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| This is the costume I've been working on forever. Today I started the back of the skirt. |
I
refer to rhinestoning as just "stoning", and given the need to heat
things in spoons on elements and little plastic baggies, frankly the
whole set up is a bit Stoner!
This is how I do it.
It works really, really well, does not involve toxic glues and doesn't
take very long. I took photos as I went, hopefully these will illuminate
the process!
You need:
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| My
menu of rhinestones - AB Rosaline and AB Rose, AB Peridot, Peridot and
Emerald. These wee baggies are worth nearly as much as I imagine they
would be if they contained an illicit substance ;-) These are from www.rhinestonz.co.nz |
- Something to Rhinestone (my robe as shown above)
- Flatback
rhinestones - I use Arabesques because I am a cheapskate - they are
fifth of the price of Swarovskis and not quite as good, but on this
costume it's all about the quantity.
- Beeswax
- A wooden skewer
- A teaspoon with a heatproof handle
- Aleene's
Tacky Glue - it is by far the best glue as it holds its shape really
well and dries fast. For stretch fabrics or things you will need to
wash, use Aleene's Flexible and Stretchable, which isn't quite as thick
but holds a blob well.
- Silicone baking paper - pretty much
essential for thin fabrics or areas like sleeves where you have to have
one layer of a costume over the other.
- PATIENCE
To
make an applicator stick, first cut a sliver off a block of beeswax.
Pop this into the bowl of the teaspoon and put on an element to
soften/melt.
You only need a little bit of beeswax for this - you can use the rest for sniffing!
When
it is soft enough to mash up with the end of the skewer, gather up some
and form a knob of it on the skewer end. Let it get a bit firmer
before using.
I
am starting with the dark green stones. I tip enough to do the job onto
a lid, so I can move them around easily while working.
While my beeswax is cooling, I turned all of the stones up this way.
I spread the gown on the kitchen bench return, over a layer of the baking paper.
Now
squeeze out wee blobs of the glue where you want the stones to go. With
these deep green stones, I am working on the darkest branches of
foliage in the pattern.
See
how many blobs I can do in advance! You can do more than this too. The
glue stays wet for plenty of time, though I wouldn't wander off halfway
through to take a long phone call. I use the wax stick to gently catch
the top of a rhinestone and transfer it to a blob of glue. Gently press
it in.
This is the whole branch completed. See all that white glue showing?
It's a good thing! It dries clear but the ring of glue means the stone
is held well in place.
This shows the second round of stoning - once I completed the first branch (top of pic) I then glued up two more.
Here's
the finished area after I've gone over it again with the other colours
of stones. Because this is the back, I've been pretty light-handed - the
fronts have about three times as many stones. But I have found the hard
way that backs of costumes get a hard time with sitting etc, so this is
just about it not being obviously not done!
Top tips:
- Your
beeswax applicator may get less effective if it is cold. I use my
fingers to soften it back up again. Remember you need only the lightest
pressure to lift the stone and transfer. It should release really
easily as a result.
- Aleene's dries enough to peel the fabric
off the paper in about an hour. Gently peel it off - it will be stuck
but it will still lift. It is not dry enough to wear until at least the
next day but preferably a good week of curing is best. But with a huge
job like this never-ending robe, I need to shift the completed stuff so I
can do the next section
- Of course you can follow a pattern - I
do this too but it is far easier to follow the pattern of a piece of
lace, a print or a brocade design. Same principles apply.
- If you can't find non-hot fix in your colour, get the hot fix ones and stick them on this way. It's no biggie.
- ALWAYS stretch out garments that are worn stretched, before you do them.
- ALWAYS
use a thick, tacky glue like Aleene's - if you are working on a foam cup
bra or some other surface that is not flat, it won't dribble down the
slope like GemTac or Tiger Grip. Not all PVA based glues are the same!
Good luck and let me know how it goes!
