A patch can be used for any number of different things on a t-shirt. It may be a way to add a little bit of visual interest to the t-shirt. It may be required in order to make the t-shirt ready for a club meeting or a sports match. It may also be needed in order to fix a hole in the t-shirt. A patch can be sewn on using a sewing machine, or it can be done by hand.

For a small patch, it may be easier to simply use a needle and thread than to drag out the sewing machine. To get started, choose the exact spot that your patch will occupy and choose how it will be oriented. This will save you from having a crooked patch later. To keep the patch in its proper position, tape it in place until at least part of it has been sewn onto the t-shirt. Putting some double stick tape between the patch and the t-shirt will hold it in place easily.

Once you have it oriented correctly and held in place, thread your needle. The thread color should match the color of the patch. If the patch has many colors, match the thread to the color of the patch around the edges. Many patches have thread around the edges to keep them from fraying. That is the area that you will be sewing, so the thread should be the same color as this edging thread.

Start from the back and push the needle through the t-shirt from the inside and then through the patch. Keep the stitches small and even and at the very edges of the patch in order to get the best-looking results. If you have double-sided tape between the t-shirt and the patch, remove it before you sew the final stitches through the patch. If it’s left behind, the patch it could bunch up and create a rumpled look for the patch.

If the patch is large or it’s very thick, you may find it easier to use a sewing machine. When using a machine to attach the patch, make sure that the arm of the machine has only one layer of the t-shirt together. It is possible to sew two portions of the t-shirt together, such as closing up an armhole, if the shirt isn’t arranged carefully. When using a machine, just about any type of stitch will do as long as the stitches are close to the edge of the patch.

If you are using the patch to cover a hole in the t-shirt fabric, taping the hole closed from the inside of the t-shirt will make it easier to keep the fabric flat and the t-shirt from warping. If the fabric is left gaping under the patch, the entire t-shirt will look slightly warped and the patched area will have ripples around it. If the hole is large, it may be necessary to apply tape to the hole from the inside and then to make a few stitches right through the tape. The tape can be removed later by cutting it away from the thread.