In the life of every professional military or police officer there are joyful moments associated with obtaining the next rank. A new uniform has been received, the stars are “washed”, and the question arises of how to sew epaulettes on a tunic. The wife (if she is) cannot be entrusted with this task.
What we know about how to sew epaulettes on a tunic
In fact, the task is not at all as simple as it seems at first glance. The shoulder strap is solid, it is difficult to pierce, and those who rarely held the needle in their hands (fortunately, there are few among our officers, we have to study everything at the school), having started cheerfully, they suddenly realize that it turns out crookedly and are forced to rip open the seams. All this is annoying, but the work must be done.
The charter clearly defines the geometric parameters, but says nothing about how to sew a shoulder strap on a tunic, that is, about the technique itself. It is understood that this is known to all. In addition, the charter is not a handicraft allowance. You can ask for advice from other officers or figure it out yourself. The task, although not easy, is not Newton’s binomial.
Statutory requirements
So, about the sizes and distances. There are only two of them, and if you look closely, then just one. And it’s easy to remember: one centimeter. To this width, the shoulder strap on the back should overlap the shoulder seam, and the rest of its width should be in front. Regarding the second size, we can say that it is not there, because it is equal to zero. The shoulder strap with its lateral edge should abut against the line connecting the sleeve with the shoulder. This geometrical orientation should be sought.
Before sewing a shoulder strap on a tunic overhaul, you need to take measures so that the work does not have to be redone. To do this, you need to fix the object, theoretically two points should be enough, but practice shows that three are more reliable. Pull with threads the edges of the outer edge and the place where the button is sewn.
Warning for the scattered: before sewing the epaulettes on a tunic, all metal insignia indicating the type of army and rank should be fixed on it. Then this will be very problematic.
Business technique
So, the shoulder strap is fixed in three places, and now the task is to flash its edges around the perimeter. You should remember about such a structural element as the lining, the threads should not pass through it, so you need to pull it slightly all the time, holding with two fingers of your left hand.
Work begins with threading the thread into the eye of the needle, this is easy to handle. But what you need to remember is that its length should not exceed 20 cm, otherwise tangling cannot be avoided, and the complexity will greatly increase.
Two basic requirements are imposed on the seam, as well as on all military uniforms: strength and stealth. Therefore, you need to sew in one strong thread. Thin cotton is not suitable, you need a "ten", you can add polyester or fully synthetic (this is just the case when the advantages of artificial materials are obvious). It is clear that the thread should be selected according to the color of the shoulder strap.
Further, the success of the case depends on diligence and skills. The stitches should be even, 3-4 mm long, and the seam itself straight. If at close range it is almost invisible, then it was possible to correctly sew epaulettes on a tunic.
Photos of the officer in a personal file are taken every time he is assigned another rank, and any kind of negligence is completely inappropriate on him. The traditions of the Russian army are manifested mainly in military glory, but the appearance of the military should always be impeccable.
Sewing epaulettes on the tunic of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is somewhat more difficult, this is due to the fact that one of its sides is rounded. There are two ways to repeat the contour: you can make stitches shorter (up to two millimeters) or try to bring the thread to the surface pointwise, and leave most of it from the inside. With the exception of this curved section, all other actions are the same as when sewing shoulder straps on an army tunic.
Patience and accuracy are the main rules, and not only in this situation. Everything will work out!