Tropical Fish Bag
Get hooked on stitching and scale up your embroidery game! In this class, you’ll learn eleven new embroidery stitches, stitching fish-by-fish on this custom printed cotton sateen panel. When you are done stitching the embellishments, in the last lesson you’ll learn how to finish yours into a 12×8 inch zippered project bag.
Featured stitches in this project: rosette stitch, herringbone, arrow, feather, buttonhole, wheatear with sequins, sorbello, rope, stepped threaded running, shisha, fly stitch with sequins, fishbone stitch, figure eight knots. Each fish introduces one or two featured stitches, so you’ll build your skills a little at a time as the reef comes to life.
There’s a materials list with everything you’ll need for this project below. In the lessons, you’ll find a picture-in-picture view so you can see both the instructor and a close up view of the studio table so you can see every stitch step-by-step. You’ll leave with a whole collection of new stitches and a project bag you’ll use for years.
What’s included in this class:
- 200 minutes of video lessons
- Step by step demos from start to finish
- Resources for materials & favorite tools
- Lots of photos with close up views of the stitches
- Lessons are accessible via your web browser on any device
This is the best kind of school!
This class has a specific project that we will work on together, but you can use these stitches for so many other things! The fish design gives you lots of opportunity to practice, just like a sampler, but at the end you get something you can make into a fun object you can use. Don’t want a project bag? Use your panels as a tote bag pocket, add to a pillow or even frame them!
Materials you’ll need
- the fabric panel used for this class is available in my Spoonflower shop. You need a fat quarter of fabric (approx $12). I recommend Petal Signature Cotton or Organic Cotton Sateen for this class.
- assorted colors of perle cotton thread or 6 stranded embroidery thread. I also have an optional thread pack available for purchase.
- scissors, needle
- optional: an embroidery hoop or fusible fleece fabric
More details about colors, recommended materials, and sources for purchasing materials are included in the lessons. The optional thread pack matches my sample exactly, but you’re welcome to use any colors you already have.
The intro lesson is open to everyone so you can watch and collect your materials before your register for the class. Just click the enroll button below and you will see the Intro lesson “unlocked” in the list of lessons. You can watch that first lesson as you wait for your fabric to arrive.
This class works on your schedule.
In this on-demand version you work at your own pace, completing the lessons on your schedule whenever you want to stitch. There’s a comments section in every lesson to ask questions if you need help.
Want to watch a sample lesson? You can watch the “Materials & Tools” lesson for free by clicking on the “Enroll in this class” button below.
I love beginners.
You do not need embroidery experience for this class. Beginners are welcome! If you’ve done a little embroidery before, great!
The fabric panel has guidelines marked to help with your stitching so you can make precise stitches by just following the lines. And the best part is you get to choose your own colors for each design. I’ll give you some suggestions for how many colors work best for each design and show you stitched samples so you can see how the designs look when stitched in different color variations.
Skill Level
Beginner.
You don’t need any embroidery experience. A little hand sewing experience is helpful. You should be confident threading a needle and tying a knot.
Never sewn a zipper before? No problem. I’ll show you how to finish your bag either by hand or with a sewing machine, with step-by-step guidance for both.
