Sunday, March 23, 2014

Hello!  Welcome to another Silhouette Sunday.  Today I want to show you another baby onesie I gussied up  with HTV (heat transfer vinyl).  I photographed it along with the one I showed you last week (or was it the week before?  Heck I don't know, the days are a blur!!).
This cute Silhouette file of an old, old saying  is just perfect for a little boy but it was a tad hard to weed --- and not as hard as some.  When you get to weeding (removing the bits and pieces of vinyl that are not part of your design for any of you not familiar with the term as it relates to HTV) it can be very difficult to see the lines and know which is vinyl to be removed and which is vinyl that stays.  I have been sorting and organizing  craft supplies and a light bulb went on in this old brain when I was in the middle of weeding this file.  I ran across a small, portable light table in my cleaning frenzy and the thought hit me --- that little light table would help with weeding!!  It works beautifully!!!  You could jig something up to work without buying a light table if you don't have one ----that's what I would do if I didn't already have this one.  All you need is a light source under your vinyl that illuminates the cut lines--- and just weed away!  I can't wait to try this on something REALLY hard to weed.  Should make the process much, much easier.
 
Please note this is an old post from Paper Kisses and Inky Wishes, reposted to MORE paper Kisses and Inky Wishes.   Thanks for stopping by!!!

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Team Spirit

Hello!  Thank you for stopping by. 
Today I have a project I made just before Christmas for my oldest granddaughter.  She's a dynamite athlete and plays basketball, volleyball, and baseball. She needed a team sweatshirt, and I was more than happy to comply. 
Working with heat transfer vinyl is one of my favorite things to do and utilizing my Cameo die cutting machine to cut perfect letters and numbers makes the whole process a good experience.  Choose the heat transfer vinyl option on your machine and the correct setting for your blade, choose your font and adjust to the size you will need, reverse the image on your screen,  load the heat transfer vinyl into the machine shiny sound down and hit the cut button ------ Out comes perfectly cut letters properly spaced.  Next you "weed" (the term we use for removing the unwanted parts of the vinyl sheet  leaving the image you are putting on your item the only thing attached to the backing).  Now place the weeded vinyl on your item, shiny side will now be UP, and apply pressure for 15 seconds with a 350 degree iron (this can vary with brands).  And there you have it! More details can be had by reading the instructions that come with your heat transfer vinyl, so please read them carefully if you want to try your hand at this.




 
 
A few things I have learned from using heat transfer vinyl.

*definitely prewash your item to remove sizing
*dry your item to preshrink
*preheat your item by first ironing the location you will be applying the vinyl.  This removes moisture and preheats your fabric
*once you have applied the vinyl you can press your image again if it is not sticking as well as you would like, but be sure to cover with the original backing or a thin press cloth. Do not hit any part of your image with the iron that is not covered or you will ruin the vinyl in that area.
* turn your item inside out and apply your 350 degree iron, pressing down as hard as you can just like you did for the right side seems to get really good adhesion.  No backing or protection needed for this additional step --- just remember it has to be on the back side.  Don't forget and try this on the right side!
*using a large, smooth floor tile and preheating with the iron before applying the heat transfer vinyl aids adhesion. Just place the tile inside your garment so you are not trying to apply the vinyl through two layers of fabric.  The tile protects your table and gives a good, solid surface that will hold heat, which aids adhesion.  Smaller tiles (4 x 4) are perfect for using inside sleeves. 

Thanks for stopping by today! I leave you with a photo of my girl in action.  Hugs, Shawna