Happy Bacon Day, the Reprise

Three years ago, I gave my husband a set of plush bacon (along with a list of reasons why he was better than bacon) for Valentine's Day.

Excuse the three year old blurry webcam picture.

I know, loving bacon is the most overdone thing on teh interwebs, but it was quite meaningful, I promise, since we looooove bacon in this house. We get pounds of it from Costco, and we love our candied bacon, bacon cookies, bacon with brussel sprouts, and just plain bacon for the heck of it. Mind, we are aware of how cured meats can increase one's risk of cancer, so we only eat it sparingly. But when we do, gosh darn it, we enjoy it! Anyway, this year I decided that we didn't need anymore breakfast food plushies (does one ever need breakfast food plushies? To be honest, though, I just couldn''t think of any new ones), so I decided to immortalize bacon love in a more practical, wearable every day way. Enter the embroidered bacon polo shirt:

Making this was incredibly easy. If you should fancy a bacon shirt (or dress, or clutch, or anything else, really!) of your own, here's what to do:

1) Cut out a little piece of white fabric, preferably of of less-fraytastic material, and a similarly sized fusible web piece. Using embroidery scissors, cut out a vaguely wavy bacon-shaped piece. Iron it onto your polo shirt, about even with the bottom of the button placket, about halfway between the middle of the shirt and the side seam.

Like so. I used a piece of muslin, which I wouldn't actually recommend since it frayed quite a bit.

2) Cut out a piece of lightweight fusible interfacing bigger than your bacon piece. Iron it onto the underside of the shirt, directly behind the bacon.

3) Thread your machine with red thread, set it to a satin stitch or very small, tight zigzags, and go to town on that little piece of bacon! There's no set way to do this, but I would aim for an outline and at least one "meaty" strip down the middle. Make sure to leave some white showing for the fat. I also added a couple lines of straight topstitching for more of an organic, actual bacon feel.

Looks just like one o' them Lacoste polos with the little embroidered crocodile, right?

4) Trim your threads, iron, and you're done!

 Here's what the back looks like, if you're interested:

I was stupid about cutting out interfacing, and didn't think to add it until I'd already started stitching. And obviously I am a terrible judge of the correct size. Don't do what I did.

And the best thing about this project is...

It cost $2! While it may make me seem like a stingy wife, let's remember that we're contending with business school tuition here. I think I made a smart economic move in not going overboard for V-Day, yes? And just in case you want a more valentine-y picture to end this madness, have a picture of Walnut:

The box claims "Nature Sweet Cherubs: Heavenly Sweet Tomatoes" as its contents. Instead, have a most non-cherubic cat sticking out his tongue. "Take that, Cupid! That's what you get for having me neutered!"