Just roll it up and go!  Pockets on one end of the towel make it easy to fill it with your beach necessities. Then just roll it up for a day in the sun.

Supplies needed:

• Beach or bath size towel

• 1/4 yard coordinating fabric for pockets

• Scraps of contrasting fabric for applique pieces

• 1 yard of 1-inch wide elastic

• 1 yard of 1-inch wide nylon or cotton webbing

• Embroidery Designs--
  2" Collegiate Applique Alphabet and Applique Star

Instructions:

Lay out your towel, and determine the right and wrong side. 

On the right side of the towel, center the word "MINE" (or your own message) on one end. 
I placed the design center 4 1/2"  from the end of the towel.

Measure the width of the towel. This towel was 27" wide.

Using the width measurement, mark out the pocket piece. I wanted my pocket to be 27" wide by 6" high when finished, and I added a 1-inch seam/hem allowance all the way around. Then divide the piece into 3 equal pockets and mark the center of each pocket. 

Applique embroider a star in the center of each pocket area.

Cut out your pocket piece and hem the top. Press the seam allowances under and fit the pocket to the wrong side, on the opposite end from the MINE embroidery. Pin in place. 

Mark the pocket dividing lines.

Stitch the pocket to the end of the towel, and sew the pocket dividers.

Cut the piece of elastic in half.

Determine the elastic placement by folding the towel in thirds, the long way, and rolling it up. The embroidered MINE should be exposed on the end. Double each piece of elastic over and pin in place at each end of the roll.  Make sure that the elastic will not be covering the embroidery when it is stretched around the rolled towel.

Sew the elastic to the towel, stitching a square with an X in it. 

Sew the webbing just to the inside of the elastics in the same way: square and X.

Now you are almost ready for the beach. Add your sunbathing accessories--lotion, sunglasses, money and, maybe even a book to read--to the pockets.

Then fold the towel in long thirds and roll it up like a sleeping bag.

Stretch the elastic over and around the ends to keep everything in a neat bundle.