How to Remove or Cover Embroidery | Battle Born Clothing
How-To Guide
How to Remove or Cover Embroidery
Got a logo you need gone — an old employer, a wrong name, a jacket you want to reuse? Here is how to remove embroidery safely, and when covering it is the smarter move.
First, decide: remove or cover?
Embroidery is stitched into the fabric, so removing it always leaves needle holes. On tight-weave fabrics those holes often close up or fade; on looser weaves or delicate material they can stay visible. If the holes will show, covering the spot with a new design or a patch is usually the cleaner result.
How to remove embroidery (step by step)
- Turn the garment inside out and find the backing/bobbin stitches.
- Use a seam ripper or a small embroidery-stitch eraser to cut the bobbin threads a few at a time. Go slowly — rushing tears the fabric.
- Flip to the front and gently pull the loosened top threads with tweezers. They should lift out in clumps.
- Pick out remaining thread bits and lint-roll or brush the area.
- Steam and press the fabric to help the needle holes relax and close.
Covering embroidery instead
If holes remain or you would rather not risk the fabric, covering is fast and looks professional:
- New embroidery over the top — a slightly larger design hides the old stitch holes.
- A sewn or heat-pressed patch — leather, twill, or PVC patches cover cleanly and add a premium look.
- A DTF or screen-printed graphic placed over the area for a flat, modern finish.
Want us to re-brand or cover existing gear?
We remove, cover and re-embroider uniforms, jackets and hats in-house in Yerington, NV.
Get a Free QuoteRelated guides
Covering with a print? See how to apply a DTF transfer. Curious about patch options? Learn more on our custom embroidery services.
Gear note from the shop: performance and dark fabrics show hoop burn, so we're moving our flat goods to Maggie magnetic frames. A 6.9" left-chest hoop or 8.7"×5" hoop with cut-away stabilizer keeps polos and work shirts flat and mark-free. More in magnetic frames vs factory hoops.
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Removal and cover-up questions
Can embroidery be removed without wrecking the garment?
Sometimes. Stitches can be picked out, but the needle holes stay, and on tightly woven or dark fabric you will usually see a ghost of the old design. Dense fills and puff leave the most evidence. On a garment you care about, covering is safer than removing.
What is the best way to cover an old logo?
A patch or a new embroidered design sized to sit over the old one. Leather patches work well because they are opaque and stiff enough to hide texture underneath. The new design has to be at least as large as the old one, so bring the garment and we will measure before promising anything.
Will you remove another shop logo from uniforms we bought elsewhere?
We will cover a logo on garments you own, and we do this regularly when a company rebrands or buys out another. What we will not do is strip branding to pass goods off as something they are not.
Does removal cost more than the original embroidery?
Often, yes. Picking stitches is slow hand work and it is charged by time, while embroidery is charged by stitch count and runs on a machine. That is exactly why covering is usually the cheaper answer.
Can you do this on hats?
Yes, and hats are frequently a better candidate for covering than shirts, because the structured front panel hides the old stitch holes under the new design.
Request a free quote
Tell us the quantity, decoration and deadline. We reply with firm pricing, usually within one business day.
Or call 775-230-0211 or email sales@battlebornclothing.com.