Dog Walking Bag (Machine Embroidery In-the-Hoop Project)

Do you need a bag to hold everything you need while walking your dog? This cross-body dog walking bag could be the solution.  

Keep dog treats, leash, your cell phone, dog waste bags and other essentials together while walking your dog with this dog walking bag. 

This is a machine embroidery in-the-hoop project.  It’s made in-the-hoop in two hoopings and comes out with all finished seams inside.  The strap and D-ring loops are made on a conventional sewing machine. 

This is a pattern available from Sweet Pea Machine embroidery designs along with a full step-by-step PDF tutorial to guide you through this project.  Look below for a link to this design.

What is In-the-Hoop Machine Embroidery?

A machine embroidery design is an in-the-hoop design (abbreviated ITH) when the whole object (or a majority of it) is created with the embroidery machine.  There are many types of patterns for in-the-hoop embroidery including bags (like this one), stuffed animals, table toppers, mug rug, keyfobs and more.  

These machine embroidery designs have a series of steps and often come with a step-by-step PDF tutorial.  Fabrics are hooped, laid on top of the hoop, or under the hoop and each step is stitched.  In the end, the finished object is popped out of the hoop and there may be a small opening to close with hand stitching or gluing.

This project is described as having two hoopings.  The first hooping stitches the smaller front zippered pocket. Once it's stitched, this section is popped out of the hoop and the 2nd hooping will finish the bag.  During the 2nd hooping, the small front zipper pocket will be stitched into the bag.

If you have never tried an in-the-hoop project, you may want to try out one of these Free In-the-Hoop Machine Embroidery Projects before trying this bag. The Puppy Purse tutorial is also by Sweet Pea Machine Embroidery Designs so it can get you familiar with making a project before trying out this Dog Walking Bag.

Once I found out about in-the-hoop embroidery designs, I can't stop making them!

Learn more about this dog walking bag machine embroidery project by watching the video on Youtube through the link below or keep reading this post.

WHAT YOU NEED:

• Dog Walking Bag Machine Embroidery Design by Sweet Pea Machine Embroidery Designs.
• Two or three fabrics - see recommendations below
• Two 9" Zippers (smaller can be used for smaller bag sizes)
• Two D Rings, Two Lobster Clasps & a Slide Buckle (see links below)
• Batting
• Fusible Interfacing (optional)
• Water-soluble stabilizer
• Embroidery Machine

About the Dog Walking bag Machine Embroidery Design

As with all of Sweet Pea’s designs, the design files come with a complete step-by-step photo tutorial to guide you through making this bag.  Their photo tutorials are always excellent. 

This pattern can be made in a 5x7, 6x10, or 7x12 hoop.

Full cutting instructions for each bag size are included in the PDF instructions. There are three fabrics identified in the cutting instructions but I used two fabrics for my bags.

The design is available for most embroidery machines but requires a minimum 5" x 7" hoop size. Review the pattern listing to be sure it's compatible with your embroidery machine.

Dog Walking Bag Fabrics

For my bags, I found these cute dog-themed fabrics.  Don’t worry though if you do not have dog-themed fabrics, the embroidery design includes dog footprints and dog silhouettes to decorate the front of the bag.  So, even plain fabrics can be used to make this bag.

Cotton fabrics are recommended for this bag.  Sweet Pea does not give the amount of fabrics to purchase as it would vary by the size of the bag and how many fabrics are used.

Adjustable Strap

The dog walking bag has a cross-body adjustable strap, hooked on with lobster clasps and D-rings. This strap is stitched on your sewing machine and attached after the rest of the bag is completed.

A slide buckle allows the strap length to be adjusted as needed.

Dog Walking Bag Features

The bag has two zippered openings and an open pocket.  A roll of doggie bags can be put into the smaller pocket and pulled through the dog bone shaped opening in the front of the pocket.  This gives easy access to your doggie bags when walking your dog.

This bag has completely finished seams throughout with no raw edges!

Opening the top zipper reveals a roomy large pocket perfect for holding your cell phone, keys and other essentials.

The smaller zippered pocket opens and holds the doggie bags.  Push the end of the doggie bag through the finished hole in the front of the pocket so they are easily accessed when needed.

Behind the smaller zipper pocket is a small open pocket.  This pocket can be perfect for holding a few doggie treats while on your walk. Or anything you need quick access to.

The hole for the doggie bags is finished to look like a dog bone. How cute is that!

For the back of the bag, I used a large print dog fabric.  

Supplies Needed to make this dog walking bag

Two or more fabrics can be used for this bag. I chose coordinating dog-themed fabrics, but any fabrics can be used to make the bag.  Cotton fabrics are recommended for this bag.

If you use more solid light-colored fabric for the larger areas on the front pockets, the cute embroideries can be stitched to enhance the bag.

This bag has two zippers.  Depending on the width of the bag stitched, 7" - 9" zippers are needed.

For the adjustable cross-body strap, you will need two D rings, two lobster clasps, and one slide buckle.

The inside of the bag has batting and fusible interfacing.  

I used one layer of fabric type water-soluble stabilizer in my hoop when starting each of the two hoopings of this project. 

How it's Sewn

The strap and tabs are sewn on a sewing machine, but the rest is assembled completely in your embroidery hoop.  To make the straps and tabs, the fabric is folded, ironed and topstitched.  The slide buckle and lobster clasps are added to the strap and it's set aside until the bag is completed.

Once the dog walking bag is completed, the bag is popped out of the hoop, turned twice and you have a finished bag.  There is one small opening to be hand-sewn or glued closed.  This opening ends up inside the bag so you don't even see it when the bag is finished.

The first hooping stitches the smaller front pocket.  After popping the smaller pocket out of the hoop, the main bag is stitched in the second hooping.  At one step, the smaller front pocket is placed on top of the hoop and stitched into the bag.

Don't be afraid of the zippers in this bag!  They are easy to stitch when making an in-the-hoop bag.  A step will stitch the zipper outline to show where to place the zipper.  The zipper is then placed within the outline and taped in place.  The next step in the embroidery design will stitch the zipper to the stabilizer on both sides.  Other steps will then add and stitch down the fabrics on each side of the zipper.  Easy peasy!

This design will instruct you to put fabrics facing up or down.  It will also instruct to put fabrics up or down on the BACK of the hoop.  Closely read and follow each direction.  The photos are also a huge help in understanding how to make this bag.

Be sure to move the zipper to the center when it says to in the instructions. Otherwise, your zipper pull will end up outside your bag. 

When stitching the main bag, the loops and D-rings will be added.  Don't miss this step.

After removing the project from the hoop, be sure to remove the stabilizer and trim the seams as suggested.  This is a bulky project so trimming the seams is essential.

Embroideries

The design includes dog footprints embroidered below the top zipper.  These are optional and can be embroidered with multiple color threads.  The dog silhouettes are embroidered on the fabric around the hole for the dog waste bags.

I left this extra embroidery off my bag since my fabric was so busy already with dog-themed fabrics.  The embroideries would not show up as well on this busy fabric.

 I did embroider the decorative stitches on the bag around the zippers.  I also embroidered the opening shaped like a dog bone.

Tips for making this Dog Walking Bag

Some tips when making this project:

• Cut each of your fabrics and keep them in separate piles for the “Front Zipper Pocket” and “Bag”.
• Label each of the pieces with the same label as in the instructions. This will make it easier to identify the pieces to use when they are mentioned in the tutorial.  I like to use flat pins with letters & numbers on them to pin to each fabric. See the link below for where to purchase pins like these.
• The cutting instructions are marked for each size bag, so be sure to cut following the correct instructions.
• Carefully read each step! You will be flipping the hoop over and putting fabrics on the back as well as the front.  Use tape to hold the fabrics in place.
• Remove the tape after the fabric is sewn down.
• Be sure to trim carefully when it says to trim fabrics and batting. In the end, this bag has MANY layers and is quite thick when turning it right side out.  Trimming is important to keep the seams thinner.

This was a fun project to make and will be a helpful accessory when walking the dog.  

I decided to give these as gifts for the holidays to several friends and relatives who have dogs.

Some other In-the-Hoop (ITH) Machine Embroidery Projects you might be interested in are below. 

Pocket Purses by Anita Goodesign

Tall Cell Phone Wallet - Design by Embroidery Garden