Sewing things on BDUs

[Danger]

As a fairly new cadet, I had my BDU patches and name tapes done by a tailor. She had the wrong spacing, cut the tapes- everything is wrong. I'll be needing to do it right a second time around, and now with my new second set of BDUs (we need 2 sets of BDUs for encampment) I need to have the patches and tapes done right. How do you guys have them attached?
Thanks.

[Eclipse]

I sew them with a machine using iron-on sizing to hold them in position.

learning to sew, by machine or hand, is something that will serve you in all sorts of ways throughout your life.

[Danger]

Okay. Thanks!

[krnlpanick]

For the tapes - fold and position them and use a pin through the center to hold it in place, use your iron to press the folds. I like to drop a couple stitches in the folds to keep everything in place, especially on the collar insignia if you have to wear it. Once everything is folded use a ruler or uniform guide to get everything positioned and put 2 pins in each patch and tape to keep everything in the correct place. With everything pinned, try it on and make sure everything looks correct while you are wearing it (this is especially true on shoulder patches - they are easy to get crooked without realizing it and cutting them off to re-sew them is a huge pain).

Once everything is correct, get yourself a nice slim needle and thread that matches the interior or border color of your badges. I stitch about every 1/4" with small stitches on the exposed area (the badge side).

There are a couple youtube videos that discuss this as well that may be helpful, but once you get started it is pretty easy. The shoulders are the hardest because you have to make sure that you don't sew the sleeve together anywhere.

[Eclipse]

Also, if you bought the woven tapes, pre-washing them is a good idea, this will lessen the shrink and the potential "pucker" if you wash the
shirt and tapes together the first time.

Cloth tapes do not have this issue.


Cloth


Woven

[usafcap1]

As a fairly new cadet, I had my BDU patches and name tapes done by a tailor. She had the wrong spacing, cut the tapes- everything is wrong. I'll be needing to do it right a second time around, and now with my new second set of BDUs (we need 2 sets of BDUs for encampment) I need to have the patches and tapes done right. How do you guys have them attached?
Thanks.

First before you do anything WASH them first!!!! 

[SarDragon]

Is shouting necessary?

[usafcap1]

Is shouting necessary?

Shouting???

[SarDragon]

The bold text was unnecessary, and can be considered a form of shouting. Also, I believe that point was covered earlier.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

Of course, wash them first...I think that's been said before?

What I do is get a tube of fabric glue, stitch witch, whatever you want to call it, and put the patches in place with that.

Then, after a couple of hours, I sew them in place with needle and thread.  The patches stay where they're supposed to stay, much less stress, and you don't have to pay for a tailor (who may not be familiar with military-type patch placement).

[EMT-83]

I couldn't stitch a straight line if my life depended on it, and I have no intention of learning now.

The tailor I use is very good. I pin the stuff into place, and provide pictures from 39-1 that shows how everything is supposed to look.

No problems to date, and my uniforms don't look like some guy with two left thumbs sewed on the patches.

It is important to wash everything first, so it doesn't pucker......

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

I couldn't stitch a straight line if my life depended on it, and I have no intention of learning now.

The tailor I use is very good. I pin the stuff into place, and provide pictures from 39-1 that shows how everything is supposed to look.

No problems to date, and my uniforms don't look like some guy with two left thumbs sewed on the patches.

It is important to wash everything first, so it doesn't pucker......

I had to learn when I was a Boy Scout.  My mother had arthritis and couldn't sew very well...which is how I learned (trial and error).  I'd never make it as a tailor but I don't embarrass myself.  My sewing usually looks good.

[Shawn W.]

I go to a professional seamstress.. I took the regs in with me and basically showed  them how I needed it done.. Since then they know who I am when I walk in, and they do it right every time..  It also helps that they have Military personnel who frequently need uniforms done. 

[krnlpanick]

If your squadron meets on a AF base you can take the regs in to the BX Military Clothing store and they can do patches and alterations for you. Obviously they know how to do them as they do it for base personnel every day.

[abdsp51]

If your squadron meets on a AF base you can take the regs in to the BX Military Clothing store and they can do patches and alterations for you. Obviously they know how to do them as they do it for base personnel every day.

MCSS does not do sewing at all.  Alterations or (insert name here) does, I would recommend finding a place off the yard if you are close to installation. 

[Private Investigator]

If your squadron meets on a AF base you can take the regs in to the BX Military Clothing store and they can do patches and alterations for you. Obviously they know how to do them as they do it for base personnel every day.

MCSS does not do sewing at all.  Alterations or (insert name here) does, I would recommend finding a place off the yard if you are close to installation.

+1

The Base Cleaners, here, actually contract out cleaning, sewing, etc. I got a set of BDUs back and the CAP and name tapes were upside down. I caught the mistake but at a SAREX I saw a new Senior Member with the same problem so I told him, I know where you get your uniforms done at!

[MSG Mac]

If your squadron meets on a AF base you can take the regs in to the BX Military Clothing store and they can do patches and alterations for you. Obviously they know how to do them as they do it for base personnel every day.

MCSS does not do sewing at all.  Alterations or (insert name here) does, I would recommend finding a place off the yard if you are close to installation. 

Most of the larger bases have an alterations shop adjacent to or affiliated with the MCSS. Because when you purchase a uniform, alterations are included in the price and the MCSS gives you a voucher for the alterations that is used for payment.

[abdsp51]

If your squadron meets on a AF base you can take the regs in to the BX Military Clothing store and they can do patches and alterations for you. Obviously they know how to do them as they do it for base personnel every day.

MCSS does not do sewing at all.  Alterations or (insert name here) does, I would recommend finding a place off the yard if you are close to installation. 

Most of the larger bases have an alterations shop adjacent to or affiliated with the MCSS. Because when you purchase a uniform, alterations are included in the price and the MCSS gives you a voucher for the alterations that is used for payment.

That is for basic stuff such as hemming pants or service jackets attaching the braid etc.  Not for sewing tapes etc onto a field uniform.

[Hawk200]

That is for basic stuff such as hemming pants or service jackets attaching the braid etc.  Not for sewing tapes etc onto a field uniform.

Guess things have changed. They used to give us a slip for it when I was active. Most of the time, I sewed my own. I could get it done a lot quicker than alterations could get it back to me.

[abdsp51]

That is for basic stuff such as hemming pants or service jackets attaching the braid etc.  Not for sewing tapes etc onto a field uniform.

Guess things have changed. They used to give us a slip for it when I was active. Most of the time, I sewed my own. I could get it done a lot quicker than alterations could get it back to me.

Now I could be wrong at Lackland they did an initial setup for us.  However outside of that there was a price attached to it at the local alterations outside of the slip.  It has been that way since 99, now I have had uniforms done before deployments at no cost to me but at cost to the unit.