sews on non heat set patches. Maybe the girl's heads are no so big and they don't stretch the beanies that much so they don't have a problem?


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## miktoxic

thanks mark. i kinda figured that i shouldn't apply the patch with so much heat to kill the hat, but as frank suggested i did order extra just to experiment. is there a temp and time your wife uses that could set me on the right track? oh and btw this customer is one of my best friends and has a gigantor head...........hope the patch doesn't just pop off. even with sewing.  -peace!


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## bornover

My wife uses the same settings she uses for heat transfers; press temp 390 for 10-12 seconds. I don't know if it is really "right", but because she then sews the edges we don't get complaints (yet). What sucks is that we don't really know the right setting if you use a commercial heat press. The patches she buys are actually marketed as "Iron On" and only have instructions for using a household iron. Those instructions are: cotton setting, no steam for 15-20 seconds. The supplier gets them done overseas and doesn't know what settings are right for a commercial heat press.


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## bornover

miktoxic said:


> oh and btw this customer is one of my best friends and has a gigantor head...........hope the patch doesn't just pop off. even with sewing.  -peace!


Hey Tim, you want my wife to loom up a gigantor beanie for your friend so the patch doesn't pop off!


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## miktoxic

thanks for the info. it's great that this forum exists and people can learn from others. i ordered from a co. online and am kinda anxious since first order. wish i had known before ordering that they farmed it overseas as well. it takes them 3 weeks to fullfill the order and since i was going to hand the hats and coats out as a vendor's gift basket at their xmas party jan 23rd it's cutting it close. does your vendor of patches take that long as well? thanks again!


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## miktoxic

bornover said:


> Hey Tim, you want my wife to loom up a gigantor beanie for your friend so the patch doesn't pop off!


don't think they make that much yarn in the world. YIKES!!!


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## bornover

miktoxic said:


> it takes them 3 weeks to fullfill the order ...snip... does your vendor of patches take that long as well? thanks again!


Kathy uses stock patches on her beanies, hats and garments right now, so no lead times as long as they have stock. 

We will be talking to some companies at ISS about having our own designs made into patches, and we will be talking with people about possibly buying some embroidering equipment. I Don't know if I am ready to pull the trigger on embroidery equipment at the same time I am wanting to buy more printing equipment.


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## miktoxic

bornover said:


> I Don't know if I am ready to pull the trigger on embroidery equipment at the same time I am wanting to buy more printing equipment.


i was just perusing some embroidery equipment online. that's alot of scratch but i think it'd be awesome to have. i live in a one bdrm apartment outside of nyc so room for equipment is scarce. as it is my equipmet takes up half the bdrm. was thinking about moving back to ohio just to get a house with a garage or basement to run this biz. renting commercial space here is out of the question. thanks mark and good luck! 

(p.s i've learned that it's alot easier in life when your woman gets what she wants. so get used to the noise of that embroidery machine!)


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## bornover

We are still home based and we out grew the garage. Now our downstairs family room is taken over and our formal dining room is taken over, and we have all our inventory for production stuffed everywhere. Even the master bedroom is full of boxes of inventory to make our stuff. Man, really the whole house is taken over for this business, no wonder we don't invite people over any more!

I guess I will have to make room in the family room for the embroidery machine if I want to stay married.


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