Patch Placement, Sizes, Etc......

[a2jacketpatches]

I'm starting this thread showing my own personal preferences concerning the placement of patches and the proportions with modern larger size garments. I'll add to this thread as I apply patches to some project jackets I have coming up, and explain variations to my method when wings and name tags are included.

A few pages from a 1943 Officers Guide Shows regulations, but the placement of Squadron and Group patches are my own recipe based on what I think looks good, SSI are based on the O-Guide. The following is just a helpful guide for those who need it, I'm sure some may have other opinions, personal taste, etc. So take it or leave it, this is what has worked for me with good results and reviews.
Step 1 Chest Patch -start from center of the wind flap and inner most sleeve seam and find center of that measurement.
Step 2 Chest Patch - from bottom tip of collar, to top of pocket (any type, slash or patch pocket) and find center of that measurement.
Step 3 Chest patch - The cross points of the two measurements is direct center of your patch regardless of size.
So if the horizontal measurement is 10.5, center is 5.25 inches, Vertical measurement is 9.5 inches, center is 4.75 inches.
I put a 5 inch, a 5.5 inch, and 6" disks in place on this size 48 jacket to show how tiny the standard 5'' would look. In my opinion, a normally 5" patch must be enlarged or it simply looks too small. Enlarged how much? by eyeballing the original you're trying to copy and comparing to different size disks. Or by personal preference if not trying to duplicate a particular look.

SSI / Shoulder Sleeve Insignia - This is pretty much straight out of the O-guide, 1/2 inch fro the top shoulder seam and centered. This particular jacket is centered in the middle of the epaulette. On an A-2, the rear of the epaulette is center.
I did add the square to help in lining up designs. The rear vertical seam is present on A2's, G-1's, M-41's, M-43's, and most other jackets. Design is to be square with this seam. Use elements of the design to accomplish a good square, wings, flag stripes, etc.

Regs from the officers Guide -

 

[unclegrumpy]

Nice work!

One other thing that also factors into Squadron patch placement is the leather name strip. Often that went on the jacket before the owner was assigned to a permanent squadron and had a patch. Sometimes you see Squadron patches placed lower because they were added later, and sometimes you can see where the name strip has been moved up to better accommodate a patch.

 

[a2jacketpatches]

Nice work!

One other thing that also factors into Squadron patch placement is the leather name strip. Often that went on the jacket before the owner was assigned to a permanent squadron and had a patch. Sometimes you see Squadron patches placed lower because they were added later, and sometimes you can see where the name strip has been moved up to better accommodate a patch.

The Parsons jacket in the photos will be one of those project jackets mentioned where I will demo a Squadron patch and wing position. Quickly explained, it'll be the same thing except the wing / name tag / squadron patch or combination of the three, centered vertically. So if you have a 5" patch, a 1/2 inch name tag, and a 2" wing, that would be a total of 8-1/2 inches with a half inch space in between. So the center of that total would be the vertical. The horizontal would stay at the 5" patch centered.

In cases where the name tag was put on first without consideration for a Squadron patch, You'll end up with the historically accurate machine gun holes, or odd looking placement of patches anyway. Hopefully, this thread will help some guys foresee these decisions and avoid unnecessary damage to their expensive jackets.

I'd like to see any examples of funky placement of patches in this thread, just so everyone can see what they don't want. Like I said, I plan to keep adding here as I decorate a few garments. So please feel free to post photos, ask questions, whatever. I'm thinking that this may be a little confusing, so I'll probably put together some kind of diagram as well, or figure out a better way to illustrate this.

 

[ausreenactor]

The good thing about cloth M-41s and Tankers is that they are easily restored with a good steam iron! I love patching up the odd field jacket.

Couchy

 

[jollygreenslugg]

a2jacketpatches,

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'm about to patch my Bill Kelso, and your advice is invaluable. I look forward to further posts, as I have a great deal to learn. The dissemination of information is another reason that I enjoy this fine forum. Cheers!

Couchy,

Wow, and to think that I'm only a couple of days drive away from such a fabulous collection! My half a dozen service coats and handful of leather jackets don't even start to come close!

Cheers,
Matt

 

[YoungMedic]

This is awesome. Thanks for taking time to do this.

 

[CBI]

thanks for doing this Sean - it will be extremely helpful for folks. Perhaps it can become a permanent header for easy reference for any/all. This would be a Mod thing.........

 

[YoungMedic]

After going back and remeasuring my current project, I missed center by only 2/10" top to bottom. Not too shabby for eyeballing it... :mrgreen: My patch just needs to be bigger

 

[a2jacketpatches]

After going back and remeasuring my current project, I missed center by only 2/10" top to bottom. Not too shabby for eyeballing it... :mrgreen: My patch just needs to be bigger

Sounds like everything is fine with the project and a good eye is all that was done back then.

Yes, I'd like to keep this thread going. It'll be a good place for us to see all arrangements of insignia placement. Not all patches are round, that's sure to come up some day. Where does a chit belong? Some tips on stitching by hand? And maybe a way to set things up for the alterations shop so they don't screw it up. And a place to show off our handy work.

 

[jollygreenslugg]

I did wonder about all of this when I painted a 9th AF SSI on my Cooper cheapie.

I now see that I was way off. Please excuse the reading matter on the bookshelf!

Cheers,
Matt

 

[a2jacketpatches]

I did wonder about all of this when I painted a 9th AF SSI on my Cooper cheapie.

I now see that I was way off. Please excuse the reading matter on the bookshelf!

Cheers,
Matt

That's fine, looks good. Not all were done my way, I've seen plenty of SSI in a lower position like yours. Is it squared with the rear vertical seam? I think that's most important with SSI, if not square, it will look off.

 

[a2jacketpatches]

Ok, thought I'd throw a few patches on this beater G1 to demonstrate placement of a chest and two shoulder patches. The photos may not be in perfect order with my explanation, but they don't really need to be and I'm sure it'll be easy enough to figure out.

Notice how the patches are lined up with the rear vertical arm seam and about an inch from the top shoulder seam centered. I use a little wood glue to secure the patch to the outer shell of the jacket.

Now I use a light colored thread to secure the patch and liner together making sure the liner is in place by matching up liner seams and outer leather shell seams. Only necessary to secure at a few points, this is to minimize folds in the liner and to be sure you don't end up sewing the liner and shell at different points. It will be very uncomfortable if this happens and will have to be fixed. In other words, liner and shell need to be in position as if the jacket is being worn. This may be a little easier if someone is actually wearing the jacket and the patches are secured with common pins. You can stitch right over common pins with a machine or by hand and remove them later. Proceed with finish stitching the patch with a machine or by hand to the jacket. Once done, snip the white threads and remove, they will pull out easily. Notice the chest patch centered between the collar tip and pocket vertically and how it's centered horizontally. It was applied in the same way the SSI were.

 

[YoungMedic]

good stuff!

I have a question, how does one sew the rank rockers on the epaulettes when the box stitching seems to prevent you from accessing the back of the leather.

 

[a2jacketpatches]

Period examples I've seen go all the way through.

 

[YoungMedic]

Period examples I've seen go all the way through.

well that was easy... :lol:

 

[a2jacketpatches]

Just applied this for a guy, notice where the square is ( direct center of the chest ) and how it totals 9 inches at the inner most sleeve seam. I just eyeballed this one, but the patch is centered at 4.5 inches. I would have centered vertically between the tip of collar and top of pocket, but he plans on a name tag in the future so I left enough room to accommodate it. War time patches and name tags were sometimes applied at different times and this was not always considered or anticipated. So a little thought about this before hand will result in a more esthetically pleasing jacket. Also I used a closely matching to the jacket olive thread, can't see it in the last photo but looks great.