Patriotic Reunion T-shirts

I know.  I've been sewing again!  What is the world coming to?  We have a family reunion over the 4th of July weekend.  Each branch of the family is assigned a specific color and our family is blue.  We deliberated about whether to go family or patriotic, and decided to do both.  The H is for our family name(s), and the red and white stripes are patriotic.  I wouldn't have attempted anything to do with sewing, if I hadn't found some instructions for an easy and cute shirt at Little Bit Funky.

I'm including two pictures of my models/kiddos, so I didn't have to decide which one I liked better.  Notice how those in the dark blue shirts had to spill water on themselves, just in time for the photos!

I got the shirts at a half-off sale at Hobby Lobby making the shirts $1.50 for kids and $2.00 for adults.  Yes, we get them two.  I just printed out the size of H I wanted (3 different sizes) on the computer to trace on to the fabric.  The technique I used is called reverse applique.  You sew the fabric on the underneath side of the shirt and cut out the t-shirt near the seam to reveal the fabric beneath.  See Little Bit Funky for instructions!

"Yep.  Mom's lost it!"  He will soon learn the full extent of my insanity.

Here is another great shirt (that we almost made) also from Little Bit Funky:

This one is a regular applique.  I was a little afraid of the map shape + my sewing skills, and didn't have wonder under on hand.  But either of these techniques would work to whip up a cute shirt for the fourth or any occasion in no time!

If you are going to print t-shirts for a large family reunion, I am loving the designs I found at Angela Hardison, via Oh Happy Day. 

In other news...

The tablecloth is, in fact, completed!  As long as I have my repairman (husband) nearby everytime my bobbin catches, sewing is easy!  (Maybe if I do enough projects I can justify upgrading my machine, someday.)

For some other fun bandana inspired projects check out this post.