Thread: DIY Veil help needed

I am considering teaching veil to my students this fall. However, they are college students and many are on very limited budgets. Does anyone have any hints for effective no sew ways to make chiffon veils for them to practice with?

I'm planning on including the veil making instructions in my beginning of the semester handout - I'm not making them all myself.

Thanks!

My 2 cents:

1. There is no effective no sew way to make chiffon veils unless you don't care that they are going to fray all over. The only no sew answer is Fray Check, and that will make the cut edges of the veils stiff and lumpy. If you don't care that they are going to fray, send them off to the fabric store for three yard pieces of chiffon and tell them to NEVER perform with them.

2. It would be nearly as cheap and everybody would have nicer veils if you sent them to Dharma Trading Company and told them to buy the $10 white silk featherweight veils. The edges would be finished and they'd all get to work with silk, which is a joy to dance with. If they order together they'll get the best deal. Possibly one of your students will turn out to be a dye crafter and offer to dye them up pretty colors.

Cents finished.

Buy three yards of polyester chiffon, rip the fabric to make a clean edge, and pull the edge slowly and steadily (but not too slowly) through a flame. Not perfect, but quite effective if one does not sew.

ETA - obviously only works with man-made fibers that melt, natural fibers like cotton or silk will simply burn. And, since it involves a flame, one has to use the necessary caution.

Step 1. Go to eBay
Step 2. Bid on a cheap-o veil.

I’ve always just hemmed my chiffon veils because they fray like crazy. It isn’t difficult, but it does require access to a sewing machine.

Originally Posted by Karnak

I’ve always just hemmed my chiffon veils because they fray like crazy. It isn’t difficult, but it does require access to a sewing machine.

Does Fray Check work for non-sewers? How about fabric-gluing a ribbon around the edges? Like fold it the long way, tuck the edge of the veil in the fold, and glue it?

Hemming a chiffon veil is NOT rocket science. I've seen some appalling sewers manage that. Honestly.

There are good cheap easy suggestions here, don't mess about with fray-check or fabric glue.

You could suggest a stitch'n'***** session with them, to help those who might be a bit nervous gain some confidence.

You don't necessarily need a sewing machine to hem a chiffon veil; I've done it by hand. It takes a lot longer and the results would've been nicer using a sewing machine, but the veil was passable for practice.

I'd be careful using ribbon or trim along the edges. The veil movement can change a lot. I once made a veil trimmed with gorgeous but stiff ribbon, and it never moved well.

I have a sewing machine but I'm a bit clueless when it comes to getting the setting right for things like chiffon and silk so I always hand sew the hems on my veils when it's needed. I really am pretty useless at sewing generally but the one thing I can do is a neat hand-sewn veil hem because I've had a lot of practise! ..g.:

Seriously though, it doesn't take that long to do. You don't need to do anything fancy as a small running stitch would be good enough - no one's going to look that closely at it!

I think the idea of having a session in class where you encourage students to have a go at sewing their own veil is a great idea. They'll probably appreciate the veils a bit more if they've had a small part in making them.

I was afraid there was no good no-sew method - but I knew that if there was it would turn up. Personally I hate the way fray check feels on chiffon.

So, one more question. If you are hand sewing, do you prefer a single hem or a double one where you fold the fabric twice before hemming? Personally, I prefer the double fold, but would love to hear your opinions!

seriously, even no sew projects aren't usually any cheaper than you can find them for online & I love not having to mess with stuff, especially if it's going to be a practice veil! go to mode mystique or ebay & get yourself some $10 veils- the edges will be cleaner & you will stay saner.

Stay away from adhesive products and embellishments. Veils can behave peculiarly when they have glues and decorations on the edges, and you have to be a master crafter to do a nice looking job. You can tear the fabric as steffib says to square up the piece, and then just run a very narrow staystitch or zigzag near the edging (you may have to trim close with a scissors afterward), if you don't want to make a "real" hem and don't have access to a sewing machine that makes a nice, loose rolled hem for you.

I use a chiffon practice veil because I like being able to throw it in the washing machine when it gets footprints, floor dirt, and dance-bag stink on it, but chiffon is heavier and moves differently than silk does. It takes more arm work to get "hang time" out of chiffon. Whether this is a problem depends on the style of veil you do. If you do the Egyptian "frame, swish, and dump," it's not so bad. If you want to go all floaty and fancy with lots of aerial tricks, you'd probably be better with a cheap silk veil.

Another thing to keep in mind is that not all chiffons are the same width. Unless your dancers are quite tall, prepare to trim fabric pieces wider than 45" in both dimensions, instead of going full selvage to selvage and only measuring and cutting for length.

I use pinking shears to cut the edges on my practice chiffon veils. No sew, no glue, no fraying.

3 yards of nylon tricot (sometimes called nylon chiffon) makes a decent no-sew beginners veil. When dearly-beloved-but-dearly-departed Baer's was in town, we could buy it off the bolt for two dollars a yard in a multitude of colors. Delilah sells them on her web site for $18 each ... although that 54" width will probably need to be cut down for most beginners. Visionary Belly Dance | Tricot Bellydance Veil

Whatever it is called, it is KNIT (not woven) which is why it doesn't ravel when cut... and it is light not heavy (like swimsuit material).

If you use nylon tricot, your dancers CANNOT be wearing items that will catch the knit (jump rings, coins).

I purchased the pre-sewn silk veils from Dharma once as an alternative to sewing the hems myself. They are so easy to dye with the acid dyes that you might want to buy several and dye them all the same color.. white gets dirty so easily and color attracts the student dancers like flies. They also have directions for dying them in the microwave, which I have never tried and therefore have no insight into whether it harms the silk for long-term use or not... but you may not care to get that picky with student veils.

Originally Posted by maurazebra

3 yards of nylon tricot (sometimes called nylon chiffon) makes a decent no-sew beginners veil. When dearly-beloved-but-dearly-departed Baer's was in town, we could buy it off the bolt for two dollars a yard in a multitude of colors. Delilah sells them on her web site for $18 each ... although that 54" width will probably need to be cut down for most beginners. Visionary Belly Dance | Tricot Bellydance Veil

Whatever it is called, it is KNIT (not woven) which is why it doesn't ravel when cut... and it is light not heavy (like swimsuit material).

If you use nylon tricot, your dancers CANNOT be wearing items that will catch the knit (jump rings, coins).

Nylon tricot is on OK classroom practice. It doesn't have good "float" but acceptable. No-sew! Trim down from the 54" width, and you have scraps for sashes, accents, head scarf, etc.
veil.Nylon/Tricot Chiffon - Theatre House, Inc. 1-800-827-2414
I order from Theatrehouse.com a lot. Fast and relatively cheap. Fabric, chainette fringe, sequins, even plain bamboo canes cheap.

ooo, thank you for that link to Theatre House!

If you want silk, you could buy it in bulk through Dharma Trading Company and resell it in 3 yard increments to the students. Get it in 45" wide and only the ends will need a little hem.

Originally Posted by kiyaana

If you want silk, you could buy it in bulk through Dharma Trading Company and resell it in 3 yard increments to the students. Get it in 45" wide and only the ends will need a little hem.

I've heard that if you tear the silk rather than cut it, you don't have to hem it. But I haven't tried it.

Originally Posted by dunyah

I've heard that if you tear the silk rather than cut it, you don't have to hem it. But I haven't tried it.

I know that people here have said they have unhemmed silk veils that do not fray, but the great majority of dyers I've spoken to about it have not had that experience.

Originally Posted by maurazebra

They also have directions for dying them in the microwave, which I have never tried and therefore have no insight into whether it harms the silk for long-term use or not... but you may not care to get that picky with student veils.

Silk loves acid. Silk loves steam. As long as you don't burn it, it is happy.

Originally Posted by tigerb

I know that people here have said they have unhemmed silk veils that do not fray, but the great majority of dyers I've spoken to about it have not had that experience.

I'm far from a chemist but I wonder if it's the type of method they use? I still have veils, after this many years in business, that are my own for dancing, and those suckers have yet to spring a thread.

May depend on the type of habotai or where it is purchased as well. Could be drying conditions, or what they are washing the silk in..

but to this day mine are unhemmed and perfect

yeah Dharma is the way to go, buy the undyed ones..but beware as they may get hooked on silk veils :)

be very careful with microwave directions/dyeing..I tried it years ago and it really makes nice colors but be very careful to vent the bag and watch it like a hawk..I wouldn't suggest using this method with kids as a fun project, but most of us adults can handle it :)

Originally Posted by jesennia

.I wouldn't suggest using this method with kids as a fun project, but most of us adults can handle it :)

Oh, I totally agree, kids and boiling hot steam really do not mix.

Originally Posted by tigerb

Silk loves acid. Silk loves steam. As long as you don't burn it, it is happy.

I was thinking along the lines of how sudden changes in temperature damage silk, but I have no idea what actually happens when a microwave is the source of the heat.

Originally Posted by tigerb

I know that people here have said they have unhemmed silk veils that do not fray, but the great majority of dyers I've spoken to about it have not had that experience.

What you have to do after tearing is pull the loose weft threads straight out in the direction they lie in the fabric. Just slide them out. If you pull out perpendicularly to the weft that will just drag more threads loose, and the fraying will go on and on.

After you pull out 4-6 weft threads, the torn edge should be stabilized. I generally steam iron the torn edge after this, as it seems to make the tiny fringe of exposed warp threads lie down nice and cleanly, further preventing fraying.

Originally Posted by maurazebra

I was thinking along the lines of how sudden changes in temperature damage silk, but I have no idea what actually happens when a microwave is the source of the heat.

I often microwave silk to set acid dyes because I don't have a steamer. I put the fabric in a small plastic dish pan or tupperware dish and zap it for a minute or two on high.

I've never had any problems. ..g.:

Originally Posted by maurazebra

ooo, thank you for that link to Theatre House!

You are so welcome my dear!

I have microwaved many a silk just fine- watch your timing & keep an eye on things & make sure the silk is fully saturated- dry silk can burn in the microwave (not personal experience, but assured by a friend it does happen- learn from the mistakes of others!)