Kids Makes

Flower Power T-shirt

This T-shirt project is great for children and adults– both to make and to wear! Designed by Charlotte Liddle, the decorative embellishment is based on a child’s simple drawing

Your choice of decoration will clearly be determined by the style and shape of your illustration, but for the one shown here I used ready-made heart and flower motifs embellished with appliqué and simple embroidery.

You can make all kinds of decorated surfaces using the basic principles shown below, not only for clothes but for canvas bags, pencil cases or bed linen. Adults can even making a grown-up version for themselves, perhaps using a photograph instead of a drawing as the basis for their design.

Materials

T-shirt
Drawing or picture
T-shirt heat transfer paper
Heart motifs (we used Gold Zack motifs)
Selection of buttons
Embroidery floss (we used Anchor Pearl Cotton)

Before you begin

First you will need to transfer your chosen drawing onto heat transfer paper (see below). Once you have fixed the design to the T-shirt, you can decorate it as you wish by adding additional appliqué fabric, beads, buttons and embroidery stitches.

To use heat transfer paper

Scan or photocopy your drawing onto the special heat transfer paper following the manufacturer’s instructions. Cut out some of the shapes in the picture.

Place all the pieces of heat transfer paper with the image face down onto the T-shirt. Move the different elements around until you are happy with the design.


Using a hot iron, iron and transfer the image from the paper pieces to the fabric following manufacturers’ instructions. Peel off the backing paper.

HANDY HINT: Get an adult to do the ironing part for you so there is no danger of you burning yourself or the fabric!

To decorate the T-shirt

1.  Use the heart and flower motifs to decorate and enhance the picture by placing them around the centre image. Add some extra cut out circles and a flower from floral fabric and pin onto the design.

2.  Add printed fabric to the central image, and add additional appliqué leaves to the base, and pin to the T-shirt.


3. Use a hot iron to fix the iron-on red heart motifs to the T-shirt, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

4.  Embellish the design with a straight running stitch or machine stitch. Also use running stitch to secure the appliqué shapes to the T-shirt and add a stem to the flower.

5.  Sew a button to the central flower using contrasting embroidery thread.

6. Finish with a few assorted buttons stitched to the centre of the flower shapes.

Further information

This project has been reproduced from Stitch and Sparkle by Charlotte Liddle. It includes 15 great ideas to add ribbons, pompoms, motifs, beads, sequins and embroidery stitches to create individual, young-at-heart accessories, each accompanied by step by step illustrations. Published by Coats, rrp £7.99, Stitch and Sparkle can be ordered direct from GMC with free p&p. To order tel: 01273 696080 or email: pubs@thegmcgroup.com, quoting offer code R1134. Offer expires 31 December 2007.