I've often seen beads on 1920s dresses machine sewn on. When the thread
pulls through thin fabric, leaving a string of beads, I couch them down
over the thread because it's easiest. I wanted these beads for an
entirely different project, to add to the edges of brocade ribbon.
Maybe I can just buy beaded ribbon!
Fran
Lavolta Press
www.lavoltapress.com
On 1/3/2012 1:59 PM, Lynn Downward wrote:
The 3 or 4 1920s dresses I've had in my hands had the beads sewn on as Lisa
said. They are sewn down by going through 2 or 3 or 4 beads then looped
under the fabric back one or two beads then up through the fabric and into
the last bead or two sewn and one or two more. You're always going through
most of the beads twice. When I've Sewn beads down, I tend to knot off
every 4" or so. That way, when I lose some beads, I' only losing a few at
at time, not whole strings of beads.
LynnD
On Tue, Jan 3, 2012 at 1:13 PM,<lis...@juno.com> wrote:
I can speak to your bead needs. I have a little experience with them.
The first issue is that you want to couch them, AND that you want them to
be washable and dry-cleanable after having couched them on. At least
that's what I understood you wanted.
Couching is fine, but you should not do it using the thread that the
beads are sold on, because that thread is not made to be used for that
nor is it durable. So.....what I would do, is re-string the beads on
bead thread or C-lon (which is pretty heavy thread that I use for bead
crochet) or buttonhole thread. Then you can couch it on using bead
thread or quilting thread. Even so, I personally would not trust any
garment so beaded to a dry cleaner. I would expect some beads to come
off. Unless it is a specialty dry-cleaner that does a lot of that sort
of thing., and has a good reputation.
Any glass or crystal beads will be washable--in fact, the garment could
be carefully washed by hand with Woolite or any such cleaner, and laid
out to dry on towels or racks safely.
Couching is not a favorite method of mine. I generally actually SEW the
beads to the fabric, 3 or 4 at a time. But that's me.
Yours in cosutming,Lis AA
On Tue, 03 Jan 2012 12:00:11 -0800 Lavolta Press<f...@lavoltapress.com>
writes:
> I don't really like beading. Most of my experience is in restoring
1920s
evening dresses. When I am working on one section, more sections are
always coming apart.
Having said that, I want to buy strands of (washable and dry
cleanable)
fine glass beads I can couch onto a project, meaning the thread for
the
strands has to be of permanent quality, not just beads strung
together
for sale. Where can I buy them?
Fran
Lavolta Press
Books on historic clothing
www.lavoltapress.com
www.facebook.com/LavoltaPress
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