I have had several dyed patches made with designsondemand.com, and they turned out really, really well. Actually my artwork looks sharper in dye than embroidery, believe it or not. You can order as little as 1 patch, but of course they get cheaper the more you order. The patches are good, they haven't faded after a few years, and the price is right. If you're looking to have some patches made for your leadership council, small tournaments or other functions for which you would only need a limited number of patches, this is definitely a good option. I'm considering whether or not just to switch to dyed altogether, as good as they look.

One of the drawbacks is that you may be limited somewhat in the shapes unless you make a big order, or use standard shapes like circles and rectangles.

They will have these patches to you very quickly (usually a week on mine), and the prices are extremely reasonable. I did one patch once and I think it cost 12 dollars with shipping. After say, 4-6, they come down to about 5 apiece. It's a great option for you to consider.

I used Emblem Enterprises, Inc and they did 50 patches 3 x 3-1/2 for my school with my very complicated logo with tons of colored embroidery for $127.00 or $2.54 each. I could not have been more pleased! I would highly recommend them to anyone! The only drawback with them is that they are not so fast on the turn around, but, if you are not in a hurry, they are great and so much less expensive than anyone else I have found and I checked tons of companies before going with them.