Happy Camper--Shirts!

"My Heart is at Home in the Great Outdoors!"

Ah the marshmallow roasting, hiking, swimming in freezing lakes, trying to find my kids under all the dirt, swatting mosquitoes, eating out of a dutch oven... it must be Camping time!! About a month ago I saw THIS shirt on Tatertots and Jello, and fell in love, I knew I needed to make a HAPPY CAMPER SHIRT! But since I don't have Silhouette, or heat transfer stuff (sigh)... I knew I must find a different way. So I decided to APPLIQUE!! Which I am fast becoming a fan of... it is easy, and super versatile. 

Items Needed:
Solid Color Shirt
Scrap fabrics, I used silky silver material for campers
Ric Rac
Lace for Curtains
Iron on Interfacing
Heat and Bond (I think Wonder Under is also the same thing)
Embroider machine, if wanted

Here is a very rough pattern, it gives you a basic idea of the shapes used.  This should fill an 8.5x11 sheet of paper.

Part 1: Applique

1. Draw your patterns on to Heat and Bond, on the smooth paper side.
   
2. Cut around your pattern (not right on pattern)
   
3. Optional: Cut out windows inside your pattern so shirt will not be so bulky. I would not recommend it on the silky fabric I used... but with heavy cotton fabric it works great!
   
4. Iron the Heat and Bond on to your desired fabric.
   
5. Cut the pattern pieces out, with Heat and Bond attached.
   

Repeat this step for all of the camper pattern pieces, including hitch wheels and door.

Part 2: Applique

1. Now that your pieces are all cut out, sew the ric rac onto your camper.
   
2. Iron the door onto your camper. Sew around the door with a decorative stitch to secure the door. I used a satin stitch which is just a zig zag stitch with really narrow zigs!
   
3. Baste your lace curtain to the back of the camper, so it will stay securely on when you attach it to the shirt.
   
4. Your camper should now look like this!

Part 3: Applique

1. Iron on interfacing to the back of the shirt. This helps so the shirt does not stretch when you put your camper on.
   
2. Remove Heat and Bond paper from the back of your camper. Iron the camper onto your shirt. Iron on your wheel and your hitch.
   
3. Use a decorative stitch to secure all the pieces of your camper onto your shirt. I used silver thread for the camper and window, and black thread for the wheels and hitch. I used a satin stitch.
   
4. Now your shirt should have a camper on it! I am lucky enough to have a friend with an embroidery machine that embroidered 'Happy' above each of the campers!  I also added a button to the wheel, which is completely optional!

I am IN LOVE with the lace curtains!  Also, I have decided to help these last longer, I am going to TRY to remember to line dry the shirts.

Aren't these the cutest HAPPY CAMPERS! The rule was if you were wearing this shirt you had to be HAPPY... it worked, most of the time!  I made a Happy Camper shirt for my kids, and their cousins, I also considered making one for my Mother in Law (haha, just kidding)!

For my little boy I had to make a Sheep Camp, because he is in love with our Sheep Camp... The broom, by the way, is a Nimbus 2000!

I know I know, I have the cutest models EVER!

SO if you have some Happy Campers, or want to promote Happy Campers on your next Camping trip... Make a shirt!

I LINK up to these fabulous parties!