Thread: Making sequined belly covers

Has anyone done this successfully and willing to share how you did it? I have one I'd like to put some sparkle on, but I'm not sure if it'd work or if everything would pop off once I put it on.

I'm thinking put the stocking on & stand in front of a mirror to lightly sketch the design/placement, then remove for actual sewing. Thoughts? Advice?

that could work. Youd have to keep stretching the fabric as you sew so that it still stretches when you have it on. It might be better to sew it while its on a dress form. luck!

Instead of sequins, why don't you use hot fix crystals? I think this works better than sewing on sequins (assuming that your belly cover is mesh) so you don't have to worry about stretching the fabric while you sew or anything else...

I've also seen jeweled belly covers where they've used sew-on prong settings.

I think the hot-fix rhinestone idea is a good one.

If you want sequins, I would dot them on one at a time like sprinkles, so that there is no thread from sequin to sequin to break as the mesh stretches. So the sewing would go like this for each one:
1. knot the thread to the fabric, catching only a square or two of the mesh.
2. put on one sequin and top it with one small bead
3. loop the thread around the outside of the bead and back down through the sequin
(optionally, maybe you could repeat this several times in the same small area to produce a cluster, but leave the thread sort of loose)
4. knot again underneath.
5. cut thread, repeat in the next place

But the rhinestones sound easiest. You could stretch the mesh over the ironing board cover, or a box or something.

Hmmm. I don't have a dress form, but I do have a hot fix tool and an ironing board ..g.: Think I'll try it - put it on & use chalk or a regular pencil to lightly mark placement, take it off & put over the ironing board, then get to hot fixin'. Only thing that'd worry me would be melting/burning the stocking fabric. I've only hot fixed a little so far (silk flower hair clips) & feel heavy handed with the tool (I've accidentally melted some petals *eek*). If I put a piece of muslin between the stocking & the tool do you think the muslin would interfere in the crystal adhering to the stocking?

I guess it seems more likely a lot of the sequin patterns/designs used are appliqués attached to the stocking, not actual individual sequins sewn on.

Originally Posted by alibelly

You'd have to keep stretching the fabric as you sew so that it still stretches when you have it on. It might be better to sew it while its on a dress form. luck!

An embroidery hoop could be used for this.

[QUOTE=

I guess it seems more likely a lot of the sequin patterns/designs used are appliqués attached to the stocking, not actual individual sequins sewn on.[/QUOTE]

Actually, in all the costumes I've seen involving beadwork on mesh, it's been stitched directly to the mesh - a small tight stitch securing the bead/sequin to the mesh, loose stitch to the next bead, small tight stitch for that bead, loose stitch to the next etc... exactly as it would appear if it were stitch firmly while the mesh was stretched.

I haven't tried, but if you're happy to work a section at a time, would an embroidery hoop do the trick?

just beat me Shira!

Ok, the stocking/belly cover will indeed melt under a hot fix tool. Ask me how I know ,f::. I think I might can group crystals around the one spot I created so it isn't as noticeable (really can't see it when the cover is on, but I still know it's there), but definitely put something between the tool & the stocking if you try this.

Otherwise it works well :)

Oh, and I just stretched mine over the wide end of the ironing board. Works ok.

How can you put a piece something in between the hot fix crystal and the mesh and not have it show? Are you using really large stones?

why not make an applique on some lightweight fabric and sew that to the mesh. You could hot-fix the applique or use sew-on crystals.

Stick the crystals on with good fabric glue? I'd put wax paper or some such under the belly cover stretched over your ironing board.

I second good fabric glue...or just experiment and find good glue that works with the mesh and rhinestones. I believe professional ballroom dance costumers sometimes use UHU Glue because they don't have enough time to hot fix everything...