Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Sewing: Dog Appliqued T-Shirt (Tutorial and Template)


I often stock up on plain t-shirts with the idea that I'm going to embellish them for the girls, but most of them are still sitting, unembellished. So I have to give a little cheer when I actually make one! I bought this plain white polo shirt for Audrey during the back-to-school sales with the idea of sewing on a dog applique. Anything "dog" works for Audrey.


So she approved the "sitting dog" design and the fabrics and I went to work.


It was so much fun that I decided to make one for Scarlett too.


Two doggy t-shirts.


I love the appliqued t-shirts by Mini-Boden and after making some of my own I admire them even more! It's no easy thing to pick the right combination of fabrics and prints and scale of the prints and maintain the integrity of the image you are trying to represent! I think next time I will use more solids...


Want to make one? I've got the template and the tutorial for you. Click to read more...



DOG APPLIQUE T-SHIRT TUTORIAL


You will need:
  • My sitting dog applique template (this is hosted by Scribd; you will need a Facebook account to access it)
  • Various scraps of fabric
  • Heat N'Bond in a light weight or medium weight

Download the applique template (it's a PDF file) and print it out. Cut out the dog. Cut out the tail separately.

Apply the Heat N'Bond according to the instructions on the wrong side of the fabrics you plan to use for the applique pieces. Trace the dog onto the adhesive backing. Place the dog template right side down onto this wrong side of the fabric (so that the dog is facing right and will be facing to the left on the right side of the fabric--this is of course unless you would like to reverse the image!).


Don't forget to cut out the hole between the dogs legs on the template and trace it on the paper.



Once you have traced the dog you can cut out the other parts of the template: collar, ear, nose, eye.

Use these to trace the various shapes on your fabric.


 Cut out the dog and the other shapes from your fabrics.


You can put together the dog to make certain you like the fabrics you've picked. I also cut out a circle about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. (It could be a bouncing ball or it could be a balloon...you'll have to decide! One of my girls thinks of it as a balloon and the other ball and I've told them they are both correct.)


Iron the dog to the t-shirt following the Heat N'Bond directions.


Top stitch very close to the edge of this applique. I used a dark blue thread so that it contrasts a bit.

I didn't back the t-shirt with interfacing, but you could do this in the area you are sewing the applique for extra stability. The Heat N'Bond stabilizes the fabric a bit. It also prevents fraying, but even if there is a bit of fraying the stitching is so close to the edge that I wouldn't mind it.


Next I ironed and then stitched on the ball/balloon. I added a string/bounce line too.


Then iron on the tail and the ear. Stitch around those too.


Next comes the collar.


Finally, add the nose and the eye. These are the most difficult because they are so small. They would look great hand-embroidered! You should try it if you do that. Maybe I'll add some embroidery the next time I make an applique.


And there is your sitting dog!


Will you make one? Two? I'd love to hear if you do. These would make an adorable quilt too. Don't you think?



16 comments:

Jessica said...

These are really cute! Definitely cuter than I expected from "dog appliqué" :) I should really play around with some more involved designs like this.

Charity said...

These are adorable! I really like it in the fabric combo you used for Scarlett. Love the design. =)

Seaweed and Raine said...

Such cute little pooches. The girls look so pleased with them. The fabrics you used for Scarlet's dog seem to work really well I think.
By the way, did you know that you can insert images in google docs? (now hosted at google drive).

CateyG said...

Very nice. I was actually thinking of you today when I was in Target. They had some doggie-themed clothes for girls which made me think of your dog-skirt post and Audrey's love of dogs.

Galatina said...

So lovely - the dogs have so much character.

Nancy said...

They look fantastic, thanks for sharing! I agree that the dog has a lot of character to it and I love the fabrics.

Mereknits said...

Love the shirt, but those girls make me smile every time I see them.
Have a great day,
Meredith

annette said...

i love this! and so will my daughter. i've been working a lot with appliques lately so this will be some good practice.

Emily said...

Beautiful, as usual. One day I will applique something. :)

free indeed said...

You did a fabulous job! The fabrics are too cute too.

Grandma G said...

Those are so cute (but not as cute as your girls!). :) Thanks for sharing the applique! I think your fabric choices are great!

Dagmar said...

You continue to inspire us all and create such adorable outfitsl! What will you do for Tess?
Xo

Leigh Anne said...

I also have the same pile of plain tee's waiting for some embellishment. Glad to know I'm not the only one :) Love the doggie...such an adorable silhouette!

Liz said...

I also admire the mini Boden shirts, and I love your take on it. I keep putting applique on my "to do" list, and I know that my daughter would also love the puppy!

bdipo said...

Thanks. Appreciable.
http://www.uk250.co.uk

Unknown said...

Thanks for posting this, my daughter put it on a t-shirt for a birthday present for her friend who was very happy with the result.
Here's a link to a pic...
http://tinyurl.com/nebv68b

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