[ Post a Response | Carrie's Cross Stitch Message Board ]
Posted by Wendy on January 15, 2008, 12:44 pm, in reply to "stitching on a t-shirt"
209.195.163.100
Yes, you need to use interfacing when you stitch on a t-shirt. This will stiffen the shirt so it will be easier to work on, and the interfacing will help to prevent the threads from pulling through the shirt material. I usually use only one sheet of interfacing, although you could use more, but you don't want the finished shirt to be so stiff that it is uncomforable to wear. I also break one of the rules of cross stitching, and I tie knots in my floss so I don't have loose ends coming out in the wash, but make them small so they don't irritate the person wearing the shirt. I have also heard that metallic floss could irritate the wearer of the shirt. There is a kind of interfacing that is applied after the stitching is done, on top of the stitching so that it lies between the skin and the threads. You could try to use something like this to make the shirt more comfortable, although I used something like this once on a towel I stitched, I followed the instructions to iron it on, and it came off soon afterwards, so either I did something wrong or the product and the adhesive were old. I might advise: don't use very long stitches as filler. Long stitches will be loose, and they might not lay right after being washed, and they could get snagged on something and pull out. Maybe use groups of shorter stitches next to each other to fill in large areas. Also, be aware of where the stitched area will lie on the wearer's body, and make sure this doesn't cause any embarrassment (I read about someone who stitched a t-shirt for her granddaughter, but the stitched area didn't look nice over her chest). Here's a link you might find helpful:
http://www.gloria-pat.com/resources/clothing.html
Hope all my comments help you.
Message Thread:
« Back to thread