It's easy to sew patches on a letterman jacket.
Letterman jackets are a right of passage for many high school students. They are a special style of jacket, usually in school colors, with leather or faux-leather arms. Athletes--and sometimes students involved in other activities--are awarded patches--or letters--for their achievements. While many letterman jackets come with the letter already attached, you may have to sew it and other letters on yourself. This is fairly simple to do.
Instructions
1. Purchase strong thread to match the patch. There will be a finished edge around the outside of the letter. The thread should be the same color as this finished edge. Take the patch with you to the craft store to properly match the thread.
2. Position the letter on the jacket. The letter typically goes on the front of the jacket on the upper left side, but follow your school's tradition if it's different. Lay the jacket flat and place the letter in the proper position. Check that it's straight.
3. Iron the patch on the jacket. Many letterman patches have a heat-sensitive glue that you can use to stick it onto the jacket. If this is true of your patch, ironing it will make the glue stick better. Skip this step if there is no glue on the patch.
4. If the patch did not have glue, pin down the patch before sewing, so that you sew it on straight. Use at least four pins--one at the top, bottom, left and right--but the more pins you use, the more secure the patch will be as you sew.
5. Thread the needle. Put the thread through the eye of the needle and bring it over to match up the ends, then tie a knot. This creates a strong, double layer of thread.
6. Whip stitch around the patch. From the back of the jacket, bring the thread up through the jacket and the patch. Then, put the needle back in through the jacket only, just next to the patch. Repeat this, going around the patch.
Tags: letterman, jacket, patches, around patch, finished edge, that straight, thread through, through jacket
