This has a long story behind it ,but any way how would I go about appliqueing this image onto a t-shirt?
Thanks,
Rae

I would embroider it...red work???

embroider it using different color threads. and different stitches. use light box and transfer the image to the t-shirt. then do the stitching.

I agree.

I wanna here the long story.......

ME too....

How do I do light box? I would really like to use crazy fabrics , does anyone think I could applique it? I thought about using permenant marker to draw the lines in to make the expressions. I just don't know how to begin. I have to go right now, but I will try to post the story in a bit, I'm not sure it will be funny to anyone not knowing the personalities involved but I will try lol.
Rae

fusiable applique and satin stitch around edges.

it would be easier to just outline embroidery it or to use a perm marker to draw it on. But I love the idea of appliquing the crazy fabric... I would use some fusable webbing and iron the " patch" on. Then as "* Holice* sez..... satin stitch around it.. then I would go back with a tiny zigzag or tiny satin stitch to hightlight and draw in the expression and details.

Can't wait to hear the story!

It would be a lot easier if it wasn't on to a T-shirt, but this is what I would do:

Wash the T-shirt to shrink it before using, otherwise it will shrink after and the design will look funny. Draw the outline of the unicorns onto the t-shirt so you know where to place them. You can do that with a pencil and a light box. For a cheap light box you can make a light box with a piece of glass and anything that will hold the glass high enough to put a small light underneath and the light can be one of those that you press on to turn on and off in the closet. Before you draw make sure you iron some interfacing on the back to stabilize the shirt, otherwise drawing will be impossible.

Trace the horses onto freezer paper and cut templates. Make templates only for the parts that will be made out of the different crazy fabrics, like the body of the unicorns, the horns, and even the mouths and eyes. Make sure the fabrics have fusible on the back. Cut the templates out of the fabrics you want to use and iron them onto the t-shirts, right on the marks that you did before.

Make a satin stitch around the applique. Use black thread to make it stand out and look cartoonish and to clearly separate the parts, like the eyes and the body, etc. I would add another layer of fusible interfacing to protect the satin stitches from coming apart during washing. I would then load black thread on the top and bottom of the machine and free hand stitch lines like the eye brows and frown, lines of the ears, muscles of their bodies, separate the teeth and define the smiles and jaw lines. If you cut the eyes out of white or white on white you can then mark with a pencil where you want the pupils to be and stitch them freehand to make them look crazy.

Your greater challenge will be to keep the t-shirt open to do all the stitching, but if it a shirt big enough you should have no problem. Just make sure that the fabrics are washed as well. I usually don't wash first, but you don't want the fabrics shrinking or bleeding after so much work.

It sounds like a real fun project.

Maria

One thing to remember:

Draw on the paper side of the freezer paper and iron the freezer paper templates onto the right side of the fabrics that already have fusible on the wrong side. This way all the components will be facing the right way when you iron them onto the T-shirt.

Now we need the long story.

OK I think after reading the sugestiong I have somewhere to begin, I think I will put it on a square of fabric and then just fuse and sew the square to the T-shirt.I am afraid once the three represtnted by the unicorns see this I will have to make three more. Now for the rest of the
story.....lol( I know your age range if you got that one he he)

My oldest son marches to the beat of his own drum as they say , much like his mother. He has recently moved back home after serving in the USMC for 4 years. Well before his term in the corps he and two others guys were insepreble,through good and MUCH BAD(whew I don't miss the bad) Any way these three had a "falling out right before my son went into the Marines. One of the kids had kept in touch with me off and on and over all these are good kids,well men now. They all grew up but still are very unique shall we say to put it lightly. They are grown up now with spouses and kids,except my son and he lives with me.
Well we were at the flea market a few weeks ago and my son wanted a unicorn shirt (just so he could push buttons . I said "what? a former Marine wear a Unicorn shirt you are crazy" Well now he wont let it go and keeps teasing me that "I will have my unicorn shirt". So yesterday he came home from one of the guys house(The three all reconsiled when my son came home from serving.) My son said 'Mom derick has a unicorn shirt! Why wont you let me get one? " He teases me all the time. Anyway
he wont shut up about the shirt and I just think this is a funny unicorn pic, My intention was to make a "manly" unicorn with blood dripping from the horn etc,for a funny christmas gift, but this is so much more like my son,and the other two it is unbelevable. So there it is I don't know if it makes since ,it is one of those have to be there things .
Rae

Good story and you can definitely see three personalities. I think it will make a fabulous t-shirt but I think you better make three now, those other two friends are gonna be wanting one.

Fun! That is something I would do. I want to see it finished.

How about fabric paint? It holds up to washing better than applique (at least my applique).

Do you mean paint it on with fabric paint? this sounds great too please give me a little detail, sounds easier too! I have never appliqued.

oh this is going to be a great project. I love Marides idea. It is also pretty easy to do. What every your choice is I sure hope you post the final product.

I love the background story!! :D:D:D

Just a suggestion, a 50%cotton/50%poly tee shirt, works better for me when appliquing. I pre shrink them once and then they don't continue to shrink/distort the applique like a 100% cotton does.

I don't have any advice, but I can't wait to see the finished product! :)

I agree with Maride's advice and will add mine. Use a stabilizer on the inside of the shirt to keep your shirt from distorting. A heavy wash-away will work well because it will allow the t-shirt to drape naturally when you finish.

If you paint the fabric, use a textile medium in any acrylic paint and have at it. When painting fabric, less is more. Heat set after it is dry and you are golden. There are fabric paints designed to be used without the textile medium but I liked using what I had on hand. I've painted a LOT of shirts.

Labfairy is right-use a textile paint. At Joann's and Walmart they have t-shirts that are ready for painting, no special treatment is needed. I got my shirts and paints at Joann's (with a coupon) because everything was in one place and I didn't have to go to different areas of the store. They have instruction sheets at our Joann's altho I think you can download them from their site.

Be sure to use good heavy stabilizer under the shirt to keep it flat! You can even satin stitch the fused item to the stabilizer (do not fuse to the stabilizer) after assembling it on teflon or parchment paper. Then all you will need to do is satin stitch around the edge onto the tee shirt! If you want to try this just let us know!

wow! you must have done this before!

Paint or embroidery. Pics please!

A quick and easy way would be to print it. You can buy iron-on transfer paper sheets specially meant to print on t-shirts, on dark or light ones. At least here in Finland, I'm sure you can in the US, too. Just follow the instructions on the package. Google, or ask in office supply stores. I buy mine from an e-shop where I order my printer paper and ink. By the way, if you do print, make sure to have a MIRRORED image first if you have text on the image, otherwise you'll end up with a mirror image. Here' my Xmas present to myself using this method. I bought the pattern, printed it on the transfer sheet using mirror image setting on the printer, now I'll just iron it on a t-shirt. Hope this gives you an idea especially if you need to make several.
These are Amy Bradley's Quilt Diva pictures from www.erica's.com. Thought I' mention just to avoid confusion. I have bought the pattern, not trying to take credit!