April Showers Bring May WILD Flowers

Rain showers are just another excuse to stay inside and craft all day. No need to let the drizzle get you down when you have Siser HTV to play with! You can make a custom tank top for brighter days ahead. Keep reading to learn how!

I started designing in Adobe Illustrator, saved my file as a .svg, and uploaded it to ScanNCut Canvas. To send the design to the Brother ScanNCut you have two options: the flash drive method or a wireless ScanNCut Transfer. While the flash drive way is useful I LOVE the simplicity of the ScanNCut Transfer. Instead of choosing “Download to PC” select “ScanNCut Transfer” and the design will be transported from ScanNCut Canvas to the Brother ScanNCut.

To open the file on the machine’s touch screen select the identical symbol in the top left corner. Now you can save and edit the design right on the Brother ScanNCut!

After making sure I mirrored the text in my design I cut my first HTV. Heat transfer vinyl is always cut with the carrier side down on the cutting mat. It’s easy to know which side the carrier is on with EasyPatterns since the patterned side is always the carrier side. I go over cut settings for EasyPatterns in this post. After cutting I used my Siser Weeder to remove the excess material.

Now that all my transfers are weeded I can set up to heat apply them. My heat press is set to 305°F with firm pressure since I’ll be pressing EasyPatterns and EasyWeed™ Stretch. But I can’t just toss my tank top on the press. Tank tops (especially racer backs!) have seams all along the neckline and arms that will keep your heat press from fully sealing on the garment. This causes improper pressure and can lead to lifting or peeling HTV. Inserting a heat transfer pillow inside the tank top lifts the application area above the troublesome seams allowing for proper pressure.

Insert a heat transfer pillow between the front and back on the tank top.

The 12″ x 14″ heat transfer pillow clears the neck and arm seams.

The 12″ x 14″ heat transfer pillow clears the bottom hem.

The final step before heat applying is a pre-press. Cover the garment with a heat transfer cover sheet and press for 1-5 seconds to remove any wrinkles or moisture in the shirt. A smooth dry surface is best
for HTV!

Place the transfer so the smooth side of the carrier is face up and the sticky side is down. Your EasyPattern should now be visible. Re-cover the garment and press for a second to tack the material. Then you can peel the carrier hot. EasyPatterns are great for quick production!

Next, I pressed 2 colors of EasyWeed Stretch onto the 100% cotton tank top. EasyWeed Stretch is super thin, lightweight, and soft so it’s perfect for summer styles. After another 1 second tack I peeled the carrier hot.

My final layer was the flower center. I placed the lemon EasyWeed heat transfer vinyl, re-covered everything and pressed for 10 seconds to fully adhere all the HTV. Peel the last carrier and this super cute tank top is ready to rock!

Everything about this tank top is bright and cheery! I’m definitely ready for warmer weather!

Have you been crafting up a storm lately? We’d love to see what you’re working on. Tag us in your posts with #SiserNA and we might give you a shout out!