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How to Sew Sequin Fabric?
Nov
As the year comes to an end, we’re starting to think about our festive outfits!
This is the perfect opportunity to share all of Lise’s tips for sewing sequin fabrics, with a special focus on two hacks we’re offering for the festive season:
- The Easy Peasy Dress
- The Groovy Skirt
Lise has also created a YouTube video on this topic, which you can find HERE (in french).
PRESENTATION DU TISSU A SEQUIN PRESENTATION OF SEQUIN FABRIC
To choose the right sequin fabric, we recommend opting for a lightweight material, meaning not overloaded with sequins. This won’t take away from the “festive” look of your garment but will make it lighter to wear and easier to sew.
The sequin fabric we’re offering in the Dancing Queen capsule is anthracite with a hint of midnight blue, set on a short velvet base. It’s the perfect fabric for your end-of-year sewing projects!
SPECIFIC SEWING TECHNIQUES FOR SEQUINS
Before starting: test your machine on a small scrap of sequin fabric to see how it handles it.
For cutting your sequin fabric, you can use a rotary cutter or your regular sewing scissors if it’s an occasional project. However, if you sew sequins more frequently, consider using a separate pair of scissors, as sequins tend to dull the blades.
- Choose the right needle: A standard 70 or 80 needle works perfectly.
- Adjust the stitch length: Slightly lengthen your stitch to 2.8 or 3 mm.
- Sew slowly: This helps avoid sequin clumps under the presser foot.
- Line the fabric: For added comfort, especially along the seam allowances.
- Ironing: If ironing is necessary, ensure your iron is set to a low temperature.
Transform Your Easy Peasy Top into a Festive Dress!
To make this festive dress in sequin fabric, Lise simplified the pattern and omitted the small sleeve bows. Here’s how she adjusted the pattern and the steps to follow:
Pattern Adjustments
- Widen the Front and Back Pieces: Add a few centimetres to the sides from the armholes down for a more comfortable fit.
- Lengthen the Pattern: Extend it by about 30 cm. To ensure precision, cut the fabric slightly longer than your desired length to adjust the hem at the end
Cutting the Fabric
- Cut the pattern once in the sequin fabric.
- Cut it once in a viscose lining, trimming the lining to be a few centimetres shorter at the hem and sleeves. This prevents the lining from showing when the dress is finished.
Sewing Tips
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- Sew the darts as indicated in the pattern.
- To avoid bulk from the sequins, cut the dart along its centre and press the two sides open.
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Attach the Lining:
- Place the lining on top of the sequin dress, right sides together.
- Sew them together at the neckline.
- Understitch the lining to keep it in place and prevent it from rolling out.
Armholes:
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- Use a few stitches (by machine or hand) to secure the seam allowances of the sequin fabric and the lining together at the armholes.
Final Touches
- Adjust the hem carefully, ensuring the lining stays shorter than the dress.
- Your festive dress is ready to dazzle!
MAKE YOUR GROOVY SKIRT IN SEQUINS
To create this Groovy skirt, Lise used this hack: The simplified Groovy skirt!
For her version, she lined the skirt by cutting the pattern twice—once for the sequin fabric and once for the lining, making the lining slightly shorter to ensure it doesn’t show when worn.
To insert the invisible zip between the lining and the sequin fabric:
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Pin the zip to the sequin fabric
- Open the zip completely.
- Place the right side of the zip against the right side of the main sequin fabric, aligning the teeth with the raw edge of the seam.
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Sew the zip to the sequin fabric
- Use a special presser foot for invisible zips.
- Sew each side as close to the teeth as possible without catching them. With sequin fabric, leave about 2mm more space than usual to prevent the sequins from obstructing the zip.
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Attach the lining to the zip
- Turn the skirt inside out.
- Align the raw edge of the lining with the zip, right side to right side.
- Pin the lining to the zip, positioning it just beside the teeth but not on top of them.
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Sew the lining to the zip
- Using a standard presser foot or the invisible zip foot, sew the lining following the same stitch line as the one used to attach the zip to the skirt.
Finish by hemming both the main skirt and the lining. And you’re done!
sequin CARE
Wash in the machine at 30°C in a laundry bag and inside out to prevent the sequins from damaging other items. The drum’s rotations could be a bit abrasive, and the sequins may catch on other clothes.
Youtube VIDEO (IN FReNCH)
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