Nowadays, people prefer to buy ready-to-wear clothing for convenience. However, sewing your clothes is a great idea that allows you to create the apparel you want to wear and apply your creativity, especially when certain designs aren't available in the market or are too expensive for your pocket.
You can also choose the fabric and ensure that materials are well suited for your liking and taste! Fortunately, this is also applicable to creating elegant gowns and dresses. If you're opting for a glam look, sequins are perfect for you. Sequins are great to add spark to your dress for a glitzy and enchanting look, making you feel like a superstar.
Unfortunately, working with sequins isn't as easy as one two three but don't worry because we got you with our ten tips to make your sewing experience with sequins more fun and easier!
Before we proceed to our ten tips, let's have a short background about sequins.
There are various varieties of sequins fabric. Usually, sequins are sewn on the fabric, making it easier to sew and work with.
The fabric comes in various fibers such as silk, cotton, or wool and can be woven or knitted. The good news is that below tips we have prepared can be used for all these varieties.
1. Pattern weights vs. pins
Although pins are more used when sewing, pattern weights are preferable when working with sequins since the fabric is heavier. This will also not pierce or damage your work, unlike pins.
For some neat ideas on making pattern weights, please check out this post:
2. Make your pattern simple
Lesser seams mean less complications, thus fewer things to worry about. This is the reason why it is better to have a simpler pattern to have less problem and work in terms of clearing seams allowance, especially if you're just new and beginner in sewing with sequins. Lastly, this will result in faster sewing.
3. Don't use new scissors to cut sequin fabric
There's no need to use new expensive scissors when cutting sequin fabric because sequins can dull its blade. This is why it's better to use old scissors to protect your new scissor's sharpness.
For other questions about what you can and can't cut with sewing scissors, don't miss this post:
4. Wear safety goggles when sewing and cutting sequins
It's necessary to wear safety goggles while working with sequins as they tend to fly away and hit your eyes. Therefore, be careful and protect your eyes.
5. Use a fine needle
It's important to use high-quality needles and needles with size 70 is a good fit when working with sequins. However, extra needles ready for use are still needed just in case you break your needles.
For more tips on avoiding broken needles, please check out this post:
6. Cut your fabric in the same direction
Like the other fabrics, such as velvet, it is necessary to cut sequin fabric in the same direction because sequins can shimmer differently, whether downward or upward. Cutting the pattern pieces on a single layer of cloth should be observed.
7. Cut away the sequins at the stitching line before sewing
This tip allows you to prevent the breakage of a needle on sequins. However, you must keep the excess sequins just in case you'll need them in filling the gaps if you cut away sequins too much.
8. Beads and not sequins? Tape them with a clear tape down on the stitching line
You can remove the clear tape after busting the beads carefully with a hammer. With this, you don't have to worry about breaking your needles with beads while sewing.
9. Be cautious when using an iron
When using your iron, make sure to put it in low temperature and try it on scrap first to ensure that your work wouldn't mess up. A pressing cloth might be useful because sequins tend to melt.
If you end up getting your iron dirty with melted sequins, here are some great tips and tricks on how to clean your iron:
10. Sew slowly but surely!
If you don't rush in sewing sequin fabric, you can easily control and manage your seams and when to stop the needle. This also allows you to avoid sequins and prevent breaking needles.
Where to get sequin fabric?
If you're ready to try your hand at sewing with sequin fabric, Amazon is always a good source of low-cost fabric. Please give it a try and let us know in the comments below how you go. If you have any thoughts you'd like to share with other readers on how best to sew with sequin fabric, please leave them in the comments below as well.
Such a wonderful post! Thanks for sharing.
This is very helpful. ????
Very happy you found it useful!