Who dosen't love t-shirts? Just like all of my projects, this one has been in the works for sometime. In fact, my boyfriend bought these t-shirts for me to decorate for him last summer. I needed a Valentine's Day gift for him, plus a welcome home gift (he's been away on business), so I set to work. The F22 is his favorite fighter jet (he's an aerospace enthusiast).
Here's the graphic I prepared in Illustrator. I got it printed out at Kinko's, because it has to be a laser print. Also, I don't own a printer and I find Kinko's very quick and helpful, unlike some desktop printers I have worked with in the past... *day dreams about printer scene from Office Space*
I trimmed the image to fit around the sleeve seam, then I taped it to the shirt. Next, I soaked a cotton ball in paint thinner, and repeatedly rubbed it all over the image. I used the back of a spoon to apply pressure to the wetted image. It's just like applying a temporary tattoo!
So this is how it came out. It gives a pretty faded look, and I have to say that after a wash, it seems to have faded a bit more. Obviously the grey areas did not come out too well on the grey shirt, but I was going for that kind of faded, faux vintage look. I am excited to experiment with other colors, and I think I'm just going to buy a few yards of t-shirt material for my experiments. Although, happy accidents could produce some fun to wear designs.
How did your boyfriend like his gift? Was it worth the trouble?
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