DIY instructions for stencil-shirts in case anyone else is interested. feel free to send an ask if you have any questions!
1) a new step i started doing for this shirt. i wanted to freehand the letters, but knew i was gonna waste time on spacing and leveling, so i picked a plain-ish font and made it show up faintly (and increased the spacing). the lion is from a drawing i did a few years ago, scanned in and added to the word document.
2) this is the sketch of the lines on freezer paper (very important - freezer paper and NOT wax paper. this is only waxed on one side, so it doesn't stick to your iron). it doesn't matter much, but i numbered the letters with spaces (o's, a's, etc), so i could match them up later. i also knew the face was gonna be separated from the rest of the background, so i added a cross to help with positioning later.
3) the cutting! get a nice sharp exacto blade, and preferably some sort of cut-proof surface to work on. they actually sell self-healing cutting boards for crafts (i think they're for sewing), and it works best, but i started out cutting on old magazines and cardboard. easiest way to go is cut out the small sections first - eyes, letters, etc. Set aside the cut out letters with holes for later.
4) put something in the shirt to save paint from bleeding through later (magazine, cardboard...). iron the freezer paper onto the shirt. i use the polyester setting on my iron, but you can go with medium-low, i guess? carfully cut out the letter holes with scissors (easier to do now that you don't have to worry about the rest of the letter), and gently place and iron them. note that the iron will shift the letter holes around if you don't do this slowly. i usually leave it and call it character. feel around the corners and edges to make sure they're all stuck down (like the corners of the T's and the long edges around the mane).
5) get some fabric paint and go to town! joann's sells something called "textile medium" near the acrylic paints. you mix 1 part medium to 2 parts acrylic paint and it'll transform the crackly paint into something that'll work with the fabric. i use a paper plate or liquid medicine cup to hold the paint, a toothpick to mix the paint, and a cut up sponge stick to apply. use small but firm dabbing motions, and be SUPER CAREFUL about the smaller details and letter holes. sometimes they lift off with overenthusiastic motions
6) use a toothpick to pry up the smaller details and inset holes, etc. be careful not to get paint from your hands onto those lovely blank spaces. then, have a friend hold down the shirt (or weigh down the top with something heavy), and pull up the freezer paper in one continuous motion. some areas will be reluctant to lift because of the paper direction, but just be patient. marvel at your awesome shirt. :)
final tips: - no need to wait for the paint to dry to pull off the stencil (i think it looks cleaner if the paint's still wet, and the stencil doesn't get stuck as easy) - make sure to lift the painted shirt off the inner lining bleed-guard to keep it from sticking when it fully dries - let design dry overnight, then treat according to textile medium instructions (mine says heat set with an iron for 20 seconds, and not to wash the cloth for 7 days).
if anyone's curious about what the heck the shirt says, it's a line from a brazillian song: https://youtu.be/DbOfEd3KHuo