With 2.5 rotations of 4th year under my belt, I thought it was time to finally update with some of the backlogged crafts from earlier in the summer. This was my second attempt at making my own iron on transfer image teeshirts. In the past, I've ordered dark transfer sheets from amymickey at: http://amymickey.com/. They are absolutely fabulous; they come with great directions, feel incredibly soft, and are still vibrant after washing. However, I didn't have enough time to order, so I went to Michael's to pick up both teeshirts and Printworks Dark T-shirt Transfers.
What are dark transfers?
There are both dark and light transfer sheets. Light transfers are meant to go on white teeshirts only; any part of your design that is white, will come out the color of the teehirt. If you use a dark color teeshirt with a light design, the shirt color will show through, and your design colors will be off.
I've only used dark transfers. You can use any color teeshirt and any part of your design that is white, will show up white. Another advantage is that you don't need to change your design to a mirror image because what you print is what you see on the shirt. There is some cutting involved; if you iron on the whole transfer, your design will be the shape of a regular sized piece of paper.
Bachelorette Shirts
With my teeshirts and transfers in hand, I started making my designs. You can use just about anything to make your designs. Unfortunately, I don't have any fancy programs, so I just use MS Word. My best friend loves chocolate, so I thought that her favorite food would make an interesting theme. I found a ton of chocolate clip art on the internet for the front of the shirt. I used pictures of individual colored M&Ms and lined them up to make letters for the back of the shirt. They turned out great! Up close, they look like M&Ms, and from far away you can make out the word "sweet" and the bachelorette's name.
Once I print out the designs I like to peel the back of the transfer to the corner of the design (as pictured on the left). This makes it easier to peel the back off once I cut out the image. Then, I cut around the design so that they are ready to go.
I find it works best if I pre-wash the teeshirts in mild soap and dry them in the dryer (without any dryer sheets). This ensures to remove any dirt or starch on the shirts so that the image will adhere better. You'll need a surface to insert in between the layers of the shirt. I use a piece of wood covered by a pillowcase. Next, I peel the backing off of the cut design and place it where I would like on the teeshirt.
Use the provided tissue paper to put on top of the transfer and make sure to apply even pressure with the iron. I split the design into three sections and iron each section for approximately 15 seconds at a time. I also go around the edges several times to make sure that the edges won't lift up when I'm done. 
Make sure to keep that iron moving -- if you see the tissue paper starting to yellow, you may be spending too long in one place. Next, let the tissue paper cool for a few seconds and carefully peel it away. If the color of part of the design looks a little dull, try replacing the tissue paper and re-ironing that area.
Let the teeshirts set for 24-48 hours before washing or wearing them. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Printworks transfers did survive the wash. Just make sure to use cold water and to wash the shirt separately. I didn't remove mine from the washer immediately, so some of the colors ran a tiny bit.
I love using transfers to make my teeshirts because I have full creative control over the designs. Anything that I can come up with on the computer I can put onto a shirt! This project was especially great for the bachelorette party because I could easily personalize each shirt with the name of a different bridesmaid. The teeshirts were just the beginning to a great night out.
