Personalizing Tee shirts with felt?

Question

I bought tee shirts at Micheals for my 4 year old son. I was thinking about designing a school bus and creating a little scene out of felt and attaching it to the tee shirt. HAs anyone ever done this? I was going to use a craft glue and then applique stich it with my machine.

Answer 1

hi, fellow t-shirt mangler :) (that *is* a compliment, of course! :)

although i've never done this, i don't see why you couldn't at least *try* it; my question, though, is why would you need both glue *and* machine-stitching... (am i displaying ignorance here? is there a reason why machine- and/or hand-applique alone *wouldn't* be enough?)

something to think about, though, for those who aren't used to working with more than one type of fabric in the same garment:

unless you're not planning on washing it , you need to be concerned about different (for lack of a better term, i'll make one up) "shrinkage factors." (e.g., the t-shirt material is possibly likely to shrink at a different rate/under different conditions than your felt could [and one or both of *them* may vary from some other fabric[s] you may, for example, use for additional embellishments])

some quilters get around that issue by "pre-shrinking" all materials used in "multi-material" works... something to think about?

good luck,

renee~ [who realizes she's really answered a different question, but figures it's one worth addressing and hopes this helps anyway]

(and who has never answered here before [it's my first time!], so please go easy on me if i've broken any protocols...? or, at least, don't laugh *too* hard at me? thanks :)

[and now, off to find out that someone else has provided the perfect answer while i was off typing this one...!]

Answer 2

Instead of felt, I would use a woven cotton or cotton blend cloth such as calico or broadcloth. Felt doesn't always hold up to repeated washings. You can often find remnant pieces at fabric and craft stores for a reasonable price. Also there is a product, I think it's called "Wonder Under" that works great. It is like iron-on interfacing, but it stick on both sides.

Answer 3

The felt might be too heavy. How about sacrificing one shirt by cutting it flat, then backing it with iron-on interfacing. Then cut your design from that, and attach it with fusible webbing or applique stitching. Bewcause it's the same material, it will have a more professional finish.

Answer 4

felt will fall apart, use plain colored or patterned all cotton fabric from Joanns and use the double stick iron on backing, there is one you can sew through, joanns knows what it is, and then you iron it on the colored fabrics, cut out your shapes, iron onto the shirt, then zig zag or satin stitch with your machine, works like a charm. i did lots of applique pillows for christmas gifts that way. felt shrinks, bleeds color and then falls apart after a few washings, its not woven at all but only pressed together, its not meant for anything that gets washed or gets much wear.

Answer 5

Follow Humming's instructions. Craft felt available in stores isn't made to hold up to washing, so unless you're willing to spend the time and much higher expense on finding and buying 100% wool felt, your best bet is other fabrics, such as cotton and polyester remnants.