Yuck! Patch Glue Residue!
Patch glue is a nuisance to costumers. It causes residue or stains to adhere to costumes and results in permanent damage and replacement fees. SCC wants to help you avoid costly damage and needless stress when you’re required to attach patches to costumes. Read on for quick tips on how to attach patches correctly:
Patch glue is the thin layer of glue that manufactures add to the back of patches to help keep the embroidery thread from becoming loose, caught, or frayed after prolonged use. This layer of glue may also be used to permanently attach the patch to a garment, but in the film industry where costumes are interchangeable, and used for many purposes, there are solutions to avoid the damage.
PUT FACING ON THE BACK OF THE PATCH – Adding facing to the back of the patch makes the glue adhere to the facing instead of the garment the patch is being placed on. It requires only one application and the patch is ready to be used over and over again.
SEW ON BY HAND – Sewing your patches onto your garments will save you from having to use tapes or adhesives that could damage your costumes. We recommend hand sewing patches to garments. Hand sewing a patch to a costume allows wider stitches which aids in the removal of patches later. Machine sewing can permanently damage a garment if the stitches are to tight and hard to remove.
AVOID WASHING AND/OR DRYING COSTUMES WITH PATCHES STILL ATTACHED – Heat from the washer and dryer can cause the glue to become tacky and thus attaching itself to the shirt. This can be avoided if you remove patches before washing garments. However, because there is never enough time to attach and remove patches over and over again, you may refer to the first tip and add facing to the back of the patch before hand sewing your patches to your costumes. **Be mindful of new patches! Sometimes the thread color can bleed onto costumes during/after washing!**
BONUS TIP: Want to avoid additional labor fees? Be sure to remove all your patches from costumes before returning!