
Yes, yes, our third of three (do we get a special trophy?) Pokemon birthday parties is in the planning stages. I try to give our guests one special party favor that has more lasting power than a bunch of smaller … Continue reading
Yes, yes, our third of three (do we get a special trophy?) Pokemon birthday parties is in the planning stages. I try to give our guests one special party favor that has more lasting power than a bunch of smaller … Continue reading
When our kids have birthday parties, I always try to give a single larger party favor, rather than a lot of little trinkets. It’s so gratifying to see the boys’ friends continue to use their Ninjago T-shirts and Superhero capes. … Continue reading
We’re not formal people… this is how my son showed up to Kindergarten graduation:
I love these tie “Fat Tie” T-shirts that I bought on Zulily. The boys have worn them for a wedding, too, and they seem to strike the right note of respect and whimsy. After getting lots of comments on them, I decided to make some for our boys and to give as gifts.
This is not the only tutorial around for this project, but each of us approaches it a little differently, so here’s what I did:
I started with plain long-sleeved T-shirts from Lands’ End. Lands’ End is really hard to beat when you are looking for good quality basics. Their sales are great, and I got these shirts for about $5-$10 each. I prewashed the shirts and the fabric for the ties.
I made a template with a piece of scrap paper, using a bit of trial and error to get the shape I wanted.
To make the tie,
I ironed the “tie” onto the shirt, lining up the top to the collar of the shirt and using a tape measure to make sure it was centered.
I’ve seen people describe iron-on projects where they don’t sew down the edges, but it never seems to work for me (the fabric peels off), so I sewed a straight stitch about 1/8″-1/4″ from the edge of the tie.
And here are the finished shirts! Next time, I think I will try some with a false “knot” at the top, like these shirts by Erin at Lemon Tree Creations. I’d also like to try experimenting with a bow tie!
I’ve also made onesies with these appliqued ties, because even babies need to get dressed up sometimes!
So many ways to have fun with this idea!
“Jewels”