Fabric and (Glitter) HTV: Silhouette Tutorial

If you haven't tried combining fabric and glitter HTV into one design yet, you're in for a treat! 

If you're not a glitter girl then you can use regular smooth HTV...either way the tutorial works exactly the same.
In Silhouette Studio open up or create your design.  It's easiest to work with a design that isn't too intricate.  I found this owl - which is a dingbat font - and modified it slightly (right click > release the compound path > ungroup > delete) to remove the details on the breast, ears, wings and feet.  The left is the original and the right is the modified version that I cut.

Once you have the fabric design ready, you need to create the HTV outline.  What you want to do is create a frame by using the offset tool...twice! To do this you want to make both an external and internal offset.

I started my making an internal offset (icon highlighted in blue below) of the owl.  You can pick any distance, but I did .075.  Then I clicked back on the original border  (NOT THE INTERNAL OFFSET!!) and made an offset (this time an external offset).  Again, you decide on the distance of the offset - mine is again .075.

I have changed the line color on the offsets to blue so you can more easily see. The red line is the original cut line of the owl.

By making both offsets you are creating a frame that will cover the edge of the fabric just slightly on both the inside and the outside.  That's easiest to demonstrate by filling in the design and the border.

Select the original design and pull it away from the two offsets you created.  Select both offsets at the same time > right click > make compound path.   This will keep them together and allow you to fill the frame while keeping the middle hollow/transparent (only necessary for designing purposes here).

Mirror the HTV design, but keep the fabric design correctly oriented.

Now you can get ready to cut the fabric design.  Iron or heat press (2 seconds) a piece of interfacing onto the back of the fabric. Trim the fabric down to the size of the interfacing.  Peel off the white paper backing of the interfacing.    Lay the fabric piece onto the mat and put in your fabric blade.

In Silhouette Studio, move the HTV border design off the virtual mat, and from the Cut Style window select "fabric". Adjust the blade according to the recommended settings (usually a 9 for thin cotton fabric).

After your fabric piece has cut, weed it and place it directly onto the shirt.

I used Silhouette Sewable Fabric Interfacing since that's what I had on hand which meant I had to sew around the very edge of the design to ensure it didn't move. If you're like me, use the iron or heat press to temporarily adhere the fabric piece to the shirt. Then sew a straight stitch as close to the edge as possible to ensure the HTV border you created will cover the stitching.

TIP: Use Heat and Bond Ultra Bond, instead of the Sil brand interfacing, and you won't even have to sew the edges. The stick is so great it promises not to lift while washing! 

Cut the HTV border on either glitter HTV or smooth.   Weed the HTV design and then place it directly onto the fabric being careful to cover the edges (and stitching).

Use the heat press or iron to adhere it. Peel off the clear backing and you're all set!

 
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