Tutorial: Car Applique with Button Wheels

Tutorial: Car Applique with Button Wheels

10 Simple Steps

After making my little girl some pajamas I decided to make another set for my little boy. Of course a two-year old boy needed something boyish but not babyish. I was able to find this flannel fabric with cars, trucks and stoplights, which is a good thing because we are teaching him what the colors of the stoplights mean. Last night he was looking at his pajamas and he said, "Yellow means slow down." :) See clothing can be educational... It was a proud moment. :)

I've found that many people are intimidated by doing an applique so I wanted to do a quick tutorial to show how easy it is.1. Gather materials: t-shirt, fabric, scissors, pen, heat and bond light (if you don't sew you could use the "no-sew" kind - which means you would iron it on and it's done)2. Cut a piece of your Heat and Bond to the size you would like your applique. 3. Lay your Heat and Bond bumpy side down to the BACK of your fabric. Notice the paper side is facing you.

4. Iron on following the directions on the package. I just use a COTTON setting and hold it in place for 3-5 seconds then move the iron to the next spot until the whole piece has been ironed.

5. Let it cool for a few seconds then draw your applique shape. Remember it will be the reverse image once it's ironed onto your t-shirt. So if you are doing a letter for your child's name flip the fabric over and draw the letter on the right side of the fabric itself - not onto the paper you just ironed. Then cut it out.

6. Once it is cut out peel off the paper backing and center it onto your t-shirt.

7. Iron it on. I hold the iron on it for 8-10 seconds in each spot until the whole applique is ironed. This will fuse it onto the t-shirt (make it stick).

8. Sew all the way around the applique staying close to the edge. You can use a straight stitch or zig-zag stitch.

9. Place buttons on where you would like them. Sew them on by hand or using a large zig-zag stitch on your sewing machine. I turn the sewing wheel by hand to go slowly, making sure the needle is in the button hole and not on the button. Needles break very easily when it hits the button.

10. You're DONE! Admire your work! Then make plenty more!