Thread: How to Bead/Sew without ruining stretch?

I have some ideas for sewing some bead work onto costumes, but I'm scared to ruin the "stretchiness" of the fabric. Is there any special kind of technique?

Also, what do I have to get or use to be able to sew (like on the top of a stretch skirt) so that it still stretches, like with an LRose-style skirt?

I know a lot of you are great at this type of thing! I would appreciate a little advice a lot. :)

I have some closeups already from one way of stretch-beading.

Only one was the accepted size for the gallery. Do you understand the beading technique by this picture?

The secret to the beading technique Gisela posted is that there is "swag" in the beading that connects the sequins, so they are not completely taut. It is generally considered wise to end your thread or re-knot often while sewing, so that if a segment does break, you will not lose large sections of work.

Wooly nylon thread is annoying to hand sew with, but it has elasticity to it and it was designed for stretch sewing on a serger. If you have a lot of time and patience, it may be another option to consider, depending on what sort of embellishment work you have in mind.

Thank's for explaining it for me Tourbeau. I made this particular beading on new matching gauntlets for my noussa-costume. I mimiced the beading on the costume and it turned out really well. The stretch is good on the gauntlets but it's hard to tell because the decoration doesn't go all around the arm.
The stretch on the skirt is amazing though! There's sooo much beading all around and my weight has varied about 40 pounds, it still fits and there's still stretch in it.
It also make a wonderful 3D effect.

I just did my first beading project last month; I did some sequin and beadwork on a velvet trumpet skirt and matching arm cuffs. My seamstress told me that the key is simply that you DO NOT pull the thread tight with each stitch. (She showed me the inside of one of her Sim Moda skirts to demonstrate...it was good to examine that kind of intricate beadwork and see on the "wrong" side of the fabric that they really don't do anything "special" or "different.")

When hand-sewing anything else (stuff that doesn't need stretch), people have a tendency to give each stitch an extra tug to tighten it. Leave that "tug" out and keep the stitches nice and "relaxed", and that preserves the stretchiness.

Thanks so much ladies! Here I go! *scared*

Giselas photo is great, and I do like that technique.

Another technique is to stretch the fabric, and bead on the fabric while it's stretched. The end result will look a little weird when it's unstretched, things might pucker a bit. An ordinary embroidery hoop will hold the fabric taut and stretched for beading.

Originally Posted by gisela

I have some closeups already from one way of stretch-beading.

Only one was the accepted size for the gallery. Do you understand the beading technique by this picture?

ohhh, so *that's* the reason why so many BD costumes are beaded in zigzag!... i thought it just looked cool ..g.:
and it really works?
this is definitely good to know. i'm gonna hafta start beading my costume sooner or later...

sure it works great. I'll try tomorrow to take pictures of the skirt stretched and unstretched. It has massive beading.

I feel like such a dunce reading this. I can just about sew on a button..c::

does anyone have any links for tutorials for beading?

I bought a costume with a beaded seam between top and bottom sections of the skirt. It hardly stretched at all and I couldn't stand it; felt like my thighs were tied together. This was not just about the beading but the seam itself; unfortunately the beadwork had to be destroyed to pick the seam out.

I took it apart, re-sewed it with the seam stretched out as I was sewing, then re-beaded it. The beading technique was as pictured above by Gisela.

I did the beading with the seam stretched, working with the skirt around my thighs as I sat in a chair and holding my legs apart. It now stretches plenty without breaking the beading, no problem. Beading also looks fine when not stretched.

I've been just assuming that when they're beading something stretchy at a costumier, they're working with the costume stretched over some kind of frame. Anybody know if this is true?

Rosette

That is what I thought as well Rosette. It is what I hope to do with my next project.

do you add any type of backing to your fabric-like interfacing?

Sersi - Interfacing is typically non-stretch.

You could conceivably use embroidery stabalizer, which then needs to be sort of "unpicked" after the embroidery is done, if you want to preserve the stretch.

Gotcha. So if you used the stretch beading method at the top of a skirt where it stretches, would you use the same technique down the body of the skirt (like framing the slit) or would you use interfacing? Or, on the whole thing would you use a lining that stretches and stitch through that?

I'm just worried about some really thin material I'd like to use. It's a foil over spandex or something like that. It's not really as thick as professional dancewear or swimsuit material.

If I made it fitted with a zipper, would it be better to use a stabilizer?

(should I just start another thread? I don't want to hijack this one)

I do my beading on stretch fabric with elastic bead cord from Wholesale Beads and Jewelry Making Supplies - Fire Mountain Gems and Beads.

Just type "elastic" into the Product Search box - takes you to a variety of stretchy threads and cords.

Normally, the point of interfacing is that you are stabilizing the fabric so that it won't pull and break stitches or get stretched out of shape and sag. Because a zipper doesn't have any natural elasticity, adding interfacing in the immediate area shouldn't be a problem. If you are unsure if your fabric can withstand the "zipping" process, adding extra stabilizer might be a good idea. Similarly, if you have a fitted waist on a skirt (not solely dependant on elasticity to hold its shape), interfacing could be used there to help combat the problem of heavy beadwork stretching the waistband out of shape or causing the skirt to creep downward while dancing.

For the problem of heavy beading on stretch fabric, selective use of interfacing would again be a common choice, but it always amazes me that a lot of costumes don't have it. Nevertheless, you can sometimes find special interfacing for knits, or you can cut up a tee shirt, serge or zigzag the edges, and baste that in place underneath if you want to give a little more support to your embellishments without making the fabric too rigid.