Obsessed with Embellishment

I thought you might like to see who I work out embellishment ideas.

This version of the Sportive Skirt is a wearable muslin, which I don’t usually do, but this is an embellishment experiment rather than a fit experiment, and I’ve already done 3 versions of this style anyway (2 Hot Patterns Sportive Skirts, and one Trouser Skirt; they share the same sloper.)

There’s no lining on this denim version, and I wanted to finish the cut end of the (too long) zipper. The red stitching is decorative, and also holds the outside edge of the invisible zipper tape to the seam allowance. There’s a small piece of leather to finish off the cut end of the zipper (I always shorten coil zippers from the bottom and finish the end this way, or with a dab from a glue gun. I shorten molded zippers from the top by pulling off the extra teeth with a pair of pliers.)

The hem is finished off with Petersham because I decided the cut length is where I like the hem, so I had to make a faux hem of some sort. Lace was my initial choice, but I didn’t have any in brown, so I thought I’d go sporty with the Petersham.

This fabric not super high quality or special, and I used iit for the wearable muslin only to test the embellishment. The fabric I really want for this skirt is a stunning dark wash stretch denim that I need to retrieve from Ann. I’ll refine these interior embellishments on that version.

This was a fun experiment. The ideas are good and the colors just need to be worked out a bit more.

Beaded Tassel Tutorial

I first made these as a fastening for a Chanel-like cardigan. These tassels are not hard to make, although the work is a little fussy, but if you like making jewelry you’ll probably enjoy this.

The finished tassel is about 2 3/4 inches long, and the top loop is 2 inches (50 beads for mine.) If you plan to use the tassel for earrings, or to embellish a zipper on a handbag, then you can adjust the length of the loop accordingly.

Materials List

1. Nymo beading thread, fine. Use black Nymo for opaque beads, white for crystal & clear beads . Regular sewing thread is not strong enough for this type of beading.
2. Beading needles (I used J & P Coats H.16, size 10/13)

Naturally, for the beads you can use whatever you like, but I’ll give you the bead sizes I used as a guide:

One 10mm faceted bead for the tassel head
One 6mm disc-shaped bead for the neck

Each strand of the skirt contains:

16 seed beads of one color
2 seed beads of another color as a transition
1 bugle bead that coordinate with the 2 transition beads
1 4mm bicone bead
1 Czech E-bead (a bead the same shape as a seed bead, but larger)
1 dangle (usually side drilled) or teardrop bead (usually top drilled) for the end

Each tassel has 6 strands in the skirt. If you use a top drilled bead for the end of each skirt strand you will need an additional seed bead as a stopper.

Step 1:

Cut a piece of Nymo 5 feet long. Each tassel uses one continuous strand of thread, looped back and forth through the beads. It’s really important to have more than enough thread to complete one tassel because if you run out of thread and try to tie onto a strand to complete the skirt, you will compromise the strength of the finished tassel.

The first step works from the bottom up and you’ll create one skirt strand, and then continue with the neck bead, the head bead, and the top loop. String your dangle or tear drop with a single strand of Nymo, then double the strand, re-thread the needle, and string the skirt strand beads on the doubled thread. Add the neck bead, head bead, and the beads for the loop. When the loop islong enough, create the loop and bring the thread back down through the head bead and the neck bead.

It should look like this:

You now have one skirt strand and the top parts of the tassel are formed. Unthread the needle. You will now use each of the two separate threads to create the rest of the skirt strands.

Step 2:

This is an important step to understand: from this point onwards, you will string each skirt strand from the top down to the dangle (the original skirt strand was done bottom up in order make the neck, head and loop of the tassel)

Thread the needle and string on that single strand: 16 seed beads, 2 transition beads, the bugle bead, the bicone, the Czech e-bead, and the dangle or teardrop. After you attach the dangle or teardrop (with teardrops you will need to use a single seed bead below it as a stopper) thread through the entire strand again from the bottom up, catching every bead:

When you get to the neck and head beads, run the thread through those as well, snug the strand to the neck bead, and bring the needle out at the top of the head bead. Wrap the beading thread around the bottom of the loop where the last two loop beads touch the head bead, and bring the thread back down the thorough the head and neck beeads.

Unthread the needle, and separate the two strands of thread. Rethread the needle again as a single strand an continue as before, making another strand of the skirt. After you use up one piece of thread, go to the other piece and finish the skirt. You should be able to do 3 skirt strands on one piece of thread, and 3 on the other.

Step 3:

After all six skirt strands are complete, go through and wrap around the head bead one last time, but bring the needle out between the head bead and the neck bead. Run the needle horizontally through the many strands of thread, make a loop, and pull a tight knot. Then run the thread down thought the neck bead and through at least 6 beads in a skirt strand, and cut off the thread. This last step, of running the end piece of thread through a skirt strand, is actually very important because it prevents the knot from coming undone.

You’re done!

The catch stitching secures the pressed back seam allowance at both the outer edge and the shoulder seams. The neckline seam is not folded back because that seam will be attached by machine.

The hardest thing about embellishment is getting started - and also knowing when to stop! After I finish up the beading I’ll blog the rest of the construction process.

The embellishment that I wanted to do on this pattern meant that the construction process had to be changed. The instructions say to stitch the placket to the front, and then attach the placket facing to the inside. I reversed this for a couple of reasons, (1) I wanted the placket edges to be crisp and even. It’s just about impossible to get this with machine stitching, and (2) The placket had to be easy to handle so I could add the passementarie, rat tail cord and beading.

The first step was to create a placket template from a manila envelope (no seam allowances.) The template was used to form a clean edge. A piece of silk organza is placed underneath the fashion fabric and I pulled it up to fold back the seam allowance. The placket is interfaced to with a light knit fusible because it needs to be perfectly stable for the heavy embellishment. The interfacing goes to the edge on the neckline edge, but stops inside the seam allowance on the outside edge.

The next step is to catch stitch the fold backed seam allowance all along the outer edge of the placket. The black fabric is wool felt, which is needed as a backing. This is part of Kenneth’s original technique. After the edges were catch stitched I lightly pressed and steamed the placket again, and then added the passementarie trim and rat tail cord.