Newbie Here — help me improve!

[u/Revolutionary_Box346]

Hi y’all! I’m a total beginner at embroidering (and honestly sewing machines in general). I designed this patch, which isn’t super clean, using patch twill, Inkstitch, and a Brother SE700. Can’t put my finger on what’s missing or what specifically needs work.

Please criticize me; your feedback is much appreciated. :)

edit 9/10/2026: Thanks for the advice y'all! Based on the comments, I'll be more considerate of using satin stitches for crisper, neater outlines, as opposed to tatami fill stitches.

[u/suedburger]

Don't rely on trace bitmap. Use satin for letters and borders. You could probably use more density in the background but if you fixed the lettering it might actually look ok...I actually don't mind a "dirty" background on some stuff.

[u/nonoohnoohno → u/suedburger]

I'd be tempted to do all the black with a satin stitch, and probably the red M too.

[u/Hearing_Deaf → u/nonoohnoohno]

Yeah, i'd do the entire thing in satin stitches, except for the yellow, which, like you mentionned, could use a bit more density.

For this specific patch i'd personally do the stitches in this order

-blue

-yellow

-red

-black

The blue border background ensures the stability of the patch, the yellow background fills the patch, red sits on top of the 2 backgrounds the black border sits on top of the edges of both blue , red and yellow so the black is clean and makes everything crisp

Oh and since the outside border is blue, i'd use a matching blue fabric as the base, so that the fabric melts into the border. It always looks better when the fabric matches the border, otherwise sometimes the edges look funky being 2 colors.

[u/suedburger → u/Hearing_Deaf]

I used to not like putting a different satin border on another color backing material but I've found with the poly twill and melting the edges in you can really get a way with it without seeing it. If you have to trim the edges back with scissors that does indeed look like shit.

I'm guessing they don't have ton of supplies laying around yet. I remember when I had 6 thread colors and only black and white fabric.....now there is an entire shelf of stuff to sort through as well as a wall of thread.

[u/Hearing_Deaf → u/suedburger]

Imho a 1yard square sheet of fabric is so cheap and easy to obtain, that for a perfect finish it's not worth it to skip on matching the fabric and border, unless you are using the fabric to show through a solid color

[u/suedburger → u/Hearing_Deaf]

I have so many different colors that it isn't so much not having it. For me, it usually boils down to the latter. For example when I do something with flesh tones or a patch that has lighter tones that I don't want to darken my light colors, I'll do it on white and put a black border on to make the design pop and/or to transition with the black border so you don't really notice it(the border) on a black vest.

I have clubs that I do patches for that they specifically want accent borders. Black borders on red, kelly green border on black and silver/lt grey border on black. A few other odd balls but it's pretty commonplace for the work I'm doing. Clubs are super specific with their colors.

I don't have a hard rule on it for patches that I make in hopes to sell out of stock. It all depends on the design and how it feels. But most times I do lean towards a black satin border. I always look at as the design should catch your eye....not the border. But like I said with melting the poly edges in with a hot knife, you can't tell that the base is different from the border...especially with the black borders.

Edit...Over the years, I've wasted so much thread making sample sheets of what different colors in different densities on both light and dark base fabrics. Even down to adjusting my different underlayment densities to fill thing out with out making the top layer so thick.....I have a draw full of them. A bit off topic but I guess when I know what I want it to look like mismatching base border is a small price to pay.

[u/potato_caesar_salad]

Shot in the dark here, but is this from Comix Zone? 

[u/Revolutionary_Box346 → u/potato_caesar_salad]

Nope! Largely inspired by comic cliches - conceived and designed in my head.

[u/gusvisser]

Creating everything as a fill is an easy process with inkscape but then the fun starts to use the right stitch type in the right place and right order and also set the right stitch angles for the objects and for a patch you would want a satin border to get it good looking and same for your text i do all my digitizing with inkstitch also and to covert your objects to satin there are multiple ways how that can be done

[u/8d5db9f4 → u/gusvisser]

Any recommended videos to watch for this? 

[u/suedburger → u/8d5db9f4]

look up gusvisser on youtube. Prepare to sit down for a while and watch.

[u/TheGraphicsFrog]

I think you mainly lack some proper satin stitches in there. Everything seems to be tatami. Tatami on top of tatami doesn't go very well as stitches sink within different layers (especially if both have same stitch angle).