How to Make a Favorite Things Shirt – Mondays in the Craftroom

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My Favorite Things Shirt is the perfect way to kick off my new series, Mondays in the Craft Room, because it combines everything I love about creating. It is personal, meaningful, and completely unique.

This simple white shirt is covered with small embroidered icons, each one representing something I love, from my family to special places to everyday joys. What makes this project so special is that while it looks detailed and time-consuming, it is actually very doable when you break it into steps. And in the end, you are left with something that tells your story in the most creative way.

A woman in a white shirt stands in a craft room with shelves of fabric, colorful thread spools, and sewing equipment in the background.
Four images: a decorative glass ornament, a kitchen with flowers on the counter, a living room with white furniture, and a bowl of soup with scattered toppings.
Text reads: "MY 100 YEAR OLD HOME | MONDAYS IN THE CRAFT ROOM" in thin, uppercase gray font on a white background.

My Favorite Things Shirt

A white button-up shirt with various small embroidered designs hangs in a sewing workspace with fabric, thread spools, and sewing machines.

The First Project in a New Series

A sewing room with a sewing machine, organized fabric rolls, threads, craft supplies on shelves, and a cutting mat on a white table.
My Brother Dream Machine.

I am so excited to share the very first project in my new series, Mondays in the Craft Room. This series is all about going deeper into the “how” behind what I create, and I could not think of a better project to start with than this one.

This is my “Favorite Things Shirt,” and every single embroidered icon on it represents something I love. From my family to places that mean the most to me, to hobbies and little details that bring me joy, this shirt tells a story. It is personal, meaningful, and completely one-of-a-kind.

And here is the best part. While it might look like this project took forever, it really didn’t. It was thoughtful, yes. But when broken into steps, it was very doable.

What Is a Favorite Things Shirt?

A white GAP button-up shirt hangs on a hanger, decorated with colorful embroidered words and small images. Sewing materials and fabric are visible in the background.

A Favorite Things embroidery project is a collection of small designs that represent the things you love most.

Think of it as a wearable memory board.

A white button-down shirt with small, colorful embroidered designs hangs in a sewing room, with folded fabrics and sewing supplies visible in the background.

You can include:

  • Names of loved ones
  • Favorite places
  • Hobbies and interests
  • Symbols that reflect your life

This is what makes it so special. No two shirts will ever be the same.

Where the Idea Came From

A woman in white clothing sits on a desk in a well-organized sewing room with fabric rolls, threads, and a sewing machine in the background.

This project actually started with my daughter-in-law, Charlotte.

She mentioned wanting to make a shirt like this, and I immediately thought, “I will make one for her”. Then I suggested I make one for myself first as a practice version to work out any issues.

Well, that “practice version” turned into something I absolutely love.

What You Need to Make a Favorite Things Shirt

A sewing room with fabric bolts, thread spools, sewing machines, and crafting supplies neatly organized on shelves and a pegboard above a white worktable.
The Brother PE770 is on the left, and the Brother Dream Machine is on the right.

The most important thing you need to make this shirt is an embroidery machine. I own two, but these days I am almost always using my newest machine, the Brother Dream Machine. I bought it used a few months ago.

One of the most important things to understand when choosing an embroidery machine is this. The biggest differences come down to hoop size and the machine’s handling of thread changes. Everything else matters, but these two factors will impact what you can make and how easy the process feels.

Let me explain this using my own machines.

I own two embroidery machines. A Brother PE770 and a Brother Dream Machine, which is a combination sewing and embroidery machine. My PE770 has a maximum hoop size of 5″ x 7″. My Dream Machine can handle designs up to 9″ x 14″. That difference is significant.

A smaller hoop limits the size of your designs. If you want to embroider something larger, like a big design on the back of a shirt or a large pillow, you have to rehoop the fabric and stitch the design in sections. That takes more time and requires careful alignment. With a larger hoop, you can stitch bigger designs in one pass, which is easier and gives a cleaner result.

That is one of the main reasons machines with larger hoops cost more. They open up more creative possibilities and save time.

The second big difference is thread management.

Both of my machines are single-needle machines. That means they can hold only one thread at a time, and I have to manually change the thread whenever the design switches colors. For a simple design, that might mean just a few changes. But for something more detailed, it can mean stopping and rethreading the machine many times.

More expensive machines often have multiple needles, sometimes six, ten, or even more. Each needle is threaded with a different color, and the machine automatically switches between them as it stitches. This makes the process much faster and more efficient, especially for complex designs.

So when you are choosing an embroidery machine, think about what you want to make. If you plan to do larger designs or more detailed work, hoop size and thread management will make a huge difference in your experience.

I bought a pre-owned Brother Dream Machine from a local dealer and saved a lot of money. If you want a similar new machine, the Brother Stellaire 2 Innov-is XE2 Disney Embroidery Machine – 14″ x 9.5″ Field Size is the most similar. The Brother PE900 is the most similar to my PE770.

Spools of colored thread, embroidery scissors, a metal sewing bracket, and a pack of tear-away embroidery stabilizer are arranged on a light surface.

In addition to a machine, you need embroidery thread, scissors, tear-away stabilizer, and a magnetic embroidery hoop. The hoop isn’t mandatory, as you can use the manual ones that come with your machine, but the magnetic ones will save you a ton of time and lessen your frustration!

I may use affiliate links on this blog, which means I earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them. The price will be the same whether you use the affiliate link or go directly to the vendor’s website using a non-affiliate link.

Brother SE2000 embroidery and sewing machine with digital screen, displaying a teapot design being embroidered on white fabric in the machine's hoop.

Brother SE2000 Computerized Sewing and Embroidery Machine

A computerized Brother embroidery machine with an attached embroidery hoop, accessories, software, instruction guides, and sewing tools arranged around it.

NQ1700E Embroidery Machine, 6″ x 10″

A computerized Brother embroidery machine with an LCD screen, stitching a multi-colored design on white fabric held in an embroidery hoop.

Brother PE800 Embroidery Machine

Three rectangular embroidery hoops with clear plastic grids, each featuring red alignment lines and adjustment knobs, are displayed on a white background.

MagnaHoop Magnetic Hoop Set for Brother

Brother embroidery machine with a touchscreen display is stitching a colorful peacock design onto fabric held in an embroidery hoop.
Brother Stellaire 2 Innov-is XE2 Disney Embroidery Machine – 14″ x 9.5″ Field Size
A roll of white sticky tearaway material, partially unrolled, with text indicating size: 12 inches by 10 yards.

New brothread Sticky Self-Adhesive Tear Away Embroidery Stabilizer

Step One: Make Your List of Favorite Things

White fabric with small embroidered images including a wine bottle, sewing machine, cat, wine glass, basket, umbrella, plant, and other assorted objects scattered across the surface.

The first step was creating a list of my favorite things.

This was easier than I expected. I simply opened a new note on my phone and started listing things without overthinking it.

Some of mine included:

  • My three sons, Andrew, Matthew, and Michael
  • My grandchildren
  • Cooking and crafting
  • The beach house
  • my 100-year-old home
  • A home to Share – my book!
  • Waco
  • Ventura

And so many more.

This part did not take long at all. You could easily stop at 15 or 20 items, but I kept going and ended up with 35.

And I am so glad I did.

Step Two: Find or Create the Designs

White shirt with colorful embroidered designs including text, a small family, a drink, a golf cart, California outline, wedding rings, and the word "yay.

Next, I needed to find embroidery designs for each item. (Here are links to all of the icons I used.)

There are two ways to add your “favorite things” to your shirt. The first are mini icons, which you can purchase at a very low cost. The other way is to write out words. I used both!

Mini Icons

A touchscreen display shows embroidery design options, including text, icons, and images such as a bike, basket, book, and names like "Clarke" and "andrew matthew michael.
Many of the mini icons on my embroidery machine.

I searched Etsy for pictures using terms like:

  • “mini embroidery icons”
  • “small embroidery designs”
  • “mini icon embroidery files”

Many of the icons were part of themed collections, such as beach or craft designs, which made them easy to find.

A person wearing a white button-up shirt over a white top with blue jeans, standing against a plain light background.
Organic Cotton Oxford Big Shirt
A collection of sixteen pink bows in various shapes and patterns displayed in a grid on a white background.
Pink Bow Embroidery Designs
Two outlined hearts are joined by a ribbon tied in a bow, drawn in red on a white background.
Heart Locket with Bow Romantic Embroidery Design
A collection of illustrated golf-related icons, including golf carts, clubs, tees, flags, trophies, and players in various poses and equipment.
Golf Embroidery Designs
Cartoon-style embroidered figures of children, a cat, a dog, and babies arranged in rows above the text "PINE TREE EMBROIDERY.
Stick Figures Family
Four brown books of increasing size are arranged in a row from left to right, all open with white pages visible.
Mini Book Embroidery Design
Outline of California with a red heart symbol centered inside the state.
California Map Embroidery Design
Illustrated icons of various drinks, drinkware, fruits, and bar-related items including wine, cocktails, beer, grapes, lemons, a cheese platter, and a cocktail shaker arranged in a grid.
Baking Embroidery Designs Bundle
A collection of illustrated drink and food icons, including various glasses, bottles, a barrel, grapes, olives, a corkscrew, ice cubes, and a wedge of cheese.
Cocktail Drink Mini Embroidery Design
A set of embroidered icons depicting a water bottle, headphones, single dumbbell, kettlebell, exercise ball, yoga mat, resistance band, and a pair of dumbbells.
Pilates Theme Embroidery Icons
Embroidered design of a to-go coffee cup with a brown sleeve and a green heart in the center.
Coffee Cup Embroidery Design
A collection of colorful beach-themed clipart icons, including animals, drinks, shells, beach gear, and tropical items arranged in rows on a white background.
Sea Animals Embroidery Designs
Four embroidered cats, each with different fur patterns, are depicted sitting with their backs turned on a light gray fabric background.
Cats–Machine Embroidery Design Set
Six Texas state outline shapes in different colors and styles, arranged in two rows of three on a white background.
Texas Embroidery Design
Four illustrated sewing machines in different colors and styles are arranged in a 2x2 grid on a white background.
Sewing Machine Embroidery Design
Illustration of a green wine bottle with a blank white label and a red cap, centered on a plain white background.
Wine Bottle Embroidery Design
Text reads "Thin Block Embroidery Font" in thin, modern type; "Thin Block" is in blue and "Embroidery Font" is in purple.
Thin Block Embroidery Font
Embroidered illustrations of kitchen and baking items, including a mitten, apron, utensils, mixer, croissant, pot, jar, bread, gingerbread cookie, rolling pin, spice jar, and measuring spoons.
Kitchen Icons
Embroidered illustrations of baking utensils, pastries, and desserts surround the text "Magic Embroidery Nook" with various embroidery file formats listed below.
Adorable Baking Embroidery
Eight sewing-related icons: heart-shaped button, hanger, dress form, needle with thread, pincushion, safety pin, scissors, and spool of thread.
Sewing Theme Embroidery Icons
Illustration of art supplies including a paint palette with brushes, three paint tubes, a cup of colored pencils, three cans of paint, an easel, and three colored pencils.
Artist Tools Embroidery Designs

Mini Words

White fabric with blue embroidered text reading "andrew matthew michael" in lowercase letters, arranged in three lines.

For the words, like my sons’ names and places like Ventura, I created those myself using Embrilliance. This allowed me to customize the size and style exactly.

One Important Tip

Close-up of a sewing machine needle and warning label on a plastic part, with blue thread stitching a machine icon on white fabric.
One of my favorites, an embroidery machine!

Pay close attention to the size of the designs.

I kept all of my icons at 1.5 inches or smaller.

You cannot reduce a large design without affecting the quality, so it is important to start with files that are already small, ideally 2 inches or less.

If the file is too large, shrinking it will leave way too many stitches, and the design will not work. That almost happened with the design I used of the three small children. It almost “ate” my shirt!

Step Three: Choose Your Thread Colors

Spools of thread in various colors, including pink, red, green, brown, black, and yellow, are arranged on a white surface next to a ruler.

Before I started stitching, I selected my thread colors.

I thought the shirt would look better if the colors were somewhat limited, so I chose about 12 colors to start. As I added more icons, I ended up with 16.

This made a huge difference.

It kept the shirt looking cohesive rather than busy, even with 35 different mini designs.

Forty spools of sewing thread in various colors are arranged in five rows on a wooden rack.

Embroidery Machine Thread, 40 Colors

A collection of 100 spools of thread arranged in rows, displaying a wide variety of colors from white and yellow to blue, green, purple, pink, brown, and black.

New brothread 80 Spools Polyester Embroidery Machine Thread

White plastic pegboard hooks are mounted on a brown perforated board, with one hook—perhaps prepping supplies for an east coast trip—holding a spool of light green thread in the lower right corner.


‘Just Hanging Pegboards’ Angled Spool Hooks

Step Four: Use the Right Tools

Four gray rectangular and four round plastic objects with warning labels are arranged in a square on a white cloth with a small cartoon family embroidered in the top right corner.
I know you can’t see the hoop underneath, but it is there!

For this project, I used a magnetic embroidery hoop, and it was absolutely worth it.

The hoop is designed for small designs, up to about 1 inch by 2.5 inches, which worked perfectly for this project. It made positioning easier and more precise, and it saved time.

A metal embroidery hoop with a white stabilizer sheet is placed on a grid-patterned cutting mat.

If you plan to do a lot of small embroidery, I highly recommend it. Just make sure you order the right hoop for your embroidery machine, as there are many options available.

Three rectangular embroidery hoops with clear plastic grids, each featuring red alignment lines and adjustment knobs, are displayed on a white background.

MagnaHoop Magnetic Hoop Set for Brother

White plastic camera calibration tool with four round dials, alignment grid, red calibration lines, and a metallic base with three screws at the bottom.

MagnaHoop Magnetic Hoop

Four different sizes of white plastic embroidery hoops with purple grid inserts are shown on a white background.

Embroidery Hoops for Brother Innovis

Step Five: Plan the Layout

A white button-up shirt laid flat on a table, decorated with randomly placed yellow dot stickers. A ruler and more stickers are visible nearby.
A white button-down shirt laid flat on a table, with multiple pink circular stickers placed on its back. A pink ruler is visible in the top left corner.

Before I started stitching, I laid the shirt flat and planned the placement.

I used small round stickers to mark where each icon would go. My goal was to create a layout that felt random but still balanced across the shirt.

Once I was happy with the placement, I marked each spot with a washable pen since the stickers would not stay in place.

This step is very important. Taking the time to plan the layout ensures the final result looks intentional.

Step Six: Embroider the Shirt

A sewing machine embroidering a pink golf cart design on white fabric, with warning label stickers visible on the machine.

And then came the fun part.

I started stitching.

I placed the hoop flat on my worktable, which has a huge 1″ grid mat, added a piece of tearaway stabilizer, placed the shirt on top, and then added the magnetic pieces to hold it in place. (Just so you know, I own four different magnetic hoops, and I often mix up some of the magnets. It’s not intentional, just convenient.)

Each icon took about 5-8 minutes to make, and I worked through all 35 designs in one day. It was a full day in the craft room, but it was also incredibly enjoyable.

Close-up of an embroidery machine stitching the words "a home to share" on white fabric, surrounded by warning label components.
A Home to Share is my book title.

Watching each tiny design come to life was so satisfying. One by one, the shirt started to tell a story.

Close-up of a sewing machine stitching red and brown threads onto white fabric, with safety warning symbols visible on a white panel.
A sewing machine stitches an outline of Texas with the word "Waco" inside on white fabric; safety warning labels are visible in the foreground.

Finishing the Shirt

White button-up shirt with various embroidered designs including text, a bicycle, golf cart, book, chair, and initials "USB" on the pocket.

Next, I took off the pocket and added my initials with a monogram font I also purchased on Etsy. Once finished, I placed the pocket back on the shirt and sewed it back on, easily following the original stitch lines.

Once all of the embroidery was complete, I:

  • Removed the washable pen marks with a damp cloth
  • Let the shirt dry
  • Pressed it with an iron

And just like that, it was finished.

Wearing It for the First Time

A woman stands and smiles in a sewing room with organized shelves holding fabric, thread, and art supplies. A sewing machine and cutting mat are on the white workspace.

I wore the shirt on our trip to Washington, DC, and something unexpected happened.

People stopped me.

In the hotel lobby. At museums. Everywhere.

They asked about the shirt and how I made it.

I did not expect that at all, but it made me realize how unique and special this project really is.

A person wearing a loose-fitting white button-up shirt with long sleeves and beige pants, standing with hands in pockets against a plain background.
Oxford Shirt Cotton Dress Shirt
A woman wearing a white button-up shirt with rolled sleeves and blue jeans, standing with her hands in her pockets.
Wrinkle Free Long Sleeve Regular Fit Collared Dress Shirt
A woman wearing a white button-down shirt with rolled sleeves and light denim shorts, accessorized with layered necklaces.
Womens Button Down Shirts

Why I Love This Project

White fabric with embroidered images of a golf hole, sewing machine, wine bottle, broom, black cat, and text "a home to share.

This shirt is more than just something I made.

It represents my life.

Every icon has meaning, whether it is a person, a place, or something I love to do. It is personal in a way that most projects are not.

And that is what makes it so special.

Could You Make One?

White fabric with embroidered designs including a book, a coffee cup, bottles, a lemon, and the words "char ellie polina" stitched in red thread.

Absolutely.

You do not need to include 35 items. You could start with:

  • 10
  • 15
  • 20

Keep it simple.

The process is the same:

  1. Make your list
  2. Find or create designs
  3. Choose your colors
  4. Plan your layout
  5. Stitch

It is very doable, and the result is something truly unique.

A cream-colored knitted blanket with ruffled edges, featuring the name "Edie" embroidered in colorful floral patterns.
Personalized Floral Embroidered Name Blanket

Personalized Hand Embroidered Corner Bookmark

A set of neatly folded white bed sheets, with one sheet displaying an ornate blue monogram.

Sheet Sets for All Bed Sizes, Embroidered, Personalized, Luxury Linens

White sweatshirt with black "CMD" monogram on the chest; left sleeve features the date "5.15.2023" and a small red heart near the cuff.

Custom Monogram Embroidered Sweatshirt

Three canvas tote bags with different colored handles and personalized names or initials sit on a white blanket on grass with daisies.

Custom Tote Bags with Logo

A white linen napkin with "The Sullivans" embroidered in blue script, bordered by a decorative hemstitch, with white flowers partially visible at the top right.

Embroidered Linen Cocktail Napkins

Watch How I Made This

Watch the video to learn more.

What’s Next in Mondays in the Craft Room

A woman in a pink sweatshirt sits at a table in a sewing room with fabric and thread neatly organized on shelves behind her.

This is just the beginning.

With Mondays in the Craft Room, I want to share more of the “how” behind what I create. Not just the finished projects, but the techniques, tools, and details that make everything work.

My goal is to help you feel confident creating your own projects.

Final Thoughts

White fabric with small embroidered images including a wine bottle, sewing machine, cat, wine glass, basket, umbrella, plant, and other assorted objects scattered across the surface.

This Favorite Things Shirt may be one of my favorite projects I have ever made.

It is creative, personal, and something I will wear for years.

And the best part is you can create one entirely your own. I have lots more ideas to share about other items I plan to embroider with my favorite things.

I cannot wait to see what you make.

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A woman stands in a craft room wearing a white shirt with various colorful embroidered designs, surrounded by shelves of fabric and thread.

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4 Comments

  1. How hard is it to change the thread? When I look at the tiny designs with stripes or the wine bottle it is worrisome. Is there a bobbin underneath and do you have to remove the hoop to change the thread?

    I do love the shirt and your creativity.

    Reply

    1. You only have to change the top thread. And you don’t move the hoop. So it’s very easy to change and the size of the design makes no difference. If you do need to remove the hoop you can put it back in and keep
      Sewing on the same design as long as you don’t remove the design from the hoop.
      Leslie

      Reply

  2. What a great idea! The same concept could be applied to adding designs to a coverlet, Christmas stocking, cup towel or beach towel, tote bag, or any item. You inspired me to make the leap and get an embroidery machine! I’ve found that the most difficult part of any embroidery project is ‘hooping’ the item. I got a 5”x12” magnetic hoop for my SE2000 machine but the machine went wonky when I tried to use it and did not stitch the design correctly. I don’t know if that was because of the size of the larger hoop or because it was the magnets interfering. I’m going to try a smaller size hoop to see if it would work because the magnetic one was so much easier to center and situate. Thanks for sharing this idea. I’m going to give it a try!

    Reply

    1. I already have three Favorite Things projects in the works! For the magnetic hoop, I don’t know what happened. I love mine so much. I have used the tiny 1.5” x 2’5” for the short and I have used the 4” x 4” and 5” x 7” and they all worked great. Did you use stabilizer? You also may be right that the hoop was too big for your project. As long as all of the magnets were securing your fabric you shouldn’t have an issue.

      Reply

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