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 feel your pain. My DS is in the Air Cadets, and their badges have to be sewn on, not glued, and they have to be measured to the millimetre. I had to re-do one of them three sodding times.

I see a business opportunity!

If you were in South London OP, I would have done it for you!

I'm a natural hand sewer as I did a lot during Brownies/Guides when I was little and I think my mum taught me to knit/sew as well.

I'm sure you'd find some useful videos on You Tube that could show you. It shouldn't take more than 5 mins per badge really.

I see a business opportunity

It really is a common fundraiser for Groups or for youngsters raiaing funds to go to a Jamboree or such like.

Good practice for teens about to go to Jamboree too - as my eldest came back with something like 150 badges to sew on to his Jamboree Camp Blanket

Badge glue is horrible and you cant flog the jumper once they've gone to cubs.

I put 2 pins though the badge so it cant move, then roll up the sleeve so my left hand is inside with thumb outside. Then just sew.

If you're anywhere near me in Bucks I'll do them for 50p a badge (to charity, our hut rebuild), I actually enjoy doing them!

Do you have a sewing machine

Does the OP sound like someone with a sewing machine?

My DH used to do the badge sewing, I am utterly rubbish. I can just about manage a button or resew a hem that has come down but that is my limit.

I use a sewing machine but mine has a removable bit at the bottom that makes the foot narrow enough. I agree with using the same coloured thread as the badges to make it seem neater than it is. Also, from a distance nobody will notice!

DH used to be a Scout Leader...when I suggested my Beaver should do his own he said he’d be amazed if any Cubs sew their own badges on, let alone Beavers.

speak to the beaver leaders - we have someone in the group who sews badges on for 50p per badge so they may know someone locally who does similar.

I'm an Explorer leader and I try encourage them (age 14-18) to sew badges themselves. The cubs home help badge encourages them to learn to sew on buttons scouts.org.uk/cubs/activity-badges/home-help/
A useful source of learning videos are on YouTube.

I just used wonder web when fixing my son's badge to his school blazer. 16 months later and it's still perfectly stuck!

Scouting is about skills for life. I teach mine to sew, solder, use power tools etc. Here is a simple way to sew a badge on. Others will do it differently, but this is simple and my Scouts had no difficulty with it.

Anyone in Hampshire needing badge sewing, school name tape sewing etc, please feel free to contact me. I’m a pro!

Reading this makes me wonder how hated I'm going to be after issuing this massive pile of badges I've sorted

Suggest they have a 'learn how to sew a badge on' session at beavers. Past the first couple of badges, when she was teaching us how to sew, my mum never sewed any on. She had 3 of us who passed through Beavers/cubs/scouts/brownies/guides/swimming lessons and we all collected cloth badges which we sewed onto our camp blankets.

Can't u use that wonderweb stuff you iron it on and it sticks to both bits of material like iron on nametags?

Did you not learn to sew at primary school? We used to make teddies and stuff.

Don’t glue them.

They’ll either fall off and get lost or he’ll move patrols or move up a stage in staged badges and you’ll need to take off the old one and replace with a new one.

And then when he moves on to cubs, the beavers ones need to go onto the camp blanket.

Ask around, I bet you know a friend or grandparent who can teach you how to do this.......

.....then you can start teaching your son!

I'm going to be put to shame by skilled 6 year old sewers?!

Possibly. We learnt to sew at my primary school. Although I think we started around 8 years old so you might be ok. Saying that, my DM and my DGM had me sewing when I was quite young. I sewed my own badges on my Brownies uniform. I don't think anyone darns anymore (they just throw things away) but I was a master sock darner as a child.

Don't get me wrong. I'm so not domesticated. I refuse to do any of that 'wifework' stuff. It's the 21st century after all. But am I capable? Hell yes! I just keep that as my secret. Just in case I get stranded on a desert island and the only way to escape is by sewing, darning and baking a, er, boat.

Position the badge, place a cross of masking tape over the badge to hold it down and see through from the back. Don't go all the way through the badge - it's actually quite easy as you're sewing through only part of the badge edging not the whole badge. That way you can't see the stitching and it'll last better than fabric glue. Once they're at cubs they're old enough (and strong enough) to be able to do their own :)