Leather Patch for Cap

I had made a leather patch on my laser cutter - I wanted to attach it to a ball cap. This describes my approach.

• Fabric glue
• Bridle needle
• Waxed thread (0.8mm)
• Pricking iron helper (3D model available at Printables)

My first effort (which was just intended as just a test on an old cap) yielded less than perfect alignment, and I was using glover's needles (sharp). It was difficult to come back into the proper hole from the back, so I kept poking new holes into the leather with the sharp needle

Patches are laser cut. I've done both the engraving before dying, and dying before engraving. Which is better is somewhat dependent on dye and dye technique. I tried so many companies combinations I do t remember which this one is. It was my second fayorite. First try I laser cut the holes as well. Subsequently I just engraved a fine line to follow with a pricking iron. Holes were punched was before gluing.

I decided to create some support to make it easier to glue the patch on. Cut semicircles on the laser cutter,and stacked them with cardboard spacers, all glued together. Then faced with heavy brown paper so laser cutter char wouldn't get on the piece. Work great so that patch could be centered properly (at least 1/2", or 12 mm up from brim). On my second attempt (favorite patch) I decided I needed to punch holes through cap fabric after gluing, to make stitching easier. I wasn't quite careful enough aligning the pricking iron with the existing holes, and ruined the patch. Note repunching was not done on the relatively flimsy cardboard jig.

Third time came together. I used bridle needles with a round tip so I didn't poke new holes in the leather. My first stitch in a hole came in from the patch side. I then tried to follow the thread through the fabric and into the hole when coming in from the back side. It was slow but it worked. I wanted more prominent stitching so went with 0.8mm thread.