How We Make Patches: A Professional Embroidery Tutorial for Clean Pop-Out Results

Watch the video: “How We Make Patches - Embroidery Tutorial” by Jia & Stitch Designs

If you’ve ever spent more time cutting patches than stitching them, this method is a breath of fresh air. It delivers crisp, pop-out edges with minimal cleanup—no scissors marathon required. You’ll see exactly how layered stabilizers, a dense satin border, and smart post-processing add up to production-friendly results. embroidery tutorial

What you’ll learn - The four-layer material stack that makes patches pop out cleanly—without hand-cutting.

- How to duplicate and color sort your file to save time at the machine.

- A simple topper trick for perfect satin borders that don’t sink into stitches.

- Fast cleanup using misted water and a hair trimmer.

- How to apply Heat and Bond in a press for ready-to-use iron-on patches.

Introduction: A Better Way to Make Patches Most patch guides stop at the stitch-out. This one goes all the way—showing the exact layering, border density concept, and cleanup that make patches literally pop out by hand. The technique is demonstrated on an Arkansas state design with multiple colors and a white satin border.

Pro tip If you’re producing multiples, fill your hoop with repeated designs and use a color sort so the machine runs one color across all copies before switching. It’s a small step that saves a lot of thread-change time on your embroidery machine.

The Essential Materials for Pop-Out Patches A predictable edge starts with consistent materials. The video uses a three-layer foundation in the hoop plus a topper right before the border stitch.

The Plastic Sheeting Foundation - 6 mil plastic sheeting: The non-stretch, rigid layer that lets your dense border perforate cleanly. The presenter mentions 6 mil (possibly 4 mil), but demonstrates a thick plastic sheet as the second layer in the stack.

Choosing the Right Stabilizers (Tear-Away & Water-Soluble) - Very thick tear-away stabilizer: A construction-paper-like base that hoops firmly and peels away cleanly after stitching. It’s shown as the primary base layer in the hoop.

- Water-soluble fabric mesh stabilizer: This fabric-like mesh sits on top of the plastic to support stitches throughout the design, then dissolves during cleanup for clean edges.

• Standard water-soluble film stabilizer: Used on top as a temporary topper only for the final border pass. It prevents the satin border from sinking into textured stitch areas.

Heat and Bond for Application

• Heat and Bond sheet: Added after the patches are cleaned and popped out so the final product is iron-on or press-on. The video shows pressing at 300 degrees for 15–20 seconds. (The unit—Fahrenheit or Celsius—is not specified.)

Watch out Do not replace the fabric-like mesh with the film topper; they serve different jobs. The mesh supports the embroidery as a structural layer; the film goes on top only right before the border stitch to help the satin sit up clean and proud. magnetic embroidery hoops

Step 1: Preparing Your Digital File for Success The design example is the shape of Arkansas, repeated across the hoop for batch production, with a white satin border finishing the outline.

Duplicating Designs for Efficiency Duplicate the design to fill the hoop area—this saves hooping time and yields consistent results sheet after sheet.

The Importance of a 'Color Sort' Run a color sort so your machine finishes all instances of one color before switching to the next. This optimization reduces thread changes and keeps your production flowing.

Quick check Before you send the file, verify that the border is a dense satin pass around the entire design contour. This “saw tooth” of stitches is what perforates the plastic and mesh so the patches pop out later without cutting.

Step 2: The Multi-Layer Hooping Technique This stack is the secret to easy separation.

Layering Your Materials in the Correct Order

• Base: Very thick tear-away stabilizer.

• Middle: 6 mil plastic sheeting.

• Top: Water-soluble fabric mesh stabilizer.

Secure these layers together in the hoop so they act as a single, taut surface under the needle.

Getting a Tight, Secure Hoop The demo uses a magnetic hoop to clamp the three layers securely. A firm, even grip keeps the sheet flat and helps the perforation work correctly during the dense border pass.

Pro tip If you’re using a magnetic-style frame, align the sheet square to the hoop edges before closing the top frame so the design grid and border perforations stay consistent across the whole sheet. This is especially helpful when running an 8x9 mighty hoop.

Step 3: The Embroidery Process & Perforation Border Once you’re hooped, it’s a straightforward stitch-out with one important pause before the border.

Stitching the Design - Load the hooped material into the machine and stitch the design colors. The video runs multiple patches across the sheet to leverage the earlier color sort.

Why a Dense Satin Border is Key - Before running the border, place a sheet of standard water-soluble film on top of the hoop (as a topper). This keeps the satin from sinking and gives you a bright, crisp edge.

- Run the dense satin border. The repeated needle penetrations perforate the layered plastic and mesh around each patch, which is why you won’t need scissors later.

Watch out Don’t skip the topper for the border. Without it, a satin outline can sink into heavy fill areas and look less defined—especially on designs with multiple thread layers. mighty hoop

Step 4: Post-Stitching Cleanup Hacks After the border pass, the sheet looks nearly finished, but a couple of quick cleanup moves make separation even easier.

Quick Thread Trimming with a Hair Trimmer Flip the hoop and use a hair trimmer to shave away jump stitches and back threads. This is faster than snipping and results in a cleaner back.

Removing Water-Soluble Stabilizers Lightly mist the surface to dissolve the film topper and wipe it away. Don’t soak—just a light spray is enough to release the film.

Pro tip If a few fine whiskers remain on the edge after popping the patches, wait until they’re dry and give them a brief pass with a lighter. Keep it quick and controlled so you singe fuzz—not fabric.

Step 5: Separating the Patches Here’s the payoff: thanks to that dense border, separation is satisfying and tool-free.

- Remove the sheet from the hoop.

- Peel away the thick tear-away backing from the back. It releases cleanly.

- Peel off the plastic sheet.

- Punch out each patch from the mesh. A thumb push is usually all it takes.

From the comments Readers asked why both plastic and mesh layers are used. The mesh supports stitching like fabric but cleans up with water, while the plastic gives the border something rigid to perforate—together they enable clean pop-out edges.

The Final Patch Cleaning After separation, give every patch a quick finishing pass so the edges look retail-ready.

- Lightly mist and rub the edges to dissolve any residual mesh stabilizer, then let the patch dry.

• Use a lighter for a quick singe to remove tiny stray threads from the border edge. Keep safety in mind and use brief, controlled passes.

Watch out Open flame and synthetic threads demand caution. Keep a safe distance, move quickly, and let the patch cool before handling.

Step 5: Applying the Adhesive Backing Turn your clean patches into iron-on or press-on badges with Heat and Bond.

Using a Heat Press with Heat and Bond - Cut a sheet of Heat and Bond.

- Lay patches face-up on the rough adhesive side. Cover with a protective sheet.

- Press at 300 degrees for 15–20 seconds. The video does not specify Fahrenheit or Celsius.

• Let the sheet cool fully, then peel the carrier.

From the comments One viewer questioned long-term hold of Heat and Bond; the creator shared they switched to a thicker iron-on adhesive and found it stronger than the Ultra version. Another viewer asked how to add adhesive—this exact pressing step is how the backing is applied so the patch can be ironed or heat pressed onto garments.

Pro tip Allow a full cool-down before peeling the carrier sheet—this improves the bond and prevents stretching the still-warm adhesive. heat and bond

The Final Product: Clean, Professional Patches The finished Arkansas patches show crisp borders and smooth faces, with edges that look cut by a die—but all you did was press “go” on a dense satin border and follow a smart cleanup sequence. Whether you’re making one-offs or filling your hoop with a grid, this method scales predictably and saves time on every run.

From the comments: Extra FAQs we saw

• Can you use twill for larger patches? The creator replied “yes, absolutely,” and noted you can follow the same steps.

• Which digitizer/software is used? The video does not specify.

• Can you show how to add the satin border? The video shows the machine stitching it, but digitizing details (like exact densities/widths) aren’t covered.

Safety notes

• Heat press plates get very hot. Use care and keep hands clear when closing or opening the press.

• If you singe edges, keep the flame brief and controlled.

Troubleshooting quick hits

• Border looks sunken: Make sure you placed the film topper right before the border pass and that your hooping is tight.

• Hard to pop out: Confirm your border is sufficiently dense and that your layer order is correct; an under-dense border won’t perforate the plastic.

• Fuzzy edges after pop-out: Let edges dry after a light mist, then do a quick, careful singe.

From the bench: Efficiency boosters

• Fill your hoop with duplicates and color sort smartly to minimize thread changes.

• Keep a trimmer nearby for back threads; it’s much faster than scissors for large sheets.

• Stage your Heat and Bond sheet while the machine runs so you can move straight to pressing. mighty hoops

Gear notes (as shown in the video)

• Magnetic-style hoop used in the demo to clamp layers securely.

• A multi-needle machine runs the colors, then the final dense border.

• A heat press is used at 300 degrees for 15–20 seconds to apply Heat and Bond.

If you prefer magnetic clamping, this workflow is friendly to many frame formats; the key requirement is firm, even pressure across a multi-layer stack. The demo specifically mentions a magnetic hoop in the 8x9 range, which is a comfortable production size for a sheet of small state patches. magnetic hoops for embroidery

Credits This method and sequence—from material stack to press—is demonstrated by Jia & Stitch Designs. It’s a concise, real-world approach made to reduce scissors time and increase throughput on small-to-medium patch runs.

Resources to rewatch in the video timeline - Materials overview and why each layer matters (00:46–02:43).

- File layout and color sorting (02:49–03:23).

- Hooping the multi-layer stack (03:38–04:25).

- Main stitch-out + topper + dense border (04:44–05:50).

- Cleanup and trimmer hack (06:33–07:31).

- Pop-out separation (08:17–09:29).

- Final clean and edge singe (09:53–10:43).

- Heat and Bond pressing (11:47–12:59).

Glossary (as used in the video)

• Water-soluble fabric mesh stabilizer: A fabric-like, dissolvable support under the design, above the plastic.

• Standard water-soluble film stabilizer (topper): A clear film placed on top only before the border stitch so satin edges sit on the surface.

• Dense satin border: A tight, perimeter satin stitch that perforates the layers so patches pop out by hand.

Where this shines Batching small patches that share a single border pass is where this technique really pays off. The denser the border and the firmer the hooping, the cleaner the pop-out—less time with scissors and more time stitching the next run. pop out patches

Choosing your hoop While the video uses a magnetic-style hoop in the 8x9 range, choose a secure magnetic frame or traditional hoop you’re comfortable with. Magnetic clamping makes it easy to sandwich non-stretch layers without shifting. If you’re exploring different formats, there are many widely available options to fit popular machines. mighty hoop embroidery