DS needs to quit Beavers because I can’t do sew 😥

[RocketJoy]

Well obviously he’s not really quitting. He loves it and hasn’t long started. I have 8 badges to sew on so made a start tonight and after almost two hours I have...drum roll...ONE badge properly secured and even then I think it’s slightly in wrong place 😭

How on earth do you actually sew a bloody badge onto a jumper?! On the sleeves?! The material keeps getting in way and how do you make it straight. To be fair to myself the ONE badge I did manage looks not half bad but for 45mins work it should do eh (and I’ll pretend it’s not in the wrong place!) The other time was spent sewing then unpicking a second badge which was a disaster and lots of googling for help (found nothing!)

He’ll just have to quit - the shame. Do people actually sew!? I have never done it or had a need (except school trousers but my MIL did those for me ) HELP - any tips?!

I managed to sew my DD's Rainbows T-shirt together, front and back, after trying to sew a badge on once. Sod that. Life's too short. They got badges for EVERYTHING, every week she was coming home with another bloody badge - sneezing badge/breathing badge/blinking badge etc. I jest. But that's what it felt like!

So I bought her a little Rainbow bag and kept all her badges in that (I'm a rebel!). She's 9 now and still gets her bag out and looks through the badges from time to time.

Go to a friend with a proper sewing machine. You'll be dond in five minutes then.

*done

I used to get thread that matched the rim of the badge which helped disguise some of the uneven stitching.

When DS used to sew them on the stitching used to look like a big spider but actually it made the badges much easier to remove when transferring to the next section or his blanket.

I use the cardboard down the sleeve method, it’s genius. The amount of times I had to unpick my sewing before using this method as I had sewn the 2 sides of the sleeve together. I just use small oversewing stitch, doesn’t take too long.

They sell badge glue on the scouting website. The layout of which badge goes where can also be found on Google.

1. Definitely buy a uniform with growing room so you only have to sew on once
2. I've never used badge glue - it is a nightmare when you get badges that need to come off
3. Definitely pin them on first.

I've never bothered with tacking, but if you struggle with sewing, get a different coloured thread and tack the badge into place first - just a couple of stitches at 12 o'clock, 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock, then you can check all is well before doing the neat stitches in the right colour thread

1. the idea about asking in the Group if there is anyone that sews them on for a donation - it is quite a common fundraiser, and lots of people don't mind sewing on badges as they just do it in front of the TV at night

5 Badge placement

Badge glue is your friend

For a few months, maybe. Until you realise little Johnny has lost half his precious badges because the glue has come unstuck.

I need to set up in business, clearly. I bloody love sewing badges on to uniforms and blankets. Good thing too, as my daughter earned all 57 of the old Brownie interest badges before the new programme came out.

Disclaimer: I may be a bit of a badge-aholic. I make no apologies.

The first badge at Beavers/Rainbows should be their sewing badge or at their first group if they start late, I've sown thousands of the bastards on

Do you have a sewing machine?

Annoyingsatsumasinmystocking. I sew badges on for my Cub pack, 50p a badge. Can’t say it’s my favourite way to spend an afternoon though! When I’m doing them for other people I feel I have to make them extra neat!

We have a young leader who will sew them on for some pocket money. Win win because my hands don't work well enough for sewing!

Sorry not RTFT but this is what I use
www.scout-and-guide-shop.co.uk/beaver-uniform/badge-fix-glue-100863-1966?search_query=Glue+&results=5

And once the boys move onto the next section they want to keep their jumpers in tact so I just order new staged activity badges, etc 🤷‍♂️

DH does ours. He’s a vet and does them in surgical stitch but they don’t fall off, which is reassuring I guess! Both grannies are disgusted. Meh.

Take it to the local sewing shop. £1.50 each. Best money you’ll spend this week.

A scouting group I’m on had a post showing how to do it. The YouTube link is below. They are a bit of a pain though as you get further down the sleeve.

I don’t want to sound dense but how do you use a sewing machine to sew the badges onto the sleeve?

I feel your pain. A sewing shop in town charges a pound a badge but our leaders do it as a fundraiser for fifty p a badge which is worth it I think.

I am now a pro at sewing in badges now. Buy good quality purple or navy thread as this helps. Pin badge to sleeve. The trick is you don't have to actually go through the fabric. All you do is pick up a little bit of it and pass the needle through so you're not going in and out of the jumper all the time. You're into stitching the badge to the top layer but using lots of little stitches so it's secure.

I must admit to not knowing this and also spending ages seeing on one badge. I watched a few YouTube videos to get this precious info.

I fear my cub may need a bigger jumper next year 😭😭.

How I used to do it was to pin the badge on the sleeve where you want it.
Dont try and push your needle through the badge (you will make your fingers bleed) but buy thread in the same colour as the badge edging.
Pop needle in from the back of the badge and pull thread through.
I'm right handed so left hand inside sleeve behind the badge with your thumb on the outside on top of the badge.
Thread through jumper just a little bit and back up slightly sideways through the badge edging. Repeat all round the badge, then needle through to the sleeve inside and tie off.
When the badges are nearer the cuff, use a water bottle instead of your hand inside the sleeve unless you have hands far tinier than mine

Am I the only one who pushes an apple up the sleeve to lean on, the same as with a hole in a sock? never thought of using a coaster!

I recently sewed some patches to my denim jacket.

Didn't realise two of them were iron on patches.

But the practise is good, right?

I'd just stick them on, even as a seasoned needle and thread user, I still stab myself in the thumbs all the time. Though that could be due to the pressure required to sew through iron on one's eyeroll

My son went to beavers/scouts etc I never sewed a badge on across 50 badges! Just stick them on with badge glue I got suggested on amazon ! They look no different and lasted.
Do not waste several hours of your time trying to see them on if you are not an accomplished needlework person!!

From a Cub Leader... Badges with glue fall off leaving a residue on the jumper.
Iron on badges are a pain as they are harder to sew and fall if you iron..

Bottle up sleeve, pin badge on. If it's messy, claim they did it themselves.

I feel your pain. My Beaver grew out of her jumper
30 bloody badges to move. Still have one to do because it's the wrong colour.

I currently have 3 outstanding on Cub daughters jumper, 3 on Beavers, 1 on my own, and need to rearrange a load on DHs because he's run out of room...

Position the badge with safety or dressmaker pins. Sew in place. Remove pins.
Practice makes perfect!

My son has been in Beavers a year now n I have sewn on 19 badges. The trick is to use tape and pins to keep the badge in place!
Has your son got a camp blanket? This goes towards the camp craft badge. Oh and occasion badges like poppy only stay on jumpers for 3 months so don't sew on well! I'm also an assistant beaver leader