We all need creative outlets when we’re stuck at the airport, waiting for that delayed train or standing around filling the time until a late friend arrives. This DIY Embroidered Pouch Kit is the perfect way to pass the time. When you’ve scrolled through all of the social media feeds you can possibly look through and read every gossip magazine from front to back (twice), you’ll have an activity in your back pocket (literally!) that will take your mind off the clock. Consider this kit the newest edition to your carry-on travel essentials list.
We’ll show you three different ways to decorate your pouch using different embroidery techniques. You’ll be an embroidery pro by the end of this project!
Materials included in the kit:
– fabric pouch
– embroidery thread
– 3-inch embroidery hoop
– embroidery needle
– practice fabric
Materials not included in the kit:
— scissors
— pencil
— ruler
— “Where to next?” template
— initial templates
Get your materials together (or buy the kit HERE), and let’s get started!
This geometric pattern is a crowd pleaser and is sure to match any style. It’s the perfect design to work on during down time in between festival sets.
TRIANGLES PATTERN
First, thread the needle with a piece of embroidery thread about nine inches long, and leave a tail about three inches long. Knot the other end of the thread.
Practice stitching on a scrap of fabric. Place the inner ring of the embroidery hoop underneath the fabric, then sandwich the fabric by bringing the outer hoop over the inner hoop. Tighten the screw to secure the fabric in place.
Bring your needle up from the backside of the fabric, and make your first stitch about half an inch long. Bring the needle back up through the fabric slightly inside of the first stitch. Repeat this, making the consecutive stitches slightly smaller than the previous ones. The goal is to taper the stitches to create a triangle shape.
You should achieve a triangle shape in about 7-8 stitches.
Clean up the edges of the triangle by making one final stitch from one point of the triangle to the next.
Trim the remaining thread down to about a half inch. Split the threads (there are six individual threads that make up a single piece of embroidery thread) and double knot the ends to finish.
When you feel confident enough to move onto the pouch, lightly draw guidelines with your pencil to keep the design straight.
Sandwich the pouch between your embroidery hoops and begin stitching triangles randomly.
When you’ve finished one section move onto the next, until you’ve covered the entire pouch.
Add tassels to finish the pouch. To make a tassel, cut a piece of thread about five inches long and set it aside. Wrap the thread about 20 times around three of your fingers. Insert the five-inch piece underneath the wrapped thread and use it to secure the thread by double knotting it.
Trim a second piece of thread to secure around the wrapped thread, then trim the longer end of the wrapped thread to create the fringe.
Attach the tassels to your zipper to finish.
The monogram is the classic design choice of a true jet setter. How else is one supposed to easily identify her luggage?
MONOGRAM DESIGN
Print out your letter of choice using our printable, and carefully trim around the letter. Position the letter onto the pouch, and lightly trace around the cut-out using your pencil.
Clean up the design as much as possible before beginning to stitch.
Use a satin stitch to fill in the design. Working in one section at a time, make one stitch and then make another right underneath the first one. The goal is to color block by making the stitches as close together as possible.
When you’ve finished color blocking one section and get to a transition point (a thin line in the design), switch to a backstitch. To backstitch, make one stitch about the size of a kernel of rice, and then bring your needle back up through the backside of the fabric as far as you’d like your next stitch to be. Then bring your needle BACK into the end of the previous stitch.
Continue stitching the top third of the design with one color, then color block with the remaining colors.
Finish by making tassels (tutorial above) and tying them onto the zipper.
This next pattern is for the adventurer. There’s always time to embroider when taking breaks during long hikes.
“WHERE TO NEXT” PATTERN
Print out our template (printable available here), and insert the paper into the pouch. Sandwich the pouch and the template between the embroidery hoop.
Hold the entire pouch up to a light source and carefully trace the design with a pencil.
Stitch along the pattern using a backstitch. Create a backstitch by making a stitch and then poking your needle back up through the backside of the fabric where you’d like the next stitch to end (see the example in the monogrammed pouch above). Finish the second stitch by bringing the needle back through the end of the last stitch.
Pro Tip: using smaller stitches will help the curves look more defined. Patience is a virtue when it comes to backstitching.
Play with using different colors for each part of the design.
Make tassels (refer to the tassel guide above in the triangles pouch section) and tie them to the zipper to to finish.
Never be bored while traveling again! These handy pouches hold everything you need to embroider anywhere at any time.
