St. Patty's Day Baby Shirts

I have a plain white top for Boo, and some extra onesies that she outgrown, but never worn. St. Patrick's Day is a-coming, and I got the craft bug. I got my fabric paints and found a pack of hole-punch reinforcement stickers in one of my desk drawers. Oh yes, watch out! Haha.

These aren't green for St.Patty's but I used the same technique to brighten up some onesies with some "necklaces":

I was inspired by fringe:

The process is simple. Insert cardboard, wax paper or a magazine inside the shirt. The way, the paint won't leak through and get on the back of the shirt! I used the reinforcement stickers to create a design right on the shirt.  You want to have each circle overlap the previous. Press on the stickers to make a good seal on the shirt. You do not want gaps or air bubbles: 

Get a small paintbrush and dab fabric paint onto the shirt in an up and down motion, just as you would for stencils. Brushing it from side to side will increase the chance the paint running outside of where you want it, or underneath the sticker.  You want about 2 coats of paint:

Carefully remove the stickers. I find that you can re-use them 2 to 3 times, especially if you are doing the same color. Here I am making a second strand of "necklace":

I used the brown fabric paint (bottle with a fine tip at the end), and made dots in between the purple circles:

Look like necklaces, right? I hope!

I designed a little 4 leaf clover, using the same method:

And painted a heart in the middle:

What do you think? Time to get creative. 

Good luck! =)

3 Techniques to Fabric Flowers

I like fabric flowers. They are cute and so versatile. You can do so much with them. Sew or glue it on a pin, hair clip, necklace, headband, bracelet, handbags, baby hats, shirts (good for covering up a stain)...the possibilities are endless! They are truly simple and easy to make. The great thing about them is that nothing needs to be perfect or precise. 

1) Rolled Fabric Flowers

Start with 2 strips of material 1 inch in width, and as for the length, the bigger you want the flower, the longer you need. I used about 14" inches.  I recycled and cut from a tank top I haven't worn in years:

Stack them so the right sides are face out, make a knot on one end, and cut off the excess:

Hold on the knot and with your other hand, twirl the strips a few times, wrapping it around the knot as you go. Be careful to not twist it too tight:

Every couple of twirls/twists, I would dab a tiny bit of fabric glue on:

When you get to the end, just fold the last 1/2 to 1 inch of fabric to the back and glue"

Flip it around and here is the front. Done!

2) Gathered Fabric Flowers

Start with a strip of material 1 inch in width and about 24 inches in length.  I recycled another old tank top! 

With a needle and coordinating thread, make a straight running stitch on the edge of the long side, for the entire length:

When you get to the end, do not knot or cut the thread. Simply hold the end of the thread and gently pull the fabric down. It will start to gather:

Wrap it around itself twice to form into a flower shape:

Fix the shape if necessary. Take the needle and sew the middle together. Remember to sew through both layers. Here is the back:

Sew a button in the front and you're done!

3. Circle Fabric Flower

You will need to cut 4 circles with a 2 inch diameter, 4 circles with a 2.5 inch diameter, and 5 circles with a 3 inch diameter.  I used another shirt that I don't wear anymore. I found different size cups with those diameter, and traced onto the fabric:

We will start with the stack of 3 inch circles. Take a circle and fold it in half, then half again:

Now we have a "petal":

Fold 4 of the 3 inch circles and leave the last one out:

Take one petal and put it on top of the circle.  Take a needle and coordinating thread, and sew the tip of the petal corner to the middle of the circle:

Put a second petal and put it opposite of the 1st petal. Then sew the tip:

Add the last two petals on each side, and sew. Now you have the 1st "petal layer":

Take the stack of 2.5 inch circles and fold all 4 into petals. Take a petal and put it on top of the petal layer, making sure it covers the seam from the precious layer like this:

Then with the same process, create a 2nd petal layer:

Now take the four 2 inch circles and create the last petal layer, covering up the seams from the previous layer. With this top layer, you want to make sure your stitches are neat, as it will be visible:

The sewing is done but it doesn't quite look like a flower yet:

Here is the magic - hold it upside down and give it a nice gentle shake:

Flip it over, and ta-da, done!

I hope you find this tutorial helpful.

Which ones do you like the best?

Good luck and enjoy your beautiful fabric flowers!