In this demonstration, I am going to show you a very simple way to add fringe to a dance costume. It is much easier than you would think. So if you are looking for some movement out on the dance floor this may be the technique for you.
The thing about sewing with fringe that you want to remember is fringe does not stretch. So if you sew the fringe exactly where you want it to go on the item, the fabric is not going to stretch. This will make it very difficult for the dancer to put the briefs on. So in the case of the briefs with fringe on the waist, it will not stretch. Consequently, you want to remember that when you sew the fringe on you will always want to stretch the fabric as you are sewing the fringe on to the briefs so that the fabric will bounce back and stay in place. That way the dancer can get the item over their head or hips.
Supplies:
- Dance Skirt, Briefs or Tank Top
- Fringe
- Thread to Match Fringe
- Pins
- Scissors
- Yardstick
- Sewing Machine
- Rhinestones optional
Directions:
- Choosing Your Materials
Naturally, the first step is to choose the garment you are going to sew the fringe on. Next, choose the fringe. You will need to decide the length of the fringe and the color. The color could match or complement the garment. You will also want to decide how many layers you want to have. Naturally, all of these decisions will depend on the matching garment and the overall look that you want.
- Determining Placement of Fringe
For this demonstration, I am going to use a permanent Sharpie marker to mark the item to make it easier for you to see. I would NEVER do this normally but it will be easier to see on camera. The reason you do not want to use a permanent marker is because if that line is just a little bit off, cannot hide the marks. I suggest you use either tailor’s chalk or a small bar of soap.
The fringe that I am using is six inches long but I want to have multiple layers so that you can really see the fringe. You could go closer like at the four inch mark because when it stretches that is going to separate but in this but in this particular case I am going to have two rows of fringe.
For this demonstration, I am going to put both rows relatively close together so that the fringe is a little bit thicker. So, using a ruler or yardstick, I am going to mark a line across the briefs one inch below the elastic. That will give me a line about an inch and a half from the top of the briefs. The reason you need to mark a straight line across the brief parallel to the top of the briefs is that when the fabric stretches the fringe would end up in a wavy line instead of a straight line if you do not have a guide.
Something else to remember about fringe is you always need more than you think you will need because when you have to stretch the garment as you sew. The garment will revert to their original size but if the fringe is sewn on too tight it cannot.
- Sewing the Fringe on the Garment
Set up your sewing machine with thread that matches the fringe. When I do fringe, I always do the bottom layer of fringe first and work my way up. You could put another layer on if you wanted. Before you sew the fringe on, pin a couple layers of fringe on the item to see if that is sufficient or if you want more layers. If you want more than two layers, it is best to mark the line for each layer at the same time before you sew any fringe on the item. For example, if you want three layers of fringe, you would mark that top line at one inch below the elastic and the second line 1 ½ inches below the first line. The top row of fringe will sit at the top of garment. Then proceed to sew the fringe on the garment starting with the bottom line. The reason I work with the bottom layer first is because otherwise it is difficult to keep the upper row of fringe from getting under the pressure foot when you sew the bottom row. It just creates a problem to sew the upper layers first.
Find the end of the fringe and clip a little off the end so that you can start with a clean end. I am used to not needing to pin the fringe down before I sew it to the garment. However, you may want to pin the beginning of the fringe down to the skirt, brief or top and then just stretch the fabric of the item as you are sewing. If you wish, you could pin the fringe in various spots but again you will need to stretch the material out as you pin and sew. If you pin it, you are going to want to pull the pins out as you go. However you choose to do it, just place the item and the fringe under the pressure foot. Definitely set the sewing machine on a zig zag stitch. Make sure the top of the fringe lines up with the bottom line you marked across the brief and stretch the fabric as you sew. Once you have completed the first row, try it on the dancer to make sure that she can get it on easily. This will give you an idea if you have stretched the material properly and make it a lot easier to sew the other layers. If you sew all the rows down and then find out that the briefs are too tight, it will be a bigger problem than if you had determined that after the first row. If it ever happens that the fringe is sewn on too tight, you can go ahead and clip some of the stitches between the strings. It will give a little bit of room and additional stretch but it does mess up the integrity. Sometimes you have no choice. Stretch the material out and keep sewing on top of the edging at the top of the fringe. I like to just do a few inches at a time so that I can ensure the top of the fringe stays lined up next to the line marked on the item. Make sure all of the fringe is untangled and none of the strings are finding their way under the pressure foot.
Normally, I would sew the fringe all the way around the item of clothing. However, I am going to go ahead and skip forward to the next row for demonstration purposes. Once again, make sure that the fringe is going the right direction. I am going to sew it just under the top of the briefs that I am using for the demonstration. The edge of the fringe can later be rhinestoned. You can see how trying to sew under this row would really be a problem.
If you notice that the thread breaks back a little, make sure that you back stitch each time to ensure you catch the ends of the previous stitches. When you get to the end, make sure that you overlap the two ends just slightly. Then zig zag back and forth locking the stitches into place.
- Invisible Thread
As you work with the fringe, you will notice that loose end of the fringe has a row of stitches of invisible thread that looks almost like fishing line across the fringe to keep the fringe in line and so that is not flying all around. If you pull the invisible thread from the right side, it will all just pull apart. If that does not work, try the other side. It is a little messy so you might want to do it over a trash can. So do not remove that line of stitches until you have sewn the fringe to the item. Once you have finished sewing the fringe to the garment, simply pull on the end of that plastic thread so that it unravels. It is very easy to pull that row of stitches out and the fringe will be loose with lots of movement. Pulling those stitches makes a little bit of a mess so it works out a lot better if you pull the plastic thread over a trashcan.
- Finishing
The last step would be to steam the fringe if you have a steamer. That will make the fringe look really nice. I would not advise ironing the fringe unless you try to iron a test piece of fringe first.
