Today, I’m excited to share a fun and practical DIY project – an embroidered bag!
It’s officially summer and I don’t know about y’all, but we go swimming every chance we get. Something that comes in really handy to have in our beach bag is a wet or swim bag. I am obsessed with these nylon bags that I got from my friend Kelly aka the Embroidery Nurse. She started this awesome embroidery blanks Facebook group a while back and she finds the best stuff!
The nylon swim bag will be using is not the easiest bag to turn inside out and float on a flatbed machine. So I will be using my Brother Persona and Durkee EZ Frames to do this project. Having a free arm and EZ Frames makes it sooooo much easier to stitch hard to hoop items like bags!
I recently discovered these amazing bags through my friend Kelly, who runs the “Blanks for Embroidery” Facebook group. Kelly has sourced a wonderful collection of nylon bags in a variety of sizes and colors, all ready for us to customize with our embroidery designs.
Supplies Needed:
- Nylon Clear Bags available for pre-order in this Embroidery Blanks Facebook Group
- Be sure to read the group rules and announcements for ordering instructions
- Shadow Varsity Font
- Starfish is from this Beach Sugar Cakes Applique Font
- Brother Persona or Brother PR1X (newer model)
- Peel n Stick Tear Away Use coupon code “karliebelle” to save 10%
- Durkee EZ Frames for Persona/ Alliance Use coupon code “karliebelle” to save 10%
- Applique Scissors Use coupon code “karliebelle” to save 10%
- Organ 75/11 BP Needles Use coupon code “karliebelle” to save 10%
- Fabric Marker Use coupon code “karliebelle” to save 10%
- Clover Stiletto Use coupon code “karliebelle” to save 10%
- Precision Tweezers Use coupon code “karliebelle” to save 10%
- Bobbins for Persona/ Alliance Use coupon code “karliebelle” to save 10%
If you want to make patches instead on embroidering right onto the bag, then grab these supplies too:
Choosing the Design
The great thing about this design is its versatility. You can easily change up the text to say “Swim”, “Snacks”, or any other word that suits your needs. And the starfish can be swapped out for other beach-themed elements like a beach ball, jellyfish, or even a mermaid.
For today’s project, I’ve selected a playful design that captures the beachy vibe. The focal point is a shadow varsity font, which I’ve customized with a rainbow of colors for the letter shadows. To complement the text, I’ve incorporated a cute starfish appliqué from the “Beach Sugar Cakes” font by Appliqué Alley.
Stitching on the Nylon Bags
When it comes to embroidering these nylon bags, the key is to use a machine with a free-arm design, like the Brother Persona I’m working with today. The free-arm allows you to easily maneuver the bag inside the hoop, ensuring your design is centered and aligned perfectly. This can’t be done in a flat bed machine
To prepare the bag for stitching, I’m using my Durkee EZ Frames and sticky tear-away stabilizer. This setup helps keep the bag taut and secure while I embroider the design. I’ve also added some placement marks to the bag to help guide the positioning of the design.
One limitation I encountered with this project is the maximum embroidery field size. While the Persona has an 8×8 inch hoop, the opening of the free-arm restricts the design size to around 5 inches wide. To work around this, I’ve adjusted the font size and starfish placement to fit within the available space.
Patches: An Alternative Approach
If you find the bag size limitation to be a challenge, there’s an alternative solution – creating embroidered patches! By stitching your design on a separate piece of fabric, such as the glitter material I used, you can then adhere the patch to the bag using a strong adhesive like E6000 glue or Heat n Bond Ultra.
This approach allows you to create much larger designs that can cover a significant portion of the bag. You also have the option of using a “merrow” or patch edge stitch in your digitizing software to give the patches a professional, finished look.
Endless Customization Possibilities
The beauty of these nylon swim bags is that they can be customized in endless ways. In addition to the clear bags I’ve showcased today, Kelly’s collection includes cosmetic bags, backpacks, and duffel bags – all perfect canvases for your embroidery creativity.
Whether you’re looking to create personalized gifts, build your small business inventory, or simply treat yourself to a fun summer accessory, these nylon embroidered bags are a fantastic option. I can’t wait to see what unique designs of embroidered bag you come up with!
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