knit applique letters tutorial - in DL

I'm not sure if this is too easy and basic, but I took step-by-step pictures of how I embellish a t-shirt with knit applique letters.

These pajama shirts are for my 3 older boys (16 yo, almost 15 yo and 11 1/2 yo). I made each of them pajama lounge pants in the bacon n' eggs green interlock. I was only left with a scrap of that fabric but wanted to do something that would tie their pj tops and bottoms together. So I came up with this.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...g?t=1298677595

So ya, it's an easy embellishment to do. Let me show you how.

First: Get a print out of the letters you want to use. You can us your word processing program and pick a font you like and enlarge it. That's what I did with the shirt that has the letters going down the side. Or go to the Ottobre blog. They have a pdf of letters there. They were a tad too small.....but I enlarged them on my printer (175%).

Notice that the letters are reversed. That's very important.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...g?t=1298677595

You'll need double sided fusible web. I use Heat n' Bond. Love this stuff!!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...g?t=1298677595

Take your printed sheet of letters and place the heat n' bond over them, paper side up. Trace the letters onto the heat n' bond making sure you're tacing the letters in their reversed form.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...g?t=1298677595

Get your scrap of fabric and the letters traced onto the heat n' bond.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...g?t=1298677595

Place the traced letters onto the wrong side of fabric scrap and iron.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...g?t=1298677595

Cut out letters.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...g?t=1298677595

Flip them over and see how pretty they are.....facing the correct direction. :)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...g?t=1298677595

With a water soluble marking pen, draw in your placement line as to where you want your letters.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...g?t=1298677595

Peel off paper backing from each letter.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...g?t=1298677595

Place letters onto shirt and then iron in place.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...g?t=1298677802

Cut out a piece of tear-away embroidery stabilizer and place in on the wrong side of the fabric where the letters are. This is important...especial ly when working with t-shirt knits. In this tutorial the yellow fabric is a rib knit and the scrap is a interlock. So both are stretchy.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...g?t=1298677802

Set up your machine. I used my clear foot and moved my needle over to where it sits in line with the foot guide slit. Also, if your machine has the option, be sure that the needle is in the down position when sewing is stopped.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...g?t=1298677802

Start stitching. It's important to go slow. I watch my foots guide slit thingy the whole time. It's a continuous repeat of sew, lift pressure foot, adjust fabric, lower pressure foot, sew..... etc.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...g?t=1298677802

Here are all my letters stitched in place.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...g?t=1298677802

I tear away most of the stabilizer. I do leave a bit on...don't want to stress out the stitches....especial ly since it's a knit.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...g?t=1298677802

Here is pajama top done.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...g?t=1298677802

So that's it. Easy and fun to do.

Very nice tute! I like to use wonder under and fusible tricot for the back, I'll try tear away stabilizer next time. :)

Basics are good! Thank you!

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Originally Posted by mom2a2z

Basics are good! Thank you!

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Thank you Kelly. I wasn't sure if I should post or not. But I then I remembered when I first started sewing and I had no idea how to do anything. Tutorials were my bestfriend.

Anyhow, I have a whole new appreciation for those that do tuturials. There's a lot of work that goes into them. Stopping and taking pics, uploading pics, editing (resizing), then posting and describing the whole step-by-step process. Whew.....

Thanks to all the ladies that do them. :hug2:

Thanks for sharing!

This is great!

I am still new with sewing and I loved this. Thank you!!

Thanks for sharing. I've done appliques on knit before, but always with a satin stitch. This looks very neat too!

This is something I truly want to learn to do! I wish I was more crafty!

Great tutorial, thank you for sharing!