The Patch Hunt Is On in New Hampshire

Hannah Gagnon, a.k.a. “The Patchhunter” in her Bedford studio.

If you thought collectible patches were a relic of a bygone era, think again. Hannah Gagnon, also known as the Patchhunter, knows first-hand that the appeal of a collectible patch hasn’t waned, and is actually experiencing a revival.

“I started the Patchhunter in 2016,” said Gagnon, a graphic designer by day. “I’m a vintage and antique lover always, and I started collecting patches because they were little examples of vintage design that could fit in a small box in my small Boston apartment.”

As her collection grew, Gagnon put some of her beloved patches on a jacket, and her friends and family started asking her to do the same for them.

“I realized, I liked doing this for other people because I really like learning. I mean, if I already know about a person, I’m sort of translating their essence into these visual little representations on a jacket,” Gagnon said.

What started as a custom jacket for her mom and a few friends quickly became a thriving, small word-of-mouth business until 2020, when the pandemic allowed Gagnon to put herself, and her business, out there. She stated branding, doing farmers markets, and got herself online.

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While Gagnon started as a collector, she always knew that she wanted to use her background in graphic design to create patches
of her own. 

“I am a big fan of the tourism patches that people collected in the ’60s and ’70s when they were doing cross-country road trips,” said Gagnon, who frequently encounters souvenir patches at vintage and thrift stores.

As she began designing patches, her collections quickly began to celebrate local, smaller landmarks. Her patch collections celebrate her favorite places, like Hampton Beach and her hometown of Bedford, which celebrates its 275th anniversary this summer.

“People will often get patches at the big tourist destinations, and there are little places that people still come to that I think deserve a patch. Most of my patches right now are souvenirs (like my Hampton Beach collection),” Gagnon said. “I have a couple that are unique creations, which I call my comedy patches. One is based after my favorite snack, which is a shrimp cocktail, and the other one is my favorite pastime, which is crying. I’m a crier — I will cry at anything. So, I made a patch about that. It’s either comedy, or places you know and love.”

New Hampshire patches found on the hunt, and some Hampton Beach Collection patches, from Gagnon’s personal collection.

Today, Gagnon designs her own patches, creates curated trucker hats and designs custom-order jackets, and custom patches — you can even send your patch collection to Gagnon to create a custom look. 

As a graphic designer, Gagnon cares deeply about the “look” and puts a lot of thought and care into the design.

“I’m trying to bring an insight into that place that people might not know about, and create little nods to that place,” Gagnon said.

When creating last year’s Hampton Beach collection, Gagnon’s main design was inspired by the beach’s trash cans. 

“I had a pop-up in Union Square in Somerville, and I did a patch about having your car towed from the Market Basket parking lot,” said Gagnon, laughing. “I always try to take things like that into consideration. If I’m recreating an old logo, I try to recreate it as exactly as possible.”

Gagnon noted that one challenge of designing patches is the simplicity that a design needs to have in order to translate well, and picking a color palette, because most patches only use four colors of thread. Creating a design that encapsulates the location she’s picked, along with making sure it translates onto the small canvas, takes a lot of refining to make sure it’s perfect before production. 

Gagnon showcases a Deerfield Fair-inspired jacket of her own design, which won a blue ribbon at the aforementioned fair.

“It’s been a learning process of designing and making sure everything stays as simple as possible, while still being this gorgeous, detailed patch,” Gagnon said.

With retro nostalgia and the rise in thrifting, sustainable fashion and mending clothing, Gagnon has noticed that patches are on an upswing, and are starting to trend outside of vintage spaces. 

“I’ve seen a lot of current brands are trying to recreate that look in new clothes,” Gagnon said. “That, to me, is silly — especially with how much you’re paying for clothes — when you could make it yourself.”

To Gagnon, there’s never been a time when patches are out of style, especially in vintage stores and thrift scenes. 

“It’s a very solidly retro vintage look that’s always cool,” she said. 

Gagnon’s creative gears have been turning lately, as she plans a new line of patches for this summer (stay tuned) and dreams up ideas for more New Hampshire-inspired patches. 

“I have plans to represent more New Hampshire locations, since I’m from here,” Gagnon said. “I’m just sort of waiting tofigure out when the right time will be in places where people will see it. Maybe then people will start collecting them!”

Gagnon and her patches can be found at pop-ups all over New England. For the second year in a row, she’ll be at the Hampton Beach Comedy Festival, and will be at
the Union Square Vintage Market in Somerville, Mass. She also designed an exclusive patch collection for Bedford’s 275th anniversary celebration.

“There’s no age for a patch collection,” Gagnon said. “I get people who are Gen X or baby boomers who come up to my table and say ‘Oh, I remember when patches were a thing.’ I love that aesthetic, and that’s why I got into this.”

Gagnon recalled that last year, she had a man come up to her booth toward the end of the day at the Hampton Beach Comedy Festival, who was so excited to find her because he had spent the whole day looking for a patch to commemorate his visit to Hampton Beach.

“It warms my heart to hear that maybe I’m ticking that (box),” Gagnon said. “People were so excited about the Hampton Beach patches. I had the idea for over five years before I actually made it, and now I’m just letting it all out.”

New to patches? Here are some tips from the expert:

1. Always, always, always pre-wash your garment. Some things, like a backpack or hat, might not be able to be washed the same way you can a jacket, but you can always pre-wash your fabric. It’s a good practice because the process of washing and drying can prevent shrinking or adhesive weakening later on.

2. Pick your garment and placement wisely. Iron-on patches adhere best to natural fibers like cotton, denim, canvas, etc. You will want to choose a location that is easy to hold an iron onto for a long(ish) period of time, and if you are sewing on, make sure you choose a section that you can easily get your hand into — things like sleeve applications can be challenging but NOT impossible!

3. As for how to actually adhere the patches, I always recommend sewing on. It’s easier than you think, and ensures the patch is super secure. You can first check where you like the placement of your patch by pinning it in place, and then using a heavy-duty needle with thread to do a straight stitch or zigzag along the patch edge. This is a great method for vintage patches that may not have an iron-on backing or that you may want to be able to move to another garment should you grow out of one. 

When ironing on, use a medium-high setting with no steam and remember to cover the patch and area with a thin cloth or towel, to not accidentally damage anything. Press firmly for at least 30 seconds, then flip to the other side of the garment and do the same. Always allow it to cool completely before wearing.

And if all else fails, you can use liquid stitch to glue on your patches, just keep in mind they won’t be removable later.

4. Once your patches are applied, show them off and wear them with confidence! Most garments like jackets don’t need to be washed, but if you have to wash your patched item, make sure to turn it inside out before doing so using a gentle cycle, and avoid drying on high heat (air drying is best).

For more about The Patchhunter, visit her website thepatchhunter.com, or follow her on Instagram @thepatchhunter

Find The Patchhunter this summer:

Hampton Beach Comedy Festival

Aug. 12-17 (Hannah will be there from Aug. 14-17)