a2jacketpatches
Active Member
Just a quick demo on how to achieve an authentic well worn/aged look to reproduction patches. Ecoflow is a great product that can be manipulated and worked in many different ways. Leather patches from WW2 got dirty, were cleaned, rubbed against something, got dirty again, and basically went through this abuse constantly giving them the war torn look. This effect can be rendered using several methods and all kinds of materials but I find Ecoflow to be an easy affordable way that never fails.
My personal approach to aging patches is this - They got wrinkled, scratched, dirty, etc. So wrinkle them, dirty them, scratch them, whatever. Get to know your materials and how they affect each other. After a while, you should have no surprises and everything should go like clock work as long as you use the same materials and methods.
This one of my Angels in new condition straight off the sewing machine, I call her "MOON" for obvious reasons.
Here she is with a soaking of about 70% water and 30% Ecoflow still wet. Be sure to dab it in places where the texture will pop out.
After the Ecoflow solution has dried, it's taken away the brand shiny new look but in my opinion leaves a very flat appearance to the patch as if it was just sitting in one spot untouched soaking up impurities like tobacco smoke and such.
Now a little manipulation of the dried solution. I took a Q-tip and carefully removed as much of the discoloration as I could on everything but the China Sun center so you can see the difference. Even where most was removed, a little still remains stained into the white but even heavier in the recesses / wrinkles.
In this photo, all has been worked on including the center of the China Sun.
And finally, a thin even flat coat over the entire patch and finish cut to pull it all together. I hope these photos show the transition well enough. I won't be able to tell for myself until posted.
Here's one more to hopefully show the contrast between the untouched center of the sun and the points where ecoflow was removed.
My personal approach to aging patches is this - They got wrinkled, scratched, dirty, etc. So wrinkle them, dirty them, scratch them, whatever. Get to know your materials and how they affect each other. After a while, you should have no surprises and everything should go like clock work as long as you use the same materials and methods.
This one of my Angels in new condition straight off the sewing machine, I call her "MOON" for obvious reasons.
Here she is with a soaking of about 70% water and 30% Ecoflow still wet. Be sure to dab it in places where the texture will pop out.
After the Ecoflow solution has dried, it's taken away the brand shiny new look but in my opinion leaves a very flat appearance to the patch as if it was just sitting in one spot untouched soaking up impurities like tobacco smoke and such.
Now a little manipulation of the dried solution. I took a Q-tip and carefully removed as much of the discoloration as I could on everything but the China Sun center so you can see the difference. Even where most was removed, a little still remains stained into the white but even heavier in the recesses / wrinkles.
In this photo, all has been worked on including the center of the China Sun.
And finally, a thin even flat coat over the entire patch and finish cut to pull it all together. I hope these photos show the transition well enough. I won't be able to tell for myself until posted.
Here's one more to hopefully show the contrast between the untouched center of the sun and the points where ecoflow was removed.
