Whale Baby Set with the Cricut Maker and EasyPress 2

-This post sponsored by Cricut and may contain affiliate links-

One of the things I love most about working with my Cricut is how quick and easy it is to make things. Iron on is my favorite material to work with because I feel like I can make cute projects in no time at all, but I also love that I can work with a variety of other materials too. This adorable little whale themed baby set including both a shirt and a softie is a perfect example of a quick project like that, all made with the Cricut.

Cricut recently announced the release of the EasyPress 2 and one of the things I was most excited about was the different sizes that are perfect for different sized projects. The smallest one is only 6" x 7" so it is the perfect size for baby clothes and other small items. I used it for both of these projects, the decal on the shirt and the face on the stuffed whale, and it was just the right size. There is also a medium size that is 9" x 9" (the same size as the original EasyPress), and a larger 12" x 10" size that is great for larger projects.

I also love the fact that the EasyPress is so easy to use and portable. In a matter of seconds you can adhere the iron on to your project with great results and it is easy to adjust the time and temperature to the needs of you projects. One of my favorite things about the EasyPress 2 is that it remembers the last settings. This is awesome because if you frequently use the same materials you won't have to set the time and temp every time you turn it on, it will automatically go to the time and temperature you last used. It also reaches higher temperatures than the original EasyPress as it is able to go up to 400 degrees.

That combined with the StrongBond adhesive on the iron on and you will be able to make a shirt that will last through a lot of washes and use. (Some of the Cricut Iron On products, including the Everyday Iron on have a guarantee that if you are not satisfied with the results Cricut will replace it for free)

I love making baby gifts and so when I found out one was perfectly sized for baby shirts I knew I wanted to give it a try. But, I didn't really want to make just a shirt so I decided to turn the image I used on the shirt into a matching softie. I cut the design out of fabric, added iron on details for the face and sewed it together.

I think the finished set turned out super cute and is perfect for a baby gift. You could also add the design, or elements of the design, to matching bibs, burp cloths, blankets, pretty much anything you can think of.

How to Make a Dream Big Baby Shirt and Matching Whale Softie

You will need:

• Cricut Maker with fine point blade and rotary blade
• Light or Standard Grip Mat (blue or green)
• Fabric Grip Mat (pink)
• 6" x 7" Cricut EasyPress 2
• 8" x 10" Cricut EasyPress Mat
• Everyday Iron-On in Gray and Black
• Cricut Natalie Malan Aquamarine Patterned Iron-On Sampler (I used the lighter watercolor wash)
• Cricut Designer Fabric Sampler, Creative Rockstar (Gray Mini Hashtag)
• Sewing Machine
• Coordinating Thread
• Fiber Fill
• Sewing Needle

Instructions:

Open the Whale Baby Set Design Space file.

Mirror the first 3 mats (gray whale, aqua text, black eye and mouth).

Use the light or standard grip mat and fine point blade to cut the 3 iron-on mats. Choose Everyday Iron-On for the black and gray, choose Patterned Iron-On for the text.

Place gray mini hashtag fabric right side down on pink fabric mat, change to rotary blade and choose cotton fabric as your material.

Cut the 2 light blue whales out of the fabric.

Weed your iron on designs. 

Use your EasyPress and mat to press the whale design and the text onto your shirt using the settings recommended for you iron on type and the material you are pressing onto. You can find the recommended settings chart here.

On one of your fabric whale pieces, position the iron on face about 1/4" from the edge, and when determining placement also remember that you will be sewing along the bottom too so it will be a little bit closer than it appears.

Place the 2 fabric pieces right sides together and stitch around using a 1/4" seam allowance, leaving an opening along the bottom for turning.

Clip the curves around the whale and then turn right side out. You may need to use a turning tool, small crochet hook, or something similar to turn the tail.

Stuff the whale, again you will probably need to use something to help you get stuffing into the smaller sections of the tail. A crochet hook, or pencil (eraser or unsharpened end) works great.

Use the needle and thread to stitch the opening closed. 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.