Custom patches?

[mrhogg]

Hey everybody,

I was curious to know if anyone knows of a way to get custom embroidered patches (like this:http://battlestar.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/ebl252.jpg), or a good way to simulate it.

I was thinking that short of ordering a run of custom patches (when I'll need somewhere between 4 or 6), I could get some foam/fabric, and use some fabric paint to simulate the depth.

What do you think?

[Klarkkent]

You might be able to create it with an iron-on version of that photo. The quality might not be what you're looking for though. Nothing beats the real thing, but iron-ons would be cheaper and quicker.

[mrhogg]

That could work. Or maybe a combination of the two, where I thickly paint over a printout with fabric paint.

[TheCreatureWork]

Hey Brian,
I think that getting special ones made will cost ya tons- I know Zazzle charges $75.00 just to make the embroider plate.

This is a dumb question but have you tried an ebay search?
http://shop.ebay.ca/?_from=R40&_trksid=m38&_nkw=battlestar+galactica+patches&_sacat=See-All-Categories

The ones I've seen match yours, are cheap and will save you tons of time trying to recreate them.

[mrhogg]

I hadn't, no, thanks for the link. I'm thinking that they should be smaller, as they're for the puppets, which are 1/4 scale, or something like that. The reduction in size will also allow for me to simplify the design somewhat.

[TheCreatureWork]

oh. :-)

[Toasty]

I haven't tried them personally, but CafePress started offering embroidery for designers selling items on their site.

Here's a sample...
http://www.cafepress.com/cp/customize/product.aspx?clear=true&no=223

The items available for embroidery are limited, but as a "shopkeeper" (which is free to setup) you can probably buy that type of hat with your custom patch on it for about $17. With the small puppet-size scale that you need, you might be able to squeeze 2 patches side-by-side (in 1 design) and cut them apart after.

Then just trim the whole thing off the hat and attach to the puppet.

It's still costly, but could be an option for a truly custom outcome.

[Buck-Beaver]

I was going to suggest checking out Cafepress too, or similar sites like Zazzle. Any time I've needed custom embroidered patches I've had them professionally made and it is expensive.

You can actually hand embroider your own patches with a needle and embroidery floss. If you browse some of the DIY sites like Craft you might find a good method or tutorial. There may even be low-cost embroidery machines on the market now (they used to cost upwards of $1000).

[MuppetCaper]

Try Ebay sometimes you might find one there.

[mrhogg]

There are BSG patches on eBay -- there're a bunch, actually -- but I was looking to get something smaller. I think I'm going to go the fabric-painting-a-circle-of-fabric route, as that seems by far the cheapest (and probably even the quickest).

Thanks for the help, everybody. It's really appreciated!

[staceyrebecca]

You can request customized items on Etsy...People who do machine embroidery are usually fairly interested in doing custom work there. Be realistic when you pitch your ideal price. They'll let you know what their work is worth, though.

I've worked with a few people on Etsy for embroidery before..if you want, I can give you their names directly. Their only concern would be copyright infringement. Some people care about it more than others.