Having stocked in the iconic Liberty London for nearly two decades, I was delighted to be asked to create a bespoke denim jacket for their Haberdashery department to sit alongside our iron on patches.
Here’s the jacket on its patch and stitch journey!
The Design Process
I was never going to be able to squeeze all 50 of the patch designs Liberty stock, so I had to narrow it down to a selection that worked in the space. Once I was happy with the layout I took a photo and removed the patches. Referring to the photograph, I then ironed down each patch. If you're looking for help on how to attach your iron on patches to clothing and accessories, check out our guide here.
Image: Petra Boase Iron On Patch - Lucky Cat
I love the combination of patch and stitch so using the threads from our Magic Stitch Kit, I worked a rainbow of cross stitch along the jacket seams. I made a diamond template and using the vanishing fabric pen, I drew around it along the base of the jacket. The diamonds were embroidered using back stitch and I highlighted them with some metallic gold embroidery too.
Using templates from the Magic Stitch Kit I traced them onto the water soluble embroidery paper, and then cut them out and positioned them around the jacket. I then embroidered over these and washed away the paper to reveal the embroidery.
Image: Petra Boase Magic Stitch Kit & Iron On Patch - Googly Eyes
The top back panel of the jacket felt like it should be patch free but needed to be special. I digitally enlarged the Liberty logo, printed it off and traced it onto the water soluble embroidery paper. I then embroidered over the logo in chain stitch. I made a paper star template and traced around it using the vanishing fabric pen. With the aid of a ruler, I then marked out the rest of the pattern. I used metallic gold thread doubled up and back stitched over the pattern.
Keeping the front of the jacket patch free but using templates from the Magic Stitch Kit, I then embroidered on a selection of motifs.
Image: Petra Boase Iron On Patch - Giant Googly Eyeball
It’s hard to know when to stop when going for a maximalist look, as it’s easy to become obsessed with filling gaps with stitch! But when I decided to down my needle and threads, I washed the jacket to remove the pen and residue of the water soluble paper.
It's great to see the jacket in its new home, and I hope to inspire others to do their own. A project like this doesn’t have to be done in one go, it can be a gentle project with new patches and stitch added over time.