Embroidered Patch Tutorial - Backpacks and Lunchboxes!

Well, it's that time, back to school!  My oldest child started Junior Kindergarten this year, sniff sniff!  He's getting so big!  We went shopping, just the two of us, and picked out this backpack from Pottery Barn Kids (thank you very much, mall gift card!).  

I've made embroidered patches before, and knew this would be a great use to personalize his backpack, especially since there was no way to hoop it to embroider directly on it.  

First up, pick a design.  I found a free download for applique shapes, click here to download! It came with rectangles, rounded edge rectangles and ovals.  I added Drake's name and positioned it to the edge of my hoop (I wanted to save fabric and stabilizer).

Next, I hooped some tear away stabilizer.  Probably non-tear away would work better, but this is what I had!

I pinned my fabric really well to the stabilizer, making sure I had enough room to stitch my design.

Let's get to work! Ready, set, go!

I started stitching the rectangle, bad idea.  When it got to the satin stitch on the edge, it tore away from the stabilizer.  So I just used some sticky back stabilizer to stick it back in the correct spot. 

 ***NOTE TO SELF, AND YOU......stitch the name first!*****

I cut away the excess fabric, leaving just stabilizer hooped, and a rectangle of fabric.

Then stitched in the name (Remember, do the name first!)

Once it was finished, I tore away all the excess stabilizer, and then cut a rectange a bit smaller than my patch out of Steam-A-Seam.  Love this stuff!

Peel away one layer of paper from the Steam-A-Seam, stick it on the patch, and then pull off the remaining layer of paper.  

I unzipped the front pocket of the backpack, stuck the patch where I wanted it, and pressed it in place. 

The edges don't stick really well....the iron just won't heat up through the satin stitch well.  This is why I said cut a rectangle of the Steam-A-Seam a bit smaller than the patch.  I used a hot glue gun to run a thin line of glue around the edge to really adhere the patch well. and keep those edges from peeling back in the future.

Voila!  Personalized backpack!

Here's his lunchbox I personalized for him last year.  Same process.  It held up all year long.  (Laptop lunchbox, LOVED it!)

And here's my big boy, off to his first day.  Love you sweet boy!