freezer paper | Sewhooked

Fandom is not just a noun, it’s a verb. To be a part of fandom is to participate, geek out and show your love by wearing your fandom literally on your sleeve, or in this case, on your chest.

Oh Torchwood, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways…

22 hexagons worth, that’s apparently how much!

The amazing calypsobard shared her Torchwood stencil with me, which I photoshopped up to make it more user friendly. This one is easy to cut out, but, in calypsobard’s words is “a bit hinky,” so I’ve added directions to the stencil itself that will hopefully make it more user friendly.

You’ll need:

Torchwood stencil, printed on the matte side of freezer paper
X-acto Knife or other stencil cutting tool
cutting board or other safe cutting surface
fabric paint, I recommend Lumiere by Jacquard, available online and at craft stores
sponge brush
iron
cardboard or newspaper for inside the shirt

Pre-wash t-shirt without fabric softener.

Carefully cut pieces out with an exact-o knife. Start with the hexagons first, keeping them in order. Then cut and discard the gray area. (Or, if you’re my teenage daughter, pinch it from the trash and put it in the clear pocket of your binder.)

Set a dry iron to medium.

Place cardboard or newspaper inside t-shirt to help prevent bleed through.

Place stencil on t-shirt, aligning the hexagons until they are even. Carefully press in place with the iron.

Use the foam brush to gently paint on the fabric paint, being careful to not push it under the edges of the stencil.

Allow a few minutes to dry, then carefully remove the outside of the stencil.

If the stencil is still wet, use a straight pin to remove the hexagons. Otherwise, just gently peel away each one, setting them aside as you go.

Finish drying according to manufacturer’s directions.

Final product.

Freezer paper stenciling is my favorite stenciling technique and can be used for any of my stencils and for most stenciling on fabric.

More Free Stencils on the Craft Page!

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I’m not exactly clumsy, but I am a really busy girl with a tendency to not be careful.

Messy, clumsy, stuff on my shirt…call it what you will!

My favorite shirts all seem to have taken the same abuse. A paint stain, a bleach spot or an unfortunate tear. The number of shirts in my closet that weren’t being worn because of one of the above was getting completely out of control.

So, time for some quick and dirty fixes…and to haul out the fabric paint!

Shirt fix #1 – stenciling stars

supplies:

sad damaged tee
freezer paper
marker or pen for drawing
Exact-o Knife
fabric paint
sponge brush
cardboard or t-shirt form

My poor Dumbledore’s Army shirt, with a bleach stain right on the tummy. What to do, what to do? I thank my sister for the idea for this fix: stencil some stars on!

Freehand stars on freezer paper, then cut out with the Exact-O Knife – instant stencil!

Iron the stencil on and insert a pieced of cardboard or shirt form inside the tee. Procure some paint and a sponge brush for instant repairs.

Sponge that paint on!

Peel off the stencil after a few minutes and….

Instant shirt fix!

My Evile Crafts tee, made by superfriend Kadi, had a big ole blotch of bleach, too, so it also received the star treatment, along with a little glitter spray paint.

Shirt fix #2 – stamp it!

This second shirt fix was inspired by Stampin’ On Stained Jeans. Same problem: A favorite tee gets hit by something that leaves a mark, bleach, paint, or something else that’s super-duper permanent.

You need:

oopsie tee
fabric paint
stamp(s) large enough to cover the spot(s)
foam brush
cardboard or t-shirt insert

Use the sponge brush to add paint to the stamp. Don’t dip the stamp in the paint or you’ll end up with a blob of paint on the fabric.

Stamp on the spot that needs to be covered. It looked awkward to me like that, so I just kept stamping until I felt like I had enough!

Another shirt, back in rotation!

Shirt Fix #3 = mask it!

This fix was a bit more complicated. I had a cute girly shirt that got caught on something (no idea what) and I ended up with a hole right in the tummy. After trying to stitch it and not liking the artificial belly button I received for my efforts, I decided to repair it with an iron on. Great idea, until I realized I went from artificial belly button to giant round dot on my tummy.

For this fix you’ll need:

damaged tee (this works for spots, too!)
masking tape
cardboard or t-shirt form
fabric paint
foam brush or roller

Giant dot, as illlustrated by my left hand.

Mask out a large triangle with the apex at the top, with the damaged part of the shirt on the inside. Make sure your cardboard or t-shirt form is inside the shirt. Fill in the space with fabric paint.

Hint: If you’re working on a stretchy fabric, iron freezer paper on the inside of the shirt for stability while painting.

Fill in the entire space. Allow to dry a few minutes and the remove the tape.

And another dead shirt returns to ciruculation! Pretty cool, too, if I do say so myself.

Allow all your awesomely repaired tees to dry per manufacturer’s instructions and then add them right back in to your wardrobe!

More t-shirty goodness:

If you make a Sew Awesome Craft or any pattern, craft or recipe from sewhooked, I’d love to see a photo. Email me or add it to the sewhooked flickr group.