Embroidered patches pronounce versatility. You can use them on clothing and hoodies to market your brand logo or you can simply add these patches on your denim and make your denim look edgy and quirky. Designing an embroidered patch might get overwhelming if it is your first time and you do not know how to get going. While it is a common knowledge that you need to decide the size, shape, and the design of the patches, here are four other undervalued factors to consider, while creating the perfect embroidered patch:

Choose the backing wisely– You can choose from different types of backing for your patch. One of the most popular backings is plastic. Plastic backing ensures that the shape of your patch is retained by adding stiffness. If you want to try something different, then you can consider going for a magnetic backing, in which the back of the patch is a magnet. Adhesive backings are another popular type of backing, but they don’t last long, especially if you plan to machine-wash your clothes. If you want the patches to stay for long, then consider sewing them or going for the heat-seal backing.

Determine the embroidery percentage– The percentage of embroidery on the patch decides the price of the patch. The higher the percentage of embroidery, the higher the price. Typically, an embroidered patch has around 75% of embroidery. If you go with 75% of embroidery, then the rest of the patch will be the colored background of the design.

Decide the right border– Along with deciding the shape of the patches, you must also pick a border for your patches. If you choose any of the basic shapes like an oval or a circle, then you can consider going for the most common border type, called the merrowed border. The merrowed border, also known as an overlock border, is a border that wraps the thread around the entire fabric of the patch. This type of border looks aesthetically appealing and it adds to the durability of the patch. Note that the merrowed border cannot be used if your patch has pointed edges or it has an irregular shape.

Go crazy with the colors– You are spoilt for choice when it comes to the color of the embroidery. You can choose the colors for your embroidered patch from the hundreds of threads that are available in the market. Try to go for designs that use flat colors instead of different hues or color gradients, as it is difficult to get the color gradients embroidered.

The most intriguing thing is that you don’t necessarily need to put these embroidered patches on your clothes. Today, many people don’t mind getting customized embroidered patches just to add to their collection. So, instead of sticking to the latest trending designs, experiment with the sizes and the shapes and come up with your own unique customized embroidered patches.

Gourmet recipes are prepared using a variety of ingredients. But people might be allergic to some of the ingredients which are a must have, in a certain recipe or dish. This does not necessarily mean that they will be deprived of biting into that soft tender pink salmon just because someone is allergic to soy sauce.

A few substitute ingredients can be used to prepare gourmet recipes without altering the original too much. Here are a few to name.

Soy sauce substitute: People who are allergic to soy or wheat cannot consume soy sauce, but there is a simple way to prepare the dish with a substitute which might not be taste the same as the original but will serve as the next best alternative. A mix of ingredients like beef bouillon, balsamic vinegar, ground ginger, garlic powder, dark molasses, white pepper mixed with water and heated in a saucepan until it is reduced to soy sauce consistency.

Butter substitute: People who are allergic to dairy products or are lactose intolerant cannot consume any dairy products for that matter. Dairy free margarines are a good substitute to be used in recipes which also need a lot of butter. Margarine is an imitation butter which is made from vegetable oils.

Yogurt, sour cream and cream cheese substitutes: Lactose intolerant people cannot consume pure dairy and milk based products hence soy, coconut and even pea based versions of yogurt, sour cream and cream cheese substitutes are available.

Direct milk substitutes: Milk is now commercially produced from ingredients like soy, coconut, oats, almonds, hazelnuts and many more to act as a direct substitute for milk while using in gourmet recipes. These substitutes cannot duplicate true milk flavor but are better than having no milk at all in your diet. The taste varies depending on the ingredient from which it was produced.

Substitutes for white wine: There are many interesting substitutes for white wine ranging from chicken broth, apple juice, white grape juice, apple cider. Apple juice and apple cider will also add a bit of sweetness to the broth.

Substitute for red wine: Beef broth, unsweetened cranberry juice, red grape juice are all good substitutes for red wine if you want to eliminate alcohol from your cooking completely.

The preparation methods can be easily found online by doing a specific web search.