Ok, here are results from my latest efforts with two tubes -- one of which was a recent puncture, one was long ago patched and had been in saddlebag fro some time to serve as spare for road repair. Water test revealed both had small leaks around edges of patches.
Effort 1; done after I read FBinNY stitching advise but before some other posts.
-- Tube 1: NonRema patch, REMA vulc fluid; waited until fluid was no longer shiney but certainly not to the degree that cycocommute suggested; stitched the bejesus out of it like FBinNY suggested. FAIL
-- Tube 2: Rema Tiptop patch, otherwise same as above. FAIL
Efforts 2: Rema Tiptop patches on both; wait wait wait wait wait; stitch stitch stitch stitch....VICTORY.
One note. I was very surprised that tube 2 actually worked, because it turned out I had two holes. In testing the previous patch, I discovered that not only was there a leak around the patch itself but there was a second very slight nick about 1/2cm off the edge of the patch. It was so slight that once old patch was removed and air escaped main hole, I coudn't even tell it was there since most of the air was escaping through the bigger hole (I suspect that the glass that caused the puncture also created the nick as the tire deflated after original flat and tube shifted position slightly in relation to the tire). But with patch on, bubbles were escaping from the edge of one side of patch and through this little nick on the other. Rather than using two round patches, I used one of the long rectangualr ones; expecting, frankly, that, given my incompetance with samll patches, I would be utterly incapable of getting the larger patch to stick. But the wait alot/stitch alot method worked.
So thanks all for the advise, particulalrly cycocommute and FBinNY
(by the way, glueless patches have worked great in a pinch for me but always eventually come unstuck for me; and dont even bother of its wet outside).