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.


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.


You'll need double sided fusible web. I use Heat n' Bond. Love this stuff!!


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.


Get your scrap of fabric and the letters traced onto the heat n' bond.


Place the traced letters onto the wrong side of fabric scrap and iron.


Cut out letters.


Flip them over and see how pretty they are.....facing the correct direction.


With a water soluble marking pen, draw in your placement line as to where you want your letters.


Peel off paper backing from each letter.


Place letters onto shirt and then iron in place.


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.


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.


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.


Here are all my letters stitched in place.


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.


Here is pajama top done.


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