My 1st Applique Attempt

For quite awhile now, I've been wanting to learn how to applique a shirt or onesie for my babies. Last year, Brandie created some really cute outfits for her girls with applique crosses & Christmas trees, and I just never took the time to venture to Hobby Lobby, buy the supplies needed and try it out for Kanyon. For some reason, I've been determined with myself to make a to-do list of things I want to accomplish, preferably before Baby Karter gets here...and at the top of the growing list is Learn to Applique!

Here is my first attempt.

I decided to start with a onesie for Karter.

I found a 2-pk of onesies @ Ross...

 for only $4....

 We went to Hobby Lobby and I did something I've never done before...bought fabric. I think I've been too scared in the past to actually make a fabric purchase. Silly, I know. I guess I feel like such an amateur (because I am) and I also get very overwhelmed with decision-making when faced with rows and rows of pretty fabric. Nor do I know how much to ask the lady to cut the piece for my project. But I bucked up and went there with a mission to accomplish. 

I was only going to get 1/8yd but decided to get a 1/4yd for trial and error when I went to cut out the fabric...plus I might make a burp cloth with an applique to match the onesie if all goes smoothly. 10 minutes spent scoping out which fabric to start with and I made a $1.22 purchase.

 I'm a Zebra print addict. I'd redo my whole house with varieties of zebra print, but for now I'll stick to dressing up my baby girl in it! The colors are pink and dark pink, but could be red?

 I found the "stuff" used to make the applique stick to the shirt. I didn't know which brand or kind to go with, so I chose "Steam-a-Seam" for $5. It has individual sheets of interfacing instead of coming in a roll. I just hoped for the best. Please feel free to ignore all the talk of pricing, I'm just curious later to see how many items I can produce with the supplies I bought and how much one onesie creation amounts to. (If you go to etsy.com and purchase an applique onesie from a seller they are at least $15-$25 bucks.)

 On Sunday I was dedicated to beginning and completing my first applique attempt.

I traced a Letter K on to the "special" paper, attached it to the fabric backwards, carefully as I could out the K paper/fabric combo template (which led me to add to my to-do list...purchase very sharp scissors), ironed it permanently onto the onesie. Then I sat there staring at the really cute creation I made. And thinking, wow, that was soooo easy. and fast. Why did I wait this long to figure this out?

But I also didn't know what to do next. Some people just hand-stitch the edges of the applique to the shirt, but it looks prettier and more professional if you sew it with the sewing machine. I climbed a chair in the closet and pulled out the sewing machine, tried to thread it, but I could not for the life of me figure it out (my mom gave it to me - it was her first sewing machine from when I was a baby or maybe from when she got married, we're talking 25 plus years ago). I may ask Santa for a sewing machine for X-mas.

So, I put the sewing machine back in it's dungeon, and brought out the simple needle & thread. I wanted the stitching to "pop" or stand out, so I chose turquoise, but then I noticed it only show-cased the non-straightness of my crappy stitching. I ripped out the blue thread, swapped to light pink for a more blendable outcome. It's still not straight - stiches aren't the same length or same width apart or in a straight line, but Hallelujah.....I made my first applique onesie for my sweet bundle of joy!!!

Since this onesie is for my own sweet pea, I'm not too worried about it not being perfect. Don't worry, I can guarantee this will not be my one and only attempt at a little applique creating. I think I may try a Cross on a onesie next. I would like to make them both a Pumpkin onesie/shirt for Thanksgiving timing. And I really, really intend on making them Lil Sis & Big Bro shirts for when Karter gets here. Oh, and I want to make Kanyon a Tie applique shirt...maybe in Halloween colors?

I just need to figure out how I want the stitching part to look via hand-stitching being my only option and remind myself that practice makes perfect. I have high hopes for my future creations! And to one day gather lots of patience for setting up the sewing machine and SEW something for my sweeties.