Need beading advice/info for a bodice, not HA, completed pics posted

[Lorraine]

Ok, so I'm still laid up in bed after my pelvic surgery and I have 2 more weeks before I'm allowed to sit so that means I have lots of spare time to plot a project and do some hand sewing. I bought some tapestry fabric off of ebay (link below) and want to make a back laced bodice with one of the designs centered in the front. I bought some really nice chocolate fine waled corduroy for the sleeves and tabs, and some light minty piping to match the greenish blue in the fabric, but I need help with the front. I've never beaded anything before, and it seems like I could have some fun with this one. I was thinking of just doing the one centered design. I have some glass pearls from Blue Moon that I'm hoping are dry clean safe, along with some czech glass round beads in shades of brown, tan, turquoise, and mint. My only problem is I don't really know what to bead on the design. If anyone has any ideas on how/what to bead on this fabric I'd love to hear them. Also, since this is my first try at beading something and hoping the beads don't melt or cloud over at the dry cleaners, does anyone have a list of what's safe to use? Thanks

Fabric link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=130253350533

[Master James]

Picture has been removed from e-Bay.  Do you have another shot of the fabric?  Or is it similar to any of the fabrics still there?

[Dayna]

First off, as a general rule, glass pearls are Not dry-cleanable, the coating will come off.

Secondly, I was able to see the photo of the fabric, so have some ideas.  I would start with the three "flower centers" in the top medallion, and then the two on the lower "leaves".  Use a contrasting colour that pulls one of the other shades out of the design, I can't really get a good idea of the actual colour of the fabric.

If that's not enough, consider adding a dangle in the diamond shape below the three flowers, and then perhaps bead a simple line right inside the existing triangle shape.

Start small, and do all of one pattern first.  Do all the three flowers, then all the leaves, then all the dangles, etc.  That way even if you are not done, if you have all of a single element done the garment still is symmetrical and can be worn.  And lay some different ideas out, let them sit for a day or two (take a photo if you can't leave them laid out) and then go back and look at them. 

Hope this helps,

Dayna

[Adriana Rose]

i would bead the largest design, and make sure that you center the design that you want as you are cutting out the pieces!

make sure to use a good beading floss! When you get a section of beads on the fabric make sure to make another loop through the beads to really secure them to the garment! Also rememeber to think about where things might rub, beads dont like that!

Good luck and post pictures!

[Lorraine]

Heres the pictures off the ebay ad, I feel bad relinking someone else's pictures but my stepdad seems to have lost my camera battery charger.





What kind of pearls do people usually use on garb that is dry cleaner safe? Also what kind of beads would I use to bead the flowers? Thanks for all the advice so far

[isabelladangelo]

I've never taken any of my garb to the dry cleaners.  To me, they are a huge waste of money.   With my beaded gowns, I simply put them in a pillow case, put the machine on gentle cycle and air dry them.   

For pearls, I've used freshwater a lot as well as antique faux glass pearls or new glass pearls.   I prefer the freshwater because they are real pearls and are cheap.   I can get a string of them for $2.

The design looks a bit too big to me for a bodice but would look stunning as an underskirt/forepart. I'd bead the centers of the red flowers and maybe the white dots that surround the design.

[Cilean]

About Beading & Pearling Your Gown:

Have you checked out Griziel's Beading Site?  She has how to guides and it helped me to make my beaded forepart.
http://www.medievalbeads.com/

I use the new and improved threads you get from a beading site or from your local beading store.  Also check out the beading needles and some are really easy to break when you don't want them to and they must be very thin. 

I also use Fresh Water Pearls, I have a Gem & Jewelry Show that happens about 6 times a year and I go to them and well I bargain shop and then I simply ask them, if I take all of this size? Can I get it for $1.00 per strand? It is up to them and I don't do it for strands that are like $20.00 or more, but if I need a whole bunch in the same size (like making a gown) it is th WORST to find yourself without enough pearls to do the whole outfit. 

My next suggestion is to have a thin fabric backing our fashion fabric while you are beading and it is just another layer to this gown.  It allows the bead and thread to have more to grip on and I believe in doing a small amount and then going back and in be between each bead with a stitch and then going through the entire small line again to make sure it is really on your gown.  The thread takes abuse and if you dont' make sure your pearls are stable and really locked they will attempt a break out and leave you!

Here I will show you how I learned this valuable bit of wisdom!



It looks okay? However it is coming apart, I made the spiral on the pearling without knowing how and 2 times now it is broken and pearls go flying. On the Rose I mean, the Fleur? Has never had an issue because I did do as I said and couched it down between every single pearl.

[b} About Washing You Gown: [/b}

Most of the time upholstery fabrics will say "Only Dry Clean" however, you can take a swatch and throw it into the washer and measure before you do and then place in the dryer and see how it reacts to such, this is key!  It might damage the piece entirely, or it might just shrink a little or stretch out the design a little.  So do a wash test.  However like our Elizabethan counterparts they too had the issue of how to clean these gowns.  We have one solution (well more but..) and that is the 3M product Sotchguard!!!   I worked Faires as an Interpretor for the Deaf so I could not wear my lovely Royal Pavilion Gowns, except when I was not at work or going to be on duty.  So I would see the ladies at the end of the day taking off their gowns and beating the living heck out of them.  Going through the mud when rainy and well the normal dirt at faire....And the stuff just came off!   They also mentioned when or if the gown would have a musty smell they would put it in a dryer, and with 2 soaking wet hand towels with lavender or rose water run it on the cool setting of their dryers.  This would refresh their gowns.


About Your Fabric

So what are you going to pearl? How will it be individual pearls scattered about? Or are you going to to a chain of pearls?   Might I also suggest? Bugle Beads? Spangles which are little disks that are gold or silver to give some really awesome BLING and either Heat Set Gems or Diamonelles that you attach with Gem Glue!  Because I can see in each of your flowers there are circular designs and I think it would be fabulous to have clear dimonelles or even gold or well any color you want they have some that are called Aurora Boreallis and they are so lovely! It would make your gown sparkle even more!!  You Must post pictures when you are done! The Fabric is lovely.

Good Luck,
Cilean

[Adriana Rose]

I have used seed beads with some really good results also Semi precious rounds would look great!

With the freshwater pearls there are so many differnt shapes that you can choose from also there are a ton of colors!

www.firemountaingems.com

www.shipwreckbeads.com

These are my favorite sites to get beads from, they have sooo much that I would love to do something with!

Remember that its your gown! Do what you like and to bugger with any one who may say other wise!

[Lorraine]

Thanks for all the wonderful advice!! I'm thinking of pearling the large white dots around the perimeter of the design, and I purchased some seed beads and am going to try outlining the outside of the flowers and maybe beading the centers. I probably won't be keeping it when I'm done, I'm rather pudgy at the moment, but at least it will be a good project for my portfolio. Thanks again for the great ideas, I'll be sure to post pics when I'm done

[Lorraine]

I just finished beading the front with cream pearls, amber colored czech glass beads, and a drop made with a cream teardrop, gold bead, and some sea green czech glass beads. I'm going to leave it on the board for awhile while I finish the lining and tabs before making a final decision. I would appreciate any input on the design before I finish it off

[Lorraine]

Think this pic shows the beading better. Updated with a pic showing the unattached sleeves made of chocolate corduroy with sea mist piping and pearl drops.

[Dayna]

Ohhhh, Scrumptious!!

Dayna

[Lady Anne Clare]

That is quite lovely 

[Silverbee]

Gorgeous! I can't wait to see the finished bodice.

[operafantomet]

Oh yeah, lovely. I would actually like to see even more pearls... That would give it the right "overloaded" look, if you know what I mean. But it's lovely as it is now as well!