9/3/09

Iron-On Onesie Adorableness



It is so easy to dress up a little onesie like this WITHOUT a sewing machine! {some of my ladies get a little freaked out by that whole machine idea...}

Make a bunch of these with a matching burpie and keep them on hand for when the whole 'mating season' comes full term and you've got a bunch of friends with spring babies and/or fall babies coming. And believe me, I've kept track and THAT'S when I seem to be needing baby shower stuff the most! {some of you are blushing...}

These don't have to be just for babies, either. This technique would be fun for a girl or boy's t-shirt.

You'll Need:

Onesies, washed, dried, and pressed
Fabric, washed, dried, and pressed
{that's enough work, isn't it?}

Heat'n'Bond Light Iron-On Adhesive
An Iron
Needle and contrasting thread - just regular spool thread.
Thimble for that middle finger - trust me, you'll want one. I use those rubbery ones for grip.

Step 1: So get some fabric with some cute shapes you can cut out. UNLIKE WHAT I DID HERE...DO NOT CUT OUT YOUR SHAPES. I'm an idiot - learn from my mistakes, okay.

You can also use a piece of solid color fabric or not-so-busy printed fabric and then wait for step #2. With solid colors you can cut out a silhouette of an animal, hearts, geometric shapes, etc. which would be cute.





Step 2: Cut off a piece of the gargantuan roll of Heat'n'Bond big enough to fit over your pieces. Follow the packaging directions - place the rough side of the paper onto the wrong side of your fabric, set your iron to "silk" without any steam, and press the adhesive onto the fabric, making sure all of it gets secured.

**NOTE: This stuff will get all over your ironing board cover if you are an idiot like me. Just make sure fabric is under the Heat'n'Bond at all times and you'll be okay.




Now you can cut out your shapes. Try to leave some white space on the perimeter of your shapes so you can stitch on those outer edges and have plenty of room.

If you're cutting out silhouettes, you can trace your shape on the paper backing of your adhered fabric, which is SO handy.




When your shapes are all cut out, you can peel off the paper backing, exposing more iron-on adhesive for the t-shirt.




Arrange your shapes and press into place firmly. Get them nice and secure.

And that's pretty much it!!! Now you can stitch them on, which I think is the fun part because it's quick and you get to sit and do something creative/mindless. perfect.

You COULD machine stitch, but it's a little difficult on these little onesies - but if you're that advanced, go for it. More power to you.

The way I threaded my needle: (cross-stitch style)

1.) take one long length of sewing thread; fold it in half on itself making a double strand with a loop at the bottom.

2.) Thread the needle with the doubled thread.

3.) With your needle, poke up from the bottom of the shirt wherever you'd like; don't pull the thread all the way through; keep a small loop there waiting...

4.) Make your stitch; go back down and then put your needle through the loop you made, securing it without having to tie a complicated knot.

I wish I had pictures, but seriously? WAY too much work for now!

*Fabric comes from the Michael Miller White Lava Flowers collection.

22 comments:

Letti said...

Thanks for this post. I was just asking a friend about how I use the heat and bond and then I click on your blog and here it is. Thanks again :)

Stephanie said...

Those are so cute. Thanks for the post. I am going to make some of these for my friends.

Welcome to the Garden of Egan said...

Such a great idea. I try to give a gift for ladies in our ward and right now I'm a bit overwhelmed and behind. This one is gonna be a keeper!

Montserrat said...

Easy-shmeezy! And so very cute. You should post the link to this tutorial over at Skip to My Lou. She's creating links for "Gifts You can Sew" in several different categories so we crafters can have access to great ideas for Christmas, birthdays, etc.

http://www.skiptomylou.org/2009/09/02/gifts-you-can-sew/?

Lynaya said...

Those are so cute. I have a little tip for those who have a cricut die cutting machine....Iron the heat and bond to you material, so it is strong enough to cut a shape using your cricut. You will have to use the deep cut blade. Just something to make the cutting easier.

Kristin said...

LOVE this idea and especially the fabric. Where did you get the fabric? I just found your blog through the U Create blog and love it! I'm definately a follower now! This project will be a nice break from the sewing machine.

Alisha said...

I love this idea. I have a big applique project in mind and I've been putting it off because I stink at machine stitching appliques. It looks so cute hand sewn!

Unknown said...

Adorable! Great idea. I have a tip for you when applying the fusible.
To keep your ironing board clean, just iron on a large piece of freezer paper over your board. It adheres well and picks up any of those stray pieces of glue. When you are done just remove the freezer paper and you can reuse many times. It really saves the ironing board and keeps the frustration to a minimum. Now I am wondering if it would adhere to my iron...hmmmm!!

Abby said...

WOW!!! All of the great tips and ideas!!! Thanks, girls! Oh, and I usually get my fabric through online stores-JCaroline being one of my faves. (see my sidebar links)

I can't wait to try that ironing board trick! Thanks Connie!

Joanne said...

I completely hear you on the mating season and need for mass shower gifts! I just made essentially this same project but using a machine earlier this week. Take a peek! :)

http://readysetcraft.blogspot.com/2009/08/appliqued-baby-onesie-tutorial.html

Joanne said...

I completely hear you on the mating season and need for mass shower gifts! I just made essentially this same project but using a machine earlier this week. Take a peek! :)

http://readysetcraft.blogspot.com/2009/08/appliqued-baby-onesie-tutorial.html

Brinkerhoffs said...

I just did something like this the other night only it was an iron-on design. This is much cuter and allows for more creativity. Plus, it sounds a lot easier and more durable.

Jenette said...

Looks easy enough and super super cute! Thanks!

Julie said...

Great post. I've done the heat in bond thing...you really do have to stitch it down and dry on low heat when washing. After seeing your cute cut outs I'll have to try again.

Patsy said...

New grandbaby on the way. Think I will try some Halloween ones!! Thanks for the great idea!

MIchelle said...

What a great idea! I think I might use it to cover some stains on my daughters' shirts. Thanks!

caryn said...

these are so cute!!! and so are you for sharing!!

Swasey family said...

THANK YOU for sharing!!!I Love it, Im going to the store tomorrow to start!!!How cute!!!

Natalie said...

I have a dumb question. :D Do you tie a knot in the bottom of your thread where the loop is? Thanks!

Natalie said...

Oh and these are adorable!! :)

Audrey said...

I feel silly for asking, but where did you find your heat n bond? I'm hoping somewhere like Joann's (b/c that's the closest to me) but I want to be sure before I hunt through a store that may not have it. Thanks! I am dying to make a stack of shirts & onesies for the upcoming holidays! And baby gifts! The ideas from this post are endless!

I found you on Pinterest, by the way. Subscribing to your blog for future ideas!

Abby said...

Hi Aujonfire! (that's cute) I did get my heat'n'bond at JoAnn's - I hope you were able to find some! Sorry it took a while to respond - I didn't see this one!