The Annual Birthday T-Shirt...This Year is #4!!!

This is what has now become an annual tradition: the Birthday T-Shirt! This year my baby turns 4, so a number 4 it is! Just like previous years, I started with a sketch (which is awesome because I can't draw despite being married to a professional artist), and then I create my vision out of felt. This past year my daughter was taken over by princess-mania, so I thought a princess theme would be appropriate.

1. I started with a simple t-shirt and cut out the basic elements of my design, zig-zag stitching them into place. I used contrasting thread colors. 
 
2. I then decided I wanted to add a few more frills to dress it up. I made an overskirt out of a glittery sheer pink fabric by simply hemming a rectangle and gathering it at the top. I then stitched this on, sewing down both sides and across the top, leaving the bottom open.

 
3. After this I added even more embellishments! Buttons for the eyes (I put a black button over a brown one to give it a pupil. My daughter has big brown eyes, so a brown-eyed princess is a must!) I also sewed some ribbon streamers from the top of her hat, and used an old applique I've had laying around forever to finish the bottom of the hat and the top of the skirt. You could also use ribbon or beads or buttons...you get the idea :-)  Then I tried it on my princess!  I still think this princess looks a little mean...maybe some eyelashes will fix that. Craft projects are never truly done!

Here are her previous t-shirts:




 This is a blog entry I wrote when making Birthday shirt #3! It is written in a "how to" style, although I think this is a pretty simple project!