Decorating clothes with sequins is reaching a new level. In addition to regular dresses and sweaters, they are used to decorate pillows, shoes, and bags. This article will tell you how to sew sequins onto fabric by hand.
What are sequins
Sequins are small beautiful sparkles, they can be of different shapes and colors. From matte round to square pearlescent.
A sequin is a small shiny circle, mostly made of colored metallized paper or plastic, used to decorate clothes, accessories and bed linen, and they are also used to make beautiful appliques. In the center of each circle there is a hole for easy sewing. The shape can be not only round, there are also square, oval, heart-shaped or leaf-shaped sequins. They can be concave or convex.
Materials and tools you will need for sequin embroidery
The main tools are glitter, threads, needles (usually thick ones are used to make it easier to pierce the material). Very often, beads or rhinestones are used in combination with sequins. They are designed to hide the thread and give the product more luxury. The threads should be very strong and durable, preferably in the color of the product or sequins. To prevent the thread from fluffing during work, it can be greased with candle wax.
To secure the fabric, you need a stretcher so that the product does not move on the surface of the work table and is tightly stretched. The material must be unpretentious, so that it does not get dirty or wrinkled. This is necessary so that you do not constantly wash the product and spoil it. The scissors must be small and sharp, you can take manicure scissors.
If you need to decorate a finished item with some kind of drawing, then you can find sketches of it on the Internet. You can transfer it to the product using special tracing paper that does not leave streaks. You need to buy it in a fabric store.
Important! To make the work easier, you need to watch at least five different master classes on hand embroidery.
A quick way to sew on sequins
Sewing on sequins on an overlock has a number of advantages and features in the process of work. Many craftswomen note the high speed of work, this helps with an urgent order. A number of features can be highlighted when working with the machine:
- For work it is advisable to use sequins, previously strung on a thread;
- The sequin thread needs to be applied to the material and begin to sew it using the classic method;
- Many craftswomen do not use special feet, making the stitching distance in accordance with the size of the purchased sequin.
It turns out that the needle on the overlock passes through two sequins and a new puncture is made in the middle hole. The presser foot is set to classic - sewing on a satin ribbon does not make it necessary to use special separate means. The fabric should be dense and high-quality. For sewing, it is recommended to use professional transparent threads. They can be bought in a textile store.
If there are none, then threads in the same color as the fabric will do. Sequins should be sewn on very carefully so as not to ruin the item. To understand how to sew sequins on fabric, you need to know the types of seams.
How to sew sequins with a continuous stitch
Sometimes, craftswomen use a hook instead of needles. But for beginners it will be more convenient and easier to work with a needle and hand. Sequins sewn on with a continuous seam hold on to the product quite firmly, but the seam in this case is visible and the color of the threads must be chosen correctly.
To make this stitch, insert the needle from the inside into the center of the sequin and make a backstitch through the right edge of the decoration. Bring the needle out at the left edge of the sequin and make a backstitch through the center of the circle. Bring the needle out to sew on a new sequin, making sure that they touch each other.
Sequin placement technique: overlapping ("fish scales", mosaic)
The mosaic technique is different in that, starting from the second row, the sequins need to be sewn so that the hole in the middle is above the junction of two scales from the first row. This technique makes the item more stable on the body, emphasizes all the advantages and looks lighter than fish scales.
Overlay (fish scales)
To perform this technique, each row of scales is sewn with a blind stitch. With this stitch, each sequin half covers the one that is already glued to the product. Therefore, the stitch can be hidden.
Important! When buying tools for work, you need to take into account that decorating items with fish scale embroidery requires more glitter than with the mosaic technique.
It is important to remember that this technique of execution adds extra volume to the product. Therefore, not everyone is suitable for things made with such overlay. For plump people, it is better to use the mosaic technique, it will help to hide figure flaws and emphasize shapes.
Backstitch
The most popular and reliable option is to embroider with sequins. The needle is brought out from the inside to the front part of the product, picking up the sequin. Then the corner enters from the right side, comes out from the left and through the hole of the sequin is brought out to the inside. As a result, the decoration is sewn with two stitches. The next ones are made in the same way.
How to sew a sequin with a closed stitch using beads
This option involves closing the thread so that it is not visible on the finished product. Here you will need beads. Each bead will be an additional decoration.
Work plan:
- The needle and thread with a tied knot must be threaded from the inside of the product in the place where the decorative detail needs to be sewn;
- String the decoration onto a thread;
- Place beads on a thread over the glitter;
- The needle needs to be inserted into the middle of the sequin from the outside, securing the beads;
- At the end, tie the thread with two knots.
Sequins break very easily. Children should not be allowed to play with the finished product, because the item can be lost. It is also forbidden to cut sequins with scissors, because they are made of plastic, they will easily become blunt. If you need to remove the sequin, it is recommended to simply unravel the thread.
It is recommended to wash items decorated with sequins at a temperature of 40 degrees, wringing is strictly prohibited, as high speeds can damage the design of the product. It is advisable to dry only in a horizontal position, as the product becomes very heavy, if you hang it, it will stretch a lot.
If possible, washing should be done as infrequently as possible, since the paint on the glitter tends to wash out and crack over time.
It is worth emphasizing that the fastest way to embroider sequins is with a sewing machine, but sewing sequins by hand is an easier method and even a beginner needlewoman can do it. After just a week of active work, a beginner can begin to decorate not only T-shirts, but also more complex items of clothing, such as bags, pillows or wallets. It is important to constantly improve and hone your skill, because if you abandon this hobby for at least a couple of months, it will be very difficult to remember everything.
