There are reasons...

...that applique t-shirts are the ideal gifts for children.

They are easy. Fast. Inexpensive. And so customizable. Elisabeth and I love to collaborate on these ... she likes to think about what her friends like and to think of possible designs.

Shield shirt for a five-year-old friend who likes knights.

I'd been thinking about making applique t-shirts for a long time, since seeing them in the Mini Boden catalog years ago, but for a while I was too scared to try it. I was worried that the t-shirt would pucker. It was Erin who told me about using Heat'N'Bond Lite, which helped a lot. And then, through some trial and error, I learned not to make too tight of a zig-zag stitch. (I discovered that if I tried to do a true satin stitch, the t-shirt would pucker.) We find most of our solid t-shirts for these at Target, and Old Navy often has solid tees, as well.

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Thank you all for your enthusiastic response to near:far. We are so excited about where this project will go! We hope it will be an opportunity not only for us to give and receive support on our own journeys, but for other women to share their stories and know that they are not alone. As Kyrie said, it's a place to look at our joys and keep our eyes to the light.