So, clearly, I’m taking SLOW to heart. I’m finally getting around to posting about the shirts I made for BB and BG. For Christmas.

A few years ago, I read about the “Want, Need, Wear, Read” idea for Christmas gifts – each child gets 4 presents: something they want, something we think they need, something to wear, and something to read. Being a DIY kind of gal, I like making gifts more than anything, but sometimes, it’s just doesn’t happen. (I have little ones. I’m not sure I’ve even gone to the bathroom by myself since 2009.)

This year, I decided I would make them both something to wear. I’m a big fan of applique, and I’m also a big fan of MiniBoden, so when I saw their recent catalog of adorable appliqued t-shirts, I knew I could do it myself. (Honestly, I’m a big fan of “grown-up” Boden, but my sewing skills aren’t good enough to DIY some of their lovely “grown-up” clothes. One day….)

BB has always been a big fan of the double decker bus. We’ve always called it the “double bus” because, the first time he saw one, I blanked on what they were really called, forgetting the “decker” part, and it just stuck. Now BG also enjoys pointing out “double buses”, and she differentiates by calling regular buses “single buses”. One day they will learn the truth and call them both by their correct names, and it will break my heart.

So, the Big Vehicle shirt from MiniBoden was my inspiration for BB’s Christmas shirt.

I sketched it out on a piece of paper and traced it in reverse onto a piece of Wonder Under. (I had bought EZ Steam to use on this project, but I couldn’t find it. And it was two days before Christmas. I was feeling desperate when I found the Wonder Under shoved in a moving box. Fused fabric to fabric, worked like a dream, I felt very lucky.)

I used my big stash of thrifted t-shirts to cut out pieces for the bus. I only used sleeves because the pieces I needed were very small. I am not embarrassed to tell you that I was ridiculously excited to save so much remaining fabric for future projects. I am a dork.

As I had a major deadline, I didn’t stop to take many photos along the way. I ironed and cut and ironed and sewed as quickly as I could to get these shirts completed. (I basically used this technique, but it was a million times easier with the fabric fused together and not slipping around in the sewing machine.) I finished BB’s shirt on the eve of Christmas Eve .

BG’s shirt was finished on Christmas Eve. For BG’s shirt, I didn’t have a photo to use as inspiration. I wasn’t even sure what to make for hers, but I knew I wanted stripes. I found this shirt at Target and spent a surprisingly long amount of time just removing the flower.

BG loves animals of all kinds, so I went with a puppy.

They both loved their shirts, and they both decided to wear them yesterday, which is what reminded me to finally post this project. Every single time BG wears it, we have this exact conversation:

BG: Mama, who make dis me?

Me: I did.

BG: Oh, it bootiful Mama. Tank ooo very much.

Makes me want to go make a thousand more shirts that she surely doesn’t “need”, but how can I resist?

PS – I also made a Pterodactyl shirt for my sweet little baby nephew for Christmas, but I can’t find any of the photos of it. If the pics turn up, I’ll post those, too.

PPS – In addition to finishing up sewing a puppy shirt on Christmas Eve, I also had to sew a last minute stocking that I had promised BB and BG. For the cat. I KNOW! The things we do for our children….