By Caro Gilmore
If you're feeling indecisive, consider doubling or tripling up on your embellishments to make your items 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲 even brighter!
Hello, I'm Caro – a stay-at-home mom with a passion for all things creative. From baking and crafting with my kids to pattern testing and doodling, my days are filled with creativity. Of course, sewing for my entire family is a big part of it! You can find me under the name 'linchen's needle' on Instagram and Facebook.
My journey brought me across the big pond from Germany to the United States, leaving behind a world of fantastic craft and sewing supplies. While I've found fabrics I love here (and yes, they do travel from Europe to the USA as well) there was still something missing in my sewing room: '𝐓ü𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐥.' Interestingly, there isn't even an English word for this delightful concept. Let me explain – in the sewing world, Tüddel refers to anything that adds a special touch to a project. From bows and tags to labels, laces, patches, eyelets, piping trim, premade ruffles, and buttons, these little goodies elevate a simple shirt or a fancy dress. It’s like the finishing touches that make your sewing truly special.
If you're anything like me, you'll hoard these Tüddel pieces. 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀, 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗰, 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀. But fear not – there's help on the horizon!
The answer lies in stacking, piling, and combining your Tüddel. 𝙇𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪! Personally, I enjoy pairing a leather patch with a tag. To keep the leather patch in place, I use a washable textile glue stick. I leave a spot without glue to slide in a woven or cotton tag. Then, I start sewing where the tag is to secure it in place and then sew all around. 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. In other projects, I've placed a seam tag into a seam while adding a leather patch elsewhere. Let your creativity run wild – it's so much fun!
Also, if you feel like your leather patches need to pop up just a smidge more, use a fabric square underneath. On a solid fabric, a cute coordinate might look super cute to 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵, and on a busy fabric, a solid frame may be the best way to make your statement patch stand out in its one-of-a-kind way. Here, I want to leave a little side note: keep your eyes peeled for something new to come. You won't regret it.
Now I can’t wait to see what your next projects will be - all those simply unique makes are mind blowing! It’s so much fun to see so many creative minds around!
Happy sewing!
Almost all fabric I used in my examples is from Frollein S who has a wonderful selection of organic and Oeko-Tex certified euro knits in countless bases!
The cute bear fabric is from Maddie and Kenz and was perfect for the camper and outsider patch.
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