Thread: Need Help Repairing/Fixing my costume please!

Hey all! I just bought a really pretty yellow costume that I love but which is going to need a bit of work. It's a bra and skirt set.

So, if you can answer one or a few of these questions I'd super appreciate it. I have some ideas, and I'm not a complete sewing noob, but I figured it'd be best to have a variety of opinions.

1. I need to add some length, not much, just wanna cover a little extra ankle (shocking! lol) I was thinking a ruffle. How do I do that though? Do I sew it onto the actual costume, or onto do something to the strip of fabric that makes it ruffle and then sew that on?

2. How do I best go about finding matching fabric for that? There are so many shades of yellow.... I figure if I can get enough I might as well make gauntlets and a headband too!

3. How do I best go about matching sequins for the ones that have fallen off? They are holographic. Can you recommend a store that might be in Florida?

4. How do I sew on the top of a bra? It's lycra, I'm scared to take it apart because if I sew the fabric folds back wrongly it'll have a bad fit...

Hmm, I'm beginning to wonder if I'm out of my mind... ..l;,,f::

For the ruffle, I think you can sew it directly onto the costume. I've made flounces for big circle skirts before, which I think would be similar.

To make the ruffle, cut the fabric in strips in the width you want, leaving a slight allowance for the seam. You may have to cut multiple strips and sew them end-to-end for it to be long enough to go around the skirt hem. Once your have your strips sewn together, you need to hem and gather them, so it has the amount of ruffle-age you want. Do you or anyone you know have a serger? You will probably want to serg the bottom hem so you don't have a bunch of strings hanging down.

If you're not comfortable doing this yourself (I had my mom help me out, she's much handier with a sewing machine) maybe find a local seamstress to do it for you. I'm guessing a flounce wouldn't cost a huge amount of money.

As for matching fabric and sequins. I think you should take the costume into a fabric store, maybe you have Joanne's or something similar in Florida, and look how the costume actually looks against various fabrics, and compare the sequins and trimmings in the store with what's on the actual costume.

can you post a picture of the costume? that would help a lot. is the skirt attached to a belt, or is it a one piece affair?

if you are going to buy a few yards of the material, some companies will send you swatches. google around and see what deals you can find.

if you can't find a yellow thats exact [really hard to do] making a head band and some arm accessories to match the ruffle would be a good way to blend the yellows together. maybe add a touch of it to the top too to harmonize. don't worry about having multiple yellows. remember stage costumes usually look great with multiple shades of the same color to add depth under lights.

for sequins try
buttons4u.com - Trims & Buttons, Inc
Welcome to Bead Factory
call them. they have more than whats on their site.

oh, and if you want a looser ruffle than a gathered style, you might try the technique where you cut large circles and then cut them in a spiral strip to make a bias type wave effect. there was a thread about that somewhere here in reference to a skirt someone made....

if it were me, I'd sew the ruffle and then attach it to the skirt. You can do a basting stitch (either w/the sewing machine or by hand if you want) and then pull the strings to draw the fabric together.

Does the costume come with a veil? You could use that. Or pick up on another color that is in the beadwork (for example, if there's some peach colors or something). This way it won't look like you tried and failed to match the costume color.

I'm not sure about the last 2 questions...I don't live in FL and I don't understand what needs to be done to the bra to make it fit.

Originally Posted by Safiyah

if it were me, I'd sew the ruffle and then attach it to the skirt. You can do a basting stitch (either w/the sewing machine or by hand if you want) and then pull the strings to draw the fabric together.

.

This is actually what I did, using a basting stitch and pulling it to gather, but you explained it much better. I understood the original post as asking if she could sew the ruffle directly onto the skirt or if she needed to sew the ruffle onto something else first to make it ruffle, then the skirt.

But yes, create the ruffle, then sew onto the costume.

I can take pictures tomorrow!

I think I understand the ruffle thing, and the swatches is really good to know. I'll also look for another Joanne's. The one I've been to doesn't have any lycra, or similar material, sadly. Hopefully another will.

The problem with the bra is an odd one. With pictures it'll be easier to understand, but I can try to clarify: The fit is great. It's just that some stitches need to be reinforced and crystals resown, but it's a lycra material, an odd shape, and very little of it is hard, so I'm scared that if I remove the lining and take out the padding to sew on the top decorated fabric, I wont be able to mold the fabric correctly again. Is it possible to use a different needle or technique for sewing without removing the lining that wont look horrible?

deleted

do you have pics? I can answer your questions if you have pics! =)

Re repairing the bra - I would not sew through the cup. I'll try to express myself so it's easy to understand - not something I am particularly known for.

Place a sequin, stone or bead where you want it and slightly touch the lycra with the tip of the needle. Carefully look at the lycra, take shallow stitch through the lycra only but with the needle pointed to the side and pull through so the needle runs beneath the lycra and back to the beaded area, usually 1/8" from the starting point. The needle will only grab the lycra so there's no fear of distorting the padding or marring the lining. I call it a sideways stitch. I knot the thread after every 2 or 3 stitches being careful not to pull the stitches too tight.

Years ago when we made all our costumes we had to be careful with the foam cups. Too many stitches and the cups could collapse, the stitches would compromise the formed foam cup. We had to devise a way to work with the supplies we had available. Whenever I do repairs on costumes that is the technique I use, including belts. That way the lining still looks nice and if you ever decide to replace the lining you do not have to restitch those repairs. Of course the exception is for hooks and eyes, those suckers are stitches as much as possible!

I doubt this is as clear as I hoped. If you want to ask questions feel free to PM me. Maybe I could help with any confusion I caused. I look forward to reading Eshta's response. I do enjoy the sharing and learning on Bhuz.

For the fabric...Go to Spandexhouse.com search for the "yellow" in the title...find close matches, then email them for swatches...they're free...

I have a huge card of deep yellow/gold swatches from them...I'm happy to mail it to you if you'd like :O)

PM me if you want it!

Cartwright's Sequins, Beads, Buttons & Glitter

every sequin under the sun. you could probably send them a sample.

I have ordered from them several times, they are great, and quick delivery.

Thanks for your ideas everyone! I've mostly fixed it up. It's looking so nice and I'm really excited...

I wish I knew the maker though so I could warn you guys. I had to go through almost every end of a strand and knot it, they just left them untied! No wonder so much fell off. Also had to reinforce far too many stitches. I feel like I made it. But the fit is great and the lycra is strong, so I think I'm going to be very happy with the finished product.

Originally Posted by Goldenpear

Thanks for your ideas everyone! I've mostly fixed it up. It's looking so nice and I'm really excited...

I wish I knew the maker though so I could warn you guys. I had to go through almost every end of a strand and knot it, they just left them untied! No wonder so much fell off. Also had to reinforce far too many stitches. I feel like I made it. But the fit is great and the lycra is strong, so I think I'm going to be very happy with the finished product.

where did you get the cossie from and i wanna see pics! :)

I bought it from another bhuzzer who gave me a pretty great deal all things considered. I'll see if I can get a hold of a camera. I need to lose a few holiday pounds but I like it more and more every day.

(lol, actually, there are AB stones on each nipple and that makes me feel a little weird, but I'm trying to overlook that, heehee.)

Originally Posted by Goldenpear

I bought it from another bhuzzer who gave me a pretty great deal all things considered. I'll see if I can get a hold of a camera. I need to lose a few holiday pounds but I like it more and more every day.

(lol, actually, there are AB stones on each nipple and that makes me feel a little weird, but I'm trying to overlook that, heehee.)

haha i actually tend to shy away from decorations like that too lol