Alright, so I decided to jump on the bandwagon and make one of those Taylor Swift Kansas sweatshirts everyone’s been talking about. Seemed like a fun little project, you know? Not usually my kind of thing, I’m more of a ‘buy it if I like it’ guy, but figured I’d give it a crack this time.
Getting Started – The Hunt
First step was sourcing the actual sweatshirt. I wanted a specific kind of red, not too fire-engine bright, more that classic Chiefs red. Spent a good hour just scrolling through different sites. Ended up finding a pretty decent heavyweight cotton one. Felt like it would hold up well. Then, the design elements. Obviously needed ‘Kansas’ on there, maybe something related to the team or, well, you know who. I decided to keep it simple initially. Just the lettering and maybe a number.
I opted for iron-on vinyl letters. Seemed the most straightforward way to do it without needing fancy equipment. Got some white vinyl sheets online. Also grabbed some parchment paper – learned that lesson the hard way on a previous t-shirt attempt years ago, ended up with a melted mess.
The Actual Making Of It
Okay, sweatshirt washed and dried. Laid it out flat on the dining table. This is where the patience part kicks in. Measuring everything out, making sure ‘Kansas’ was centered just right across the chest. Used a ruler and some masking tape to create guidelines. Didn’t want it looking all wonky.
- Cutting the letters: This took longer than I thought. Used a craft knife. Had to be careful to get clean edges on the vinyl.
- Positioning: Double-checked, triple-checked the placement before bringing the iron into play.
- Ironing: Heated up the iron, no steam. Placed the parchment paper over the vinyl letters. Pressed down hard, moving the iron slowly. This is always the nerve-wracking bit. You gotta get the heat and pressure just right. Lifted a corner gently to see if it was sticking… mostly good. Had one spot on the ‘S’ that needed a bit more persuasion. Went over it again.
Honestly, the ironing part makes me sweat more than the actual sweatshirt does. You just have that one shot, really. Mess it up and it’s tough to fix without making it look worse.
I thought about adding the number 87, but decided against it for this first try. Keep it clean. Just the red sweatshirt with ‘Kansas’ proudly across it. Simple, classic.
How It Turned Out
After letting it cool completely, I peeled off the clear backing from the vinyl. Stood back and had a look. You know what? Not half bad! The letters were stuck on solid, looked pretty sharp against the red. It definitely looks homemade, but in a good way, I think. Got that authentic, I-actually-did-this vibe.
It’s comfortable too, which is a bonus. Wore it out to grab coffee the other day. Didn’t get any specific comments, but it felt good to wear something I actually put together myself. Even if it was just ironing some letters onto fabric. There’s a little bit of satisfaction in that, right?
So yeah, that was my little adventure into making a Taylor Swift Kansas sweatshirt. Simple project, couple of hours work, and now I’ve got a unique piece. Maybe I’ll get ambitious and try adding more details next time. Or maybe I’ll just stick to buying them.
