craft | Smiles and Piles...of laundry

I LOVE making fun things for my baby, and I’m learning to sew, but sometimes it’ just too much work (or, let’s face it, beyond my current skill level.) I kept seeing these adorable t-shirts-turned-onesies on Pinterest and thought, “Easy peasy. I can handle that.” I WISH I had a picture of that final product to show you. In fact, I just went up to baby girl’s room to get it and apparently I’ve thrown it away. She never wore it. It was awesomely bad.

However, when her daycare center held a fundraiser recently, selling logoed t-shirts, I was in. They didn’t sell a onesie version for those of us with infants, but I saw an opportunity. I wanted to transform that shirt into something special for HER. If I could make this work, I could do the same with some of the special shirts I’ve held onto since high school or college (think Senior Night, State Volleyball or Collegiate shirts.)

Suddenly, it came to me. Appliqué! Admittedly, my first few attempts at appliqué were disastrous. Read the instructions. I nearly destroyed my ironing board cover, but came up with a new project instead – featured in a post that is yet to come. For now, here is how I handled this evening’s project. Best of all, it took about 5 minutes and it’s ready-to-wear.

Start with washed and dried shirt and onesie of your choice. Washed and dried fabrics are easier to apply adhesive to. Do not use a dryer sheet or fabric softener.

Cut from the t-shirt the graphic you want to have on the onesie. Leave extra space around the edges. It can be a messy cut.

Apply your adhesive as directed on the package. My favorite adhesive is Steam-A-Seam2 double stick fusible web. You can use it as an iron-on alone OR do the iron-on then stitch around it if you’re looking to jazz it up. It won’t gum your needle. Some brands will, so check your packaging to see if it’s “safe for sewing.”

Trace around the graphic in the shape you’d like. I went with a circle and used a large vase I had in the kitchen. For the marker, I used a special pen (Mark-B-Gone) with ink that disappears when you apply water. It is sold in all sewing and craft stores for about a dollar.

Cut out your graphic and apply to the onesie following the instructions on your adhesive.

NOTE: DO NOT iron directly over your graphic, especially if it’s a screen printed piece. Use a sheet of parchment paper or flip over your onesie and iron from the backside, otherwise you risk melting and smearing your image.