Project #5: Applique a T-Shirt

Fall is in the air, and what better way to welcome the change in seasons but to celebrate with candy corn? Rather than going down to the grocery store and purchasing numerous scores of that deliciously sweet confection, I decided to celebrate with what else, but a project!

Last spring, I bought my daughter a long-sleeve orange t-shirt on clearance for about $2. Okay, I actually bought two. I also found some black pants with yellow, orange, and white polka dots. $4. All that was missing was the touch of fall. I decided to try my hand at applique, which I've never done before. After all, what's cuter and looks nicer than a well-done applique on children's clothing?

I knew my sewing machine had to be capable, but I still needed to do some trials and figure out the best method for actually sewing shaped fabric to the shirt. So off to the trials I went...

I started by trying to find a stitch on my machine that would give the effect I wanted. Some appliques look like a small zigzag, allowing some visibility of the raw edge of the stitched-on shape. Others use a "blanket stitch" look along the edge of the shape. I was looking for a solid, wide stitch that would totally cover the edge of my shape and provide a bold outline of my shape. On my machine, that called for setting a wide zig-zag stitch and then making the stitch length very short. On other machines, it meant selecting the "base" of the button hole stitch (the one that is wide and solid).

Next, I tried my stitch on a couple pieces of fabric. I found immediately that stitching that frequently on a piece of cotton fabric caused it to pucker; reinforcement was definitely needed. I also found that "steering" the fabric through the machine was challenging. The rate, speed, and direction of the stitches had a large impact on the outcome of the appliqued shape. It is particularly important to figure out how to do your curves, points, and sharp angles before you begin your actual project, so be sure to practice those. I highly recommend the practice sessions before beginning your actual project!

This is super-easy. I completed the whole project in one night, and it definitely cost under $10.

Applique a T-Shirt

Materials:
T-shirt or other garment
spray adhesive
lightweight iron-on interfacing (scraps)
scrap fabric for applique shape
coordinating thread

Cost: Under $10
Time: One night
Instructions:
1. Iron your t-shirt to remove all wrinkles.
2. Select an applique shape and cut it out of your scrap fabric. Sew together as needed. (For the candy corn, I got some orange, yellow, and white cotton. I sewed three strips together and then cut the candy corn shape out of the resulting rectangle.)
3. Iron the applique shape flat.
4. Iron lightweight interfacing to the BACK of the applique shape. Trim excess to the exact size of the shape.
5. Turn t-shirt inside out.
6. Cut a piece of lightweight interfacing slightly larger (1/2" - 1" all around) than the applique shape.
7. Iron the larger piece of lightweight interfacing to the INSIDE of the t-shirt in the location where the applique shape will be sewn.
8. Turn t-shirt right-side out.
9. Lightly spray the back of the applique shape with adhesive.
10. Place the shape on the t-shirt.
11. Applique shape to t-shirt using the desired stitch.

Applique looks great on home decor, clothing, and other items! (Think Christmas gifts!!) I'm thinking of adding applique flowers, hearts, and other shapes to more shirts, dresses, and pants for my daughter. Maybe a throw pillow with an initial. What else will you applique?