I love hand sewing. I learned when I was really young and having a needle and thread in my hands is as comfortable as a pen or pencil. Most of my creations do not involve a lot of hand sewing though so I thought I’d give myself a little project to keep my fingers nimble.

I found these shell paillettes at JoAnn Fabrics and decided to get to work on adding a little fun to a plain white t-shirt. They came in two different sizes and I had a large one I used to use as a pendant.

I got to work by laying the shirt on the table and then playing around with the design. Once I was happy with where everything was placed, I took a photo and then did my best to recreate the pattern once I started hand sewing on each shell.

I also wasn’t super happy that the shirt was BRIGHT white, so I soaked it in some coffee for a few hours to change that up! It almost all washed out, but it left a slight yellow/brown tint to the shirt that went much better with the shells.

photo by the amazing Drew Beck

and lets not forget the back!

photo by the amazing Drew Beck

I love this shirt now. It eliminates the need for accessories and makes a fun noise when I walk! Looking to spruce something up? Let me know!

For more cool things by Drew, check out his site!