You don't need to know any fancy embroidery stitches to give a bag a new look.

The DMC products used were gifted to me by DMC.

I've finally got round to finishing the bag I started to embroider at the CHSI Stitches Show back in February, hooray! The pre made bag was a gift from DMC filled with goodies from their range for those of us attending the Blogger's Breakfast. Whilst we enjoyed the breakfast and chatted we made a start on something using the lovely bits and pieces provided in our goody bags. I had just made this Running Stitch Embroidered Cushion Cover...

...and I'd been pinning some lovely Sashiko and boro designs with the thought to have a go sometime. So with all this in mind I attacked my bag with some of the lovely DMC Coloris embroidery thread we had been given. 

What I have done here is not Sashiko, it's more like boro but without the patches. I've been doing more research and there is so much to the beautiful Sashiko designs. The stitches don't cross, they are way more even, the patterns are geometric and neat. I can probably get away with calling this "Sashiko inspired", mainly because it was!

I did enjoy doing some hand stitching though. It is simple, very therapeutic and easy to do whilst watching tv. (Sewing machine and TV don't really go well together in my experience!)

There is no big step by step tutorial here, but it couldn't be much easier. Thread a sharp embroidery needle with all 6 strands of embroidery thread (mine is Coloris "Paris" 4515 from DMC), make a knot at one end and then start stitching straight lines.

I just kept adding until I thought it was enough, I used almost the whole skein of thread. 

I'm using it to hold my latest knitting project now, I find it easier to have each thing I working on in it's own bag and this is SO much nicer than a supermarket carrier bag!

This bag is from the DMC Custom by Me range, but I’ve not been able to find any information of where they are widely available. This plain tote is similar, but doesn’t have the lovely handles unfortunately.

Of course this idea would work on any bag, pre-made or made by you, I just really like this navy fabric with the light brown handles and this thread.

Julie

I'll be linking up at these great link parties

Here are a few of my other embroidered bag ideas which you might also like: