RE: Patches??
You might want to try this. Instead of cutting squares,which work fine, cut the patch material in strips,fold it up wide enough for your ball and then cut the corners off in a diamond shape. This way your patches will be all tied together like the little kids do when they cut out chains of paper dolls. They will be in a strip of diamonds and will seperate easy. Pin them to your bagstrap and you will have easy access. This works with any material and you won't have to dig in your bag for singles.
Rock Lock