I'm making a t-shirt quilt for a friend. I'm down to the last shirt and was pressing one of my strips to it. I have a new iron and I was ironing my seam flat when I bumped against the design on the shirt. It's a raised rubbery paint that smeared on to the white area on the shirt. Crap crap crap!!!! I need some ideas of what to try to remove it or cover it up. FYI, an applique will NOT work. I think I bumped the design because I'm not quite used to the coverage of the iron yet. It's a bit different size than my old dead one. I'm bummed!!
well crap!
Feb 23, 2010
11 Replies
White fabric paint (matte finish, so it doesn't show up too much?)?
I've used Shiva paint-sticks to cover up quilt mistakes before, too, but I think it requires heat-setting. If tumbling in a dryer works, without heat-setting any disappearing markers or something you have on the quilt, it might work.
Dragonfly
Unfortunately, I have no suggestions for fixing the shirt, but I do applaud you for your restraint! I'm sure I would have come out with something much stronger than "crap."
I wondered about using a white paint or white out to cover up the smear. I have some Shiva paint sticks, but I'm not sure I have white. Tumbling in the dryer wouldn't be a problem at this point. I'll get one and try it out on just a plain scrap of t-shirt leftovers. Thanks. It's good to know you've tried it. Kathyl
I can't remember exactly what I said at the time. It was a split second of inattention and now I've got to fix it somehow. Rats.
Strawberry ice cream? I have lots left. For less than $1 you can get a little bottle of white fabric paint. Lasts for years and is good for all sorts of oops. Polly
On 2nd thought - do you just 'have to' cover it up? After all, it's a t-shirt quilt. T-shirts do get worn and stuff happens to them. And why not an appliqué? Maybe of a blue-ribbon, ticket, parking pass, map? Something appropriate - or not. Polly
I think the fabric paint will probably be the answer. And it does need to be fixed. The woman who brought the shirts to me had them all laundered and nicely ironed. She knows what they looked like when she delivered them. And a red smear across a cute shirt design just doesn't look right. I do need to fix it or at least make it 90% less noticeable. I'm just glad it's not any worse than it is.
These are her almost 30 yr old son's soccer shirts from high school and college. I have them all. No subs. KJ
It will look a little different there because of the "paint" -- like white-on-white fabric does - but that is probably better looking than a red smear!
Dragonfly
Might be worth checking on ebay - I've found some odd things there.. Allison
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