T-Shirt Galore

I may have said this before, but I've always felt that the t-shirts they make for men are usually far more fun than the ones they make for ladies. So, long ago (much like everything else) I got into just making my own. I've had a few designs on the horizon for awhile now, and rather than do one I decided to turn it into a full project. Now, I know that there are plenty of sites where you can load a design, and have the shirt made and sent to you. However, those are usually pretty pricey, so I prefer the DIY method when possible. 

Let me first start by saying, I have yet to find a full proof go-to method. I've tried a few over the years, and none of them are quite perfect in every instance. I started with iron-ons. This is my preferred method of making my own t-shirts because it's the easiest. Unfortunately it may or may not give the best results all the time. Sometimes they don't hold up over time, and are prone to cracking when put in the washer machine. I started with a gray v-neck from Target. I am a little bit of a t-shirt snob, and have become quite particular about the overall feel and quality of my tees. I like mine soft, and unfortunately some of the ones out here feel like you're wearing cardboard.  The first shirt I did was a an upgrade of a current one. I am from Cambridge, MA which has come to be known as "The People's Republic of Cambridge" (for obvious reasons if you have ever been there). I bought a shirt last summer, but one wash and it lost all of its soft, comfort factor. It was also a little plain. So, I spent some time designing one I really liked. I printed the image on a piece of transfer paper, and ironed per the instructions. 

I was a little shocked. The image itself had white lettering. I didn't realize that with this transfer paper that white would not print. Some do and some don't. This one did not. Not the end of the world, but good to know. 

The next shirt was for Radio Raheem. I got this idea, and did the sketch sometime last summer. Then unfortunately Bill Nunn, the actor who portrayed Radio Raheem passed shortly after I finished it. I thought it best to wait a little bit. I didn't want the idea to seem cliche. I started with a dark gray t-shirt. I was a little unsure considering that the transfer was not going to print the white. Originally I thought that it would, which is why I went with the color shirt that I did. A black outline on a dark gray shirt would probably blend, but I went ahead and did it anyway.

Well I was right. Once I ironed the images down, nothing stood out. I also made the transfers too small. I wanted the imagery of this shirt to be dominant, and the current situation just wasn't doing it for me. So, back to the drawing board. I tried it again. This time I went with a white tee, and made the transfers bigger. It turned out so much better. 

I'm kind of excited about this one, and am contemplating making it in different color combinations.

For the next few I'm going to do lettering. Now typically when I do lettering, I use pre-cut iron-on letters. They sell them in a pack of all different fonts, colors, and sizes. The problem is there are only but so many of each letter, and forbid that you need more than 3 Es or 1 K? You're just out of luck. I end up buying multiple packs, just for one or two letters. It's wasteful. So this time I decided to just buy iron on sheets and cut my own letters. 

Cutting my own letters was a lot more time consuming, but definitely more cost effective. I also wasn't limited to specific fonts. For this shirt I'm making a tank top. I started with a black tank, and bought neon vinyl sheets from Etsy. I was going for a fun summer time 90s vibe. 

I got this idea probably from listening to music in the car. DJ Ipod Shuffle sometimes plays old songs, that I have long forgot. Well MC Brains came on. Definitely a one hit wonder, but boy was that my jam in middle school. For the vinyl letters I ironed each word down one at a time. These were fairly easy to apply. Just lay down the letter, cover with Wax Paper (I used Parchment), and then peel off the top layer. The letters were a little transparent and thin. So the black shirt showed through a little.

I got me a total throwback tee for the summer. I'm going to exercise my inner "Suns out guns out" with this one. 

This next project is one I have already attempted. I made this sweatshirt some time last year during my Fall Collection. If you read that blog than you know that I tried something new. I bought canvas fabric, and used Heat-N-Bond sheets to adhere the letters. Well, after washing it some of the letters began to fray and peel up. Then while on a plane, I dropped a piece of chocolate on myself (because I eat like a Kindergartner) and it stained the front. I washed it, but a spot still remains and every time I see it, it reminds me of poo. 

I really liked this sweatshirt, but don't wear it as much as I would like because of the aftermath.  

I yanked on one of the letters, and it seemed to pull completely off. It made sense to just start over. I went to Hobby Lobby and purchased iron-on transfer sheets in white and red. 

I chose a font I liked out of Photoshop, and cut new letters

Before ironing the letters down, I put the sweatshirt on and marked my chest area with pins. Last time I made the letters a little too big, and they extended past where you could see them. I cut all of the letters out, and ironed each word down one at a time. 

You can still see a little bit of the glue residue from where the old letters were, but I'm hoping that that goes away in the wash. If it does not, it will just add extra character.

The last shirt I actually did online. Now I know I said I typically do not do this because it's quite expensive. I also do not like that I can't completely control all of the factors like feel, quality, size, and placement of the design. However, I designed a t-shirt years ago, and it was time for a refresh. It is a pain to iron-on though. The t-shirt is full body, and takes 4 full page transfers. A heat press would have been ideal in this situation, but I have not been able to justify that purchase. So, I made an exception and tried my hand at online. I chose Spreadshirt.com. They had all of the criteria I needed, and they printed on American Apparel t-shirts. I also found a coupon code, so that solidified my decision. I loaded my design, and then waited patiently to get my package in the mail. 

I was quite impressed with the result. I have printed on American Apparel shirts before so I knew the feel and sizing would work. The design was a little small, but not bad. It still gets the imagery across. 

So that's it. I'm pretty pumped about all of my creations. I've already plotted how I'm going to properly rock these in the streets. If these work out I may make a few more in the fall.  

Until then though....It's on to the next project.