When you've bought new patches to attach to your jacket, sometimes your only option is to sew them on (rather than iron them on). Leather, especially, works best if you sew your patch on, and often times, it helps create a more secure hold on other materials if you sew it on.
Sewing on a patch is not as hard as it may sound. To begin, it is important you are sure you know exactly where you want to place the patch. Once you start sewing, it will leave holes if you try to pick it out again, especially in leather.
You'll need to gather your supplies. A strong nylon thread (in a color that doesn't stand out against the patch and jacket, black is a good choice), a thimble, an upholstery needle, and adhesive (optional, and will depend on the material) are a good starting place, and a seam ripper wouldn't go awry, either. Depending on how much you care about the interior, you may want to sew under the lining, in which case you will need to rip out the seam at the base to sew just on the outer layer of the jacket. Apply adhesive to the patch (if desired) and place in the appropriate place.
To sew it on, you will knot your thread and push the needle from inside the jacket to outside, through one edge of the patch. You will then go over the edge of the patch and back through the jacket, this stitch is called a whipstitch. You may need the thimble to push the needle through such thick material. Keep your stitching even and close to make it look nice. When you have stitched all the way around your patch, push the needle back towards the inside of the jacket and knot the thread again, then cut off the excess tail.
Success! You've just completed your first patch. Now on to the next 49 biker patches.
