Embroidering on Bags and Producing Patches
Emblems and nonwearables like purses and backpacks can be profitable if you know how to maximize margins in these niche markets.
November 16, 2009
By Steven Batts, Contributing Writer
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Use spring-loaded clamps or adhesive backing to help hold awkward bags in place during the embroidery process.
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There is no one set way to embroider a bag, and no one way to create an embroidered patch. Each presents its challenges, but if you find a smooth workflow for each, bags and patches can be nice niche markets.
Let’s start with embroidering bags. Some bags, such as drawstring backpacks and totes, are relatively easy to work with. Others, like gym bags and regular backpacks, can be quite challenging to embroider, especially by conventional means.
When using conventional hoops on these kinds of bags, tight places and stiff materials make them difficult to get into the frame, and it’s even harder to make them stay framed. The hoops tend to pop apart. It is bad enough when this happens right after you get it framed, but it is disastrous when it happens in the middle of sewing.
One trick to prevent this is the use of spring-loaded clamps to help hold a framed bag. Available at any home-improvement store, you can use these small squeeze clamps around the edge of the hoop to keep it together.
Of course, if the only innovation in framing bags was spring clamps, we would be in bad shape. There have been several inventions to assist with the embroidery of finished bags.
Making it stick
Adhesive backing helps in a lot of ways when embroidering difficult-to-hoop items. When you couple it with the Fast Frames or the Quick Change Frames by Hoop Tech, it makes the task easier. Rather than trying to frame the bag and get the two rings to stay together, slide the bag over the flat piece of metal of these frames. The metal is open in the center and the adhesive backing is stuck to the bottom of the frame, allowing the bag to be stuck in the center of the frame.
The adhesive holds the bag in place while it is embroidered. It is a tearaway backing, so once the design is done it will tear easily off of the frame. To embroider the next item, simply take another piece of adhesive backing and repair the hole.
Sometimes the bag’s weight will try to pull it away from the adhesive, particularly large bags. For these items, try those same spring-loaded clamps clipped around the edge of the frame to help hold the bag.
Clamping Down
There are other devices that are made to handle bags. Hoop Tech makes a line of clamshell clamps that make it bearable to work with hard-to-frame bags. You simply open the clamp, slide the bag in and clamp it down. These clamps are made in a variety sizes to fit the needs of different bag styles.
Gator Clamps, which are made by EFP Inc., Randleman, N.C., mount on the machine and are adjustable for different bag sizes and styles, rather than requiring multiple clamps or parts. It has two clamp arms that protrude from the back of the pantograph. Each arm can be moved left and right to adjust to the width of the bag.
As with any accessory, you should justify the cost of buying devices such as these. They can make framing bags easier, especially the clamps. But if you don’t embroider many bags, then it would be hard to justify the cost. On the other hand, if you frequently embroider bags, or if you are turning away orders that involve bags, the investment in these devices could pay for themselves. If nothing else, you might consider putting some spring clamps in your bag of tricks.
Emblems and Patches
Emblems have been a staple of the embroidery industry since…well, the beginning of embroidery, most likely. You see them everywhere: military, scouts, government services, clubs and work uniforms. The interesting thing about them is that they are mainly produced by a small segment of the embroidery industry. To the average embroiderer, emblems or patches are a mystery.
It doesn’t have to be that way. Any embroiderer can produce patches — or at least add them to their product line. They are economical to produce and can yield high profit margins. They also can open new doors of opportunity and, in this economy, most people need that.
To produce patches, you first need to understand a little bit about them. First, there are two general types that we will discuss: ones that are 100% covered with stitches and ones with less than 100% coverage. Your logo and the shape you want the emblem to be will determine the type of patch you use. The way these two are made can really vary. Emblems with less than 100% coverage generally are sewn onto a heavy twill fabric. The edge of the fabric has an over edge stitch or “merrowed edge,” named for the machine that does it. If you make your own patches, you will need to have an edging similar to this.
There are several ways to make patches. The number of patches needed determines the approach I take when trying to fulfill an order.
If it is a large quantity (i.e., 50 or more), I usually will try to sub the job out to a company that exclusively deals with making patches. They can produce large quantities much cheaper than I can even think about doing. I can sell the patches, sub out the work and still make money by just processing the order.
When making the patches yourself, the first thing to look at is the coverage. If the emblem is going to be 100% covered with stitches, the process for making the patch is fairly simple. Just frame two or three sheets of a good tearaway stabilizer and sew the design on in.
When the design is done, simply tear it out of the stabilizer. I then take a lighter and go around the edge of the emblem to melt away the little “hairs” of the stabilizer that are left sticking out to give the patch a nice clean finish. That’s it! Unless you are going to put some heat seal on the back, you are finished. The full coverage patches are the simplest.
Less Than 100%
If a patch is going to have less than 100% coverage, there are several ways to handle it. One method is to use blank patches of twill fabric. There are several common shapes sold by vendors (circles, squares, triangles, shields, etc.), and you can embroider on them without having to cut the patch from a larger piece of fabric.
To create this type of patch, you will need to use a method that simulates the over-edge stitch around the outside of the patch. This is generally done with a satin stitch and there are several ways to do this. The method I use takes a little longer, but gives the best finish to the edging.
First, frame the twill fabric with a piece of cutaway stabilizer. Then, sew the design on the material. After the main part of the design is complete, sew a running stitch that is the shape of the final emblem. Unhoop the material and cut around the running stitch to make the patch shape.
Next, appliqué the material to a single piece of tearaway stabilizer. The satin stitch edge of the appliqué will be the over-edge stitch of the finished patch. As with the fully covered patch, tear off the excess stabilizer and use a lighter to clean up the edges. This gives a nice, clean edge and a true over-edge stitch to the emblem.
Back It Up
If you want to make your emblems look a little more professional, you might consider using a heat-seal backing when they are finished being sewn. You can purchase a heat sealant from virtually any fabric store. It just irons onto the back of the material. Then remove the release paper once the material has cooled. Not only does it give the patch a more professional look, it allows it to be ironed onto a garment.
So emblems aren’t so mysterious after all. They also can expand your product line, which in turn will expand your bottom line.
Steven Batts, a consultant with 17 years experience in the embroidery industry, owns Righteous Threads, Greensboro, N.C., which offers digitizing, embroidery and machine maintenance services. Steven regularly leads seminars at ISS shows and is an industry speaker and consultant. For more information or to comment on this article, e-mail Steven at righteousthreads@gmail.com.
The word “appliqué” is derived from the French term for “applied.” As a decorating technique, appliqué has been popular for centuries — and was particularly useful for mending clothes and presenting a bold image, such as those on flags or banners. Recently, it has enjoyed a long run of popularity, particularly in reverse and distressed treatments on ready-to-wear clothing.
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