Preview! Little Blooms: a Mini Snap Purse

Welcome to the official preview of our first Stitch Snippet stitch along project for 2023. It almost feels as if the year is halfway over, but I like to think we slipped under the wire before the absolute end of the first quarter!

Stitch Snippets is an ever-developing series of stitch-along projects available here on Needle ‘n Thread for free. In each stitch-along, we embroider and finish small projects into items that are useful, decorative, or both.

In 2022, we were able to work through four Stitch Snippets together: Bee-Jeweled Pincushion, Cotton Quartet Tool Wallet, Autumn Fire, and Christmas Tree Ornament.

This year, we’re going to start the series by embroidering and constructing a small snap purse – a little case that you can slip into a handbag, your pocket, or wherever you want it, and in which you can stow small things, from cash to ear buds to your lucky paperclip to you-name-it!

Here’s a little introduction to the first Stitch Snippet of the year and what you can expect.

During the course of the project, you’ll learn much about working embroidery projects in general. From set-up, to design transfer, to starting and ending threads, stitching techniques, and finishing techniques – we cover everything that you’ll need to know to embroider and finish this project.

We’ll use eight colors of cotton floche to embroider several types of embroidery stitches and variations, learning how to combine stitches to add interest to the project.

As the project progresses, we’ll talk about making substitutions, adapting the design, incorporating your own stitch choices, and so forth.

You’ll learn how to finish the embroidered fabric into a lovely little fabric-lined pouch that closes with a magnetic snap.

For those who have a sewing machine and can use it for basic sewing, this project finishes well by machine, but it can definitely be hand sewn. As we prepared prototypes for this project, we hand-sewed all the prototypes except one, so don’t worry if you don’t have a machine! We’ll talk about how to hand stitch the mini purse for a lovely finish.

As a finishing touch, we’ll add hand embroidered scallops to the cover flap of the mini snap purse.

What to Expect

Each week, I’ll post a lesson or two here on Needle ‘n Thread. In each installment, I’ll cover tips and techniques for stitching the project and I’ll link to any relevant tutorials that already exist on the website (for embroidery stitches and the like).

We will work step-by-step through the entire project, from start to finish. But you can work at your own pace! Don’t feel like you have to keep up with each lesson, though you certainly can if you want. You shouldn’t feel any pressure. The lessons will be available here on the blog at least through the end of 2023.

The project is suitable for determined beginners and beyond. You should have an understanding of how to thread a needle, how to use a hoop, how to start and end threads, and the very basics of hand stitching. I’ll link to tutorials for most beginner questions as we work through the project together.

For Members

If you are a member of my Needle ‘n Thread Community on Patreon, you’ll be able to follow along here on the blog, but you’ll also receive a specially formatted, easy-to-download-and-print PDF for the lessons. These PDFs will be posted on Patreon as we work through the project. They are available to every level of membership on Patreon.

Videos, Too!

This year, as a little added bonus for members who are “Dedicated Stitchers” and “Avid Stitchers” on my Patreon page ($3+ per month), I’ll also be adding occasional video tutorials specifically for this project.

I’m excited about adding the videos! Many of you have asked for video, and I’m happy to finally be able to generate some again. The full videos will show up only on Patreon, although I may post shorter clips in other places as well.

Little Blooms Materials Kits

So that you can have access to all the materials through one source, I’ve put together a materials kit for this project, which is available here. The kit is a great way to have all the materials on hand without having to order from multiple sources!

In the kit, you’ll find all the essential ingredients to create your own mini snap purse: linen ground fabric, cotton lining fabric, eight colors of cotton floche, perle cotton in a coordinating color, needles, and a magnetic snap.

You supply the embroidery hoop or frame, scissors, sewing thread, and tools helpful for the finish work, such as pins or clips.

For those unable to order the kit, never fear! You can certainly stitch the project project by using supplies from your own stash. As the project unfolds, I’ll let you know what supplies we used, so that you can make well-considered substitutions.

And even if you don’t want to make the mini snap purse, you can follow along with the lessons as they develop here on Needle ‘n Thread, picking up all kinds of embroidery tips and techniques that you can apply to your own stitching projects.

Kit Availability

Kits will be released in my shop here on the website on Thursday, March 16, at 10:00 am central time. They will ship the next week, starting Monday. I have not yet finished pricing out the kits, but as always with the Stitch Snippets, I’ll do my best to keep the price around or under $30 / kit.

Members of the Needle ‘n Thread Community on Patreon will have a private early shopping event, so if you’re a member, keep an eye out for that announcement!

Should the kits sell out (we have tried once again to increase the quantity so that the kits are available for those who want them), we will do our best to make more in a timely manner.

So that’s what you can expect with this year’s first Stitch Snippet, Little Blooms: a Mini Snap Purse!

I’m excited to get going with this project, and I hope that you enjoy following along with it as much as I enjoyed designing and stitching it!