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Embroidered T-Shirts

To decorate this T-shirt we used the designs from the Zen Art Heart Set for the commercial size hoop. You can use a smaller design, but please keep in mind that you'll have to use smaller beads/crystals/cabuchons.

Click to enlarge

You will need :

embroidery thread (choose any color appropriate to your project),
light-weight iron-on cut-away stabilizer, (we used SULKY Soft' n Sheer)
A T-shirt,
Cabuchons, gems or crystals (we used 5mm and 9 mm red cabuchons, 15 and 20 mm pearl cabuchons, and 1, 2 and 5 mm hot-fix crystals. Please note that plastic cabuchons are preferable, glass and natural ones are too heavy for a T-shirt!)
permanent adhesive for jewelry (we used Beacon Gen-Tac).

Embroidery:

There are two files in the Zen Art Heart Set. They are basically the same. The difference is that in the first file the circles are filled in with emroidery, while in the second file they remain blank. Choose the file you need for the project.

Upload it into your embroidery machine.

Stabilize the T-shirt with light-weight iron-on stabilizer. Hoop it, tighten the hoop.

Embroider the file.

This is a stitch-out of the first file.

This is a stitch-out of the second file.

While the working piece is still in the hoop, adhere the cabuchons.

Let the glue dry. The T-shirt is ready!

A close-up of the embroidery:

We chose not to use any further embellishments of the stitch-out on the navy blue T-shirt.

We decorated the design on the black T-shirt with pearl plastic cabuchons.

We think there are more artistic options when you embroider the second file on a light-colored background: you can use fabric markersm paints or pencils to color the design, and you can attach hot-fix crystals or sew-on beads, etc.