How to Use Embroidery to Make a Child's Marker-Decorated Shirt Last

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Kids like to make their own shirt designs. Sometimes kids make shirts in school and have friends sign the shirts like they do a yearbook. Sometimes kids color shirts with fabric markers as part of a class project. These shirts become special to the child, but after several washings, the ink may fade. What can you do to make these shirts last?

The Power of Embroidery

Embroidery is the art of sewing thread onto fabric so it forms a design. With your child's hand-designed shirt, you already have a pattern to work with. Here are some reasons to embroider your child's shirt:

  • Embroidery lasts. The thread will remain for a long time. Go ahead and let your child wear that shirt all day every day.
  • You can wash embroidery. Marker ink, even if it is designed to stay on fabric, will wash out over time. The thread on an embroidered shirt can be washed as many times as needed and won't go away. The color on the thread might fade a little over time, but it will take much longer than marker ink will.
  • Embroidery creates a raised effect that looks cool. Kids can run their hands over the raised threads that make the design stand out. It adds texture to an already fun shirt.
  • Embroidery can be repaired. If a thread breaks from wear, you can easily fix the area with more thread. Fixing faded marker all over the shirt isn't so easy a task.

How to Embroider a Decorated Shirt

Embroidered shirts require four things: embroidery thread, needle, an embroidery hoop, and scissors. That's it. You don't even need extensive sewing skills because the stitches are easy to learn.

You only need the most basic stitches to follow the lines on your child's shirt designs:

  • The backstitch: Use this stitch to outline large designs you don't need to fill in and words. It's a simple stitch that requires an easy up and down motion.
  • The satin stitch: Use this stitch to fill in large areas. You don't have to outline such areas with the backstitch. The satin stitch requires sewing long lines of thread right next to each other.
  • French knots: French knots will give the beginner the most trouble, but are perfect for dotting I's in words or periods at the end of sentences. It creates a single, small knot on the fabric.

Embroidery can take time, but it's worth it to make a shirt that helps your child's precious memories last. Contact a company like Visual Effects for more information about embroidery.

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