Thread: Embellishing a dress with fringe clusters and rhinestones? WWBD?

Okay... a little background... last winter I made myself a blue velour dress for a hafla:



It's hard to see in the picture, but the fabric was already embellished with blue sequins, and then I added silver sparkly scrolls at the hip and neck.

I always wanted to embellish it more, and I have a chance to wear it again pretty soon. I was thinking of adding clusters of fringe around the hips as well... maybe three to five strands of silver bugle beads together, scattered around the hipline? And then I might go back with my hot fix iron and add little AB rhinestones around the hips and neckline to give it more pizzazz.

Does this sound like a good idea to you? And how long do you think the strands of fringe should be? I've been looking at photos on various websites and it seems like they run anywhere from four to eight inches. I'm a shorter, bigger person, so I'm trying to figure out what would look the best with this dress. Also, I do want to keep more attention up at the neckline, because of my proportions, so I'm wondering if I need to add fringe there too.

Your thoughts appreciated!

This looks very pretty. I would suggest attaching your beaded tassels at various strategic points in the scrolly designs that you've already applied so the look is all tied together.

Another thing you can do that looks really cool is to use just a single strand of short bugle beads with a big bead, say 1/2" in diameter, at the end. The way to bead this is to run your thread through it all, including the big bead, then through a small bead (a seed bead is fine as long as it's big enough not to slip through the hole in the big bead), and then go back through the whole strand to the beginning and tie it off. That little end bead should be smooth, not one with cut ends like a bugle (which would gradually fray the thread as the dangles swing around.)

I'd suggest going with longer dangles at the hip line and then if you also put them at the neckline, you could make those just the same only shorter.

Have fun!
Rosette

I think your ideas will be beautiful additions. I'd definitely add the fringe in the scroll work at the hips. But, I don't know that I'd add fringe around the neck... from what I can see in the picture the position of the scroll work doesn't seem to lend itself well up there. But rhinestone away!! If you want to experiment, try safety pinning short strands of fringe at various points to try it out?

Be sure to post pics after! :)

Originally Posted by Rosette

This looks very pretty. I would suggest attaching your beaded tassels at various strategic points in the scrolly designs that you've already applied so the look is all tied together.

Another thing you can do that looks really cool is to use just a single strand of short bugle beads with a big bead, say 1/2" in diameter, at the end. The way to bead this is to run your thread through it all, including the big bead, then through a small bead (a seed bead is fine as long as it's big enough not to slip through the hole in the big bead), and then go back through the whole strand to the beginning and tie it off. That little end bead should be smooth, not one with cut ends like a bugle (which would gradually fray the thread as the dangles swing around.)

I'd suggest going with longer dangles at the hip line and then if you also put them at the neckline, you could make those just the same only shorter.

Have fun!
Rosette

Those are great ideas. I was wondering how I would finish off those bugle bead strands... I'll play around and figure out what beads to use as the end points. Thanks!

Originally Posted by Kalirah

I think your ideas will be beautiful additions. I'd definitely add the fringe in the scroll work at the hips. But, I don't know that I'd add fringe around the neck... from what I can see in the picture the position of the scroll work doesn't seem to lend itself well up there. But rhinestone away!! If you want to experiment, try safety pinning short strands of fringe at various points to try it out?

Be sure to post pics after! :)

I think maybe "Rhinestones Away!" may be my new battle cry.

I think pinning bits of fringe on around the neck to get an idea is a good way to go, rather than doing a lot of work and ripping it back off. Thanks!

Very pretty dress....I have a similar situation and I've been pinning strands of beads here and there on my dress. I agree with Kalirah that accentuating the hipline with fringe and not the neckline would be nice. Have you thought of a V shape in the front and back? I thought I saw godets in the skirt portion---they would look pretty decorated also. You have great hair that would look so pretty pulled back at the sides with rhinestone barettes or combs, or even curled all over, pulled completely up with little rhinestone hair goodies all over. Don't forget some big whopping earrings and a necklace...you're lucky to have the proportions to be able to wear gorgeous things like that! I saw on another thread that if you go on eBay and search 'drag queen' jewellry you'll see all kind of awesome stuff...I did!

Originally Posted by Doozer

Very pretty dress....I have a similar situation and I've been pinning strands of beads here and there on my dress. I agree with Kalirah that accentuating the hipline with fringe and not the neckline would be nice. Have you thought of a V shape in the front and back? I thought I saw godets in the skirt portion---they would look pretty decorated also. You have great hair that would look so pretty pulled back at the sides with rhinestone barettes or combs, or even curled all over, pulled completely up with little rhinestone hair goodies all over. Don't forget some big whopping earrings and a necklace...you're lucky to have the proportions to be able to wear gorgeous things like that! I saw on another thread that if you go on eBay and search 'drag queen' jewellry you'll see all kind of awesome stuff...I did!

I actually have some rhinestone jewelry on... it's just pretty hard to see in that hard flash light. I bought a bunch of rhinestone clips, but sadly they don't stay in my fine hair for dancing... I need to try some hair gunk or tiny braids in my hair to "keep" them.

There are indeed godets in the skirt and at least I will be putting rhinestones at the top of their points! Good spotting!

If you had the time it adds lots of dimension to shimmies if you have 2 or 3 lengths of fringe together. No set lengths, maybe 4", 6" and 8" or whatever works for your time and supplies. I string the longest ones first returning later to add more to the sprigs of fringe. That way I will have enough that all the longer ones match. I do each length prior to starting on the next ones. Rhinestones along the neckline would be lovely but beaded fringe might not work, great idea to pin a few strands in-place. Maybe you could bead a forehead piece to draw the eye.

Brief and humorous update:

After spending around 20 hours adding fringe and rhinestones to this dress, I danced at a dress rehearsal in it. I made a really dumb mistake: all this time the dress was hanging on a hanger. It's gotten longer!!

Luckily I think I can just change up my shoes and survive. Performance is on Sunday... new pictures afterward!

Originally Posted by tigerb

Brief and humorous update:

After spending around 20 hours adding fringe and rhinestones to this dress, I danced at a dress rehearsal in it. I made a really dumb mistake: all this time the dress was hanging on a hanger. It's gotten longer!!

Luckily I think I can just change up my shoes and survive. Performance is on Sunday... new pictures afterward!

That's what dress rehearsals are for! Good save...g.:

Originally Posted by tigerb

I always wanted to embellish it more, and I have a chance to wear it again pretty soon. I was thinking of adding clusters of fringe around the hips as well... maybe three to five strands of silver bugle beads together, scattered around the hipline? And then I might go back with my hot fix iron and add little AB rhinestones around the hips and neckline to give it more pizzazz.

Does this sound like a good idea to you? And how long do you think the strands of fringe should be? I've been looking at photos on various websites and it seems like they run anywhere from four to eight inches. I'm a shorter, bigger person, so I'm trying to figure out what would look the best with this dress. Also, I do want to keep more attention up at the neckline, because of my proportions, so I'm wondering if I need to add fringe there too.

Your thoughts appreciated!

I actually think silver seed beads would look nicer than bugle beads. But that is just my opinion. Something like this:


I'm just trying to illustrate the fringe here and how it would fit on the design on the hips.

ETA just saw your update. I'm a little late!

Originally Posted by andalee-oriental

I actually think silver seed beads would look nicer than bugle beads. But that is just my opinion. Something like this:

I'm just trying to illustrate the fringe here and how it would fit on the design on the hips.

ETA just saw your update. I'm a little late!

I did consider seed beads, but I got an excellent deal on some very high-quality bugles from a bead store that went out of business last year. They're silver lined and very reflective, a clear step up from the typical craft store bugles. So I went for those. I do think, though, that often the seed bead fringe hangs a little nicer.

What kind of thread do you recommend for fringe embroidery? I ended up with Nymo, which is supposed to be pretty strong, but I'm a little apprehensive about it.

I would to an asymetrical line of widely spaced cluster fringe starting at my natural waist with 6 inch that slopes down but gets longer...12 -18 inches(I am tall) to my "dance hip" I would leave off the fringe on the top of the dress. This will make your torso seem longer. If you add fringe to the top..you will get shorter again. The eye should travel down the side of the body and end at the focul point of your active hip...IMHO.

Oooh, good idea Anala....I haven't worked on MY dress yet and I think that would work great for it!

Originally Posted by tigerb

I did consider seed beads, but I got an excellent deal on some very high-quality bugles from a bead store that went out of business last year. They're silver lined and very reflective, a clear step up from the typical craft store bugles. So I went for those. I do think, though, that often the seed bead fringe hangs a little nicer.

The main drawback about bugle beads, to me, is they are the most likely to break during use. I've seen too many bloody footprints on a dance floor (my own included). Hopefully the higher quality ones won't be prone to this!
Best wishes, can't wait for pics!

I got a lot of compliments on it... one fellow student even asked me if I bought it in Egypt! Woo hoo!

Oooohhh! Pretty!

Originally Posted by beafarhana

Oooohhh! Pretty!

Thanks B!

I hope the people who wanted to see the results will run across this thread. The project really came together nicely.

(But now I really want to make another one.)

It looks so pretty! I really like the effect - I think you used the perfect amount to accent yet not overwhelm that beautiful fabric.

BTW, the fit on it is amazing - look at those gorgeous curves!

Yesssssssssss! What a wonderful, curvy figure you have...and the dress looks great. I love the beading!

Originally Posted by laura 2

It looks so pretty! I really like the effect - I think you used the perfect amount to accent yet not overwhelm that beautiful fabric.

BTW, the fit on it is amazing - look at those gorgeous curves!

Fitting it was kind of a nightmare. Proportionally I have a very small waist to my big hips. It took several passes.

Lovely!!