if you had 96 nametapes that needed sewing on..

[JimBobplusasprog]

Would you do it with a sewing machine? I don't have one but could probably borrow one from a friend and I vaguely remember how to use one from school needlecraft lessons.

And iron-on, laundry stamp or tag-it tapes aren't an option as the school has specified particular woven ones in various sizes.

Ugh. I hate sewing on nametapes.

[coffeetofunction]

Fabric glue might work, 99p from that shop that sounds like toys

[TheWomanTheyCallJayne]

I would just get on and sew them.
I have to do about that amount, not boarding but two children at prep. The first time is the worst as they don't grow out of everything at the same time.
My first feeling is having to pick ds1s labels out to sew ds2s in.

[HanSolo]

I just do it over several nights. It's a real faff when they've had a big grow, and need all whole new outfits, but I put something good on the radio (or on iplayer) and just get on with it. Mine have both requested the rainbow coloured labels next time I purchase them

...But I doubt that's an option if your school is so prescriptive!

[NoIamAngelaHernandez]

My mum paid me to sew on my brother's name tapes. I think I made about £20. :)

[Kenlee]

We invited our friends over...The school uniform if you buy online has the option of name labels...Always use silk as cotton will rub...and fold and sew ends its quicker. usually on the how to wash label part...

[FatFrumpyFilly]

Name tapes can be removed and so as well as the tapes I also put a stitch in an in-obvious place with yellow thread. Sounds silly but even wealthy kids at boarding school took other people's PE kits (mainly), removed the name tapes & proclaimed them as their own. The yellow thread trick meant we kept most of DCs clothes.

Lost count how many name tapes I stitched in over the years. It actually became quite therapeutic in the end!!

[Xihha]

Hand sewing is way easier and quicker than trying with a sewing machine, no matter how many labels you have. Mum and I have a sewing weekend each year where we drink wine, sew in labels and watch rubbish TV (6 school kids between us, all at schools with never ending lists of things to label)

[SonorousBip]

YY to surname only wherever possible (my DCs have DH's surname which is unusual bit long! Should have married another boyfried with a shorter surname and saved FEET of name tape sewing!)

Bizarrely, there are some people who like doing this. My ds moved to secondary school last summer and it has a completely standard uniform but the most enormous and mystifying range of sports and PE stuff. I had a housebound relative who was having treatment for cancer who was entirely happy to do nametaping (airpunch!) She did a huge basket for me while watching daytime telly over about a week and said she quite enjoyed it and it validated her watching crap tv! (and she is better now, so win win situation!)

[MiniSoksMakeHardWork]

Sew either end on and miss the length? Creates a handy loop if needed two. Use strong button thread and they should last the course. Shame the school are fussy otherwise I recommend attach a tag for everything other than underwear and socks.

[LadySybilLikesCake]

Fold the name tag in half, then put 5 or 6 stitches in the end to attach them to the fabric. It's less than a minute per item.

[MyNameIsInigoMontoya]

I have done them both by hand and with machine and as long as your sewing machine is not an old crock off Freegle (like mine...) then machine should definitely be quicker. Just use the right-colour thread for each garment and do all the same-coloured ones together to save faffing. It shouldn't show through noticeably if you have the right-colour thread.

[DwellsUndertheSink]

I sew on machine - large zigzag, do a little reverse stichery at beginning and end. benefit of machine stitching is that its a bugger to unpick, so people more inclined to nick sew ons with big loop stitches.

Only need to change to bobbin colour, so sew white on top thread, colour match on bottom. Or cut out all the guess work and use invisible thread.

[KatieKaye]

I'd show the DC how to do and half the chore! (My school was the same re name labels but taught us all how to sew by the age of 7) but definitely do it by hand

[TunipTheUnconquerable]

I'd machine with well-matched bobbin thread.
I'm a fast hand sewer but machine would still be faster.

[stealthsquiggle]

Another nutter one here who finds sewing in name tapes rather therapeutic and best done in front of the TV. I do use the machine for the giant tapes on games kit, towels, bags, etc but hand sew all others. On stretchy things (notably socks and pants, which may account for a fair proportion of that 96) I double the tape over the back edge of the sock and sew it to itself - if you sew non-stretchy nametape to stretchy sock then it will come off eventually as either the stitching or the sock will give way.

[stealthsquiggle]

I know the gap year students (assistant matrons) at DC's school will sew on nametapes for a per nametape fee - a good side income if you are 18 and stuck in the boarding house all evening because you are on duty, I should imagine. I would have happily done name taping for a fee when I was 18.

[JimBobplusasprog]

stealthsquiggle that is a very good tip for socks - thank you. I do think you're mad though for enjoying it. I have had maybe 15-20 items to name in previous years_and I have alwaalways found it to be a slog.

[SweepTheHalls]

No! Use these tapes! www.wovenlabelsuk.com/school-labels/wl-riv.html?utm_source=gbase&utm_medium=se&utm_campaign=gb&gclid=CMT67taGhL4CFRDItAodAHwA-w

[stealthsquiggle]

We have those, sweepthehalls, and they are good, but I am not sure they would survive boarding school laundry systems TBH.

[stealthsquiggle]

I just noticed that you have extra large ones to put on the outside of games kit as well, OP. Those I do machine on as I think the end result looks neater and it's far harder for some little toad to take off when they have lost their own and are looking to "borrow" something

DC's school specify name tapes on the outside of games kit but don't mandate the large ones, DS told me the other day that he suffers far less from "wandering kit syndrome" than most of his friends because all his possessions are so thoroughly and obviously named that no one could get away with trying to pass them off as their own. That makes it time in front of the TV well spent IMHO .

[ZingWatermelon]

sewing machine.

I just sew one line of stitches between first and surname if label is attached to clothes label horizontally, and if it's sewn in vertically it's also one line at the top of the label

no folding the edges over.
much quicker to unpick stitches too.

I have sewn in way over 200 labels combined for our 6 kids during the last 3 weeks.

[Bluestocking]

My parents bought every scrap of uniform for me, I sewed the nametapes on myself. Still seems reasonable to me.

[stealthsquiggle]

Bluestocking - so did I, from about 13, but not at 8