Working With Glitter Dot Fabrics
Perhaps one of the most affordable, difficult to work with,
yet effective fabrics for glamour styled dancewear is glitter
dot. Available in a huge assortment of colors, along with various
size dots, this fabric provides a lot of shine and shimmer and
can be used in a host of ways. Glitter dot can be made into skirts
and pants, cover bras and belts, or turned into accessories.
The dots are highly reflective and catch the light. Glitter dot
can look kind of cheesy up close, but on stage it lights up,
shimmering and shining.
Glitter Dot Fabric
The base fabric is generally made from a nylon or
nylon polyester glittery mettalic knit with tiny dots or squares
heat-bonded to the surface. The dots may match or contrast with
the base fabric, and can be found in holographic versions or
in styles with printed designs on the dots. Glitter dots can
be found on sheer fabrics such as chiffon. The dots themselves
are made from plastic or mylar and are held to the fabric with
a heat reactant glue. Excessive heat will cause the dots to loosen
from the fabric, so it should always be washed in cool water,
hung or laid flat to dry, and if ironing is needed, use a cool
dry iron.
Always Hand Wash glitter
dot - Never Dry Clean - Dry cleaning fluid will break down the
adhesive and cause the dots to fall off.
The dots can come in a variety of shapes. There are square
blocks, rectangular bricks, dots so tiny they look like glitter
or large blobs that resemble paillettes. Glitter dot fabric is
also called dot lame', foil dots, sequined glazed mesh, reflecting
knits, dot sequins, confetti sequins or knit sequins.
View Samples of Glitter Dot on the Hancock Fabrics
web site
To ease the frustrations of working with such a fun and flashy
fabric, here are a few construction tips.
Machine Sewing
Glitter dot can be a tricky fabric to work with. The
glue can gum up the needle, causing thread and needle breakage.
Here are a few tips to try to make machine sewing glitter dot
less painful.
Sew between the dots - This may not always be possible
due to the cut of the pattern. But if you can align the dots
so you are stitching between them you will prevent the needle
from becoming goopy with the glue.
Use a very fine, very sharp needle - While conventional
sewing wisdom would indicate a ball-point or stretch needle for
sewing this knitted fabric, a universal or sharp needle will
penetrate the dots easier. The finer the needle, the smaller
the resulting holes will be.
Use a silicone lubricant - Using a drop or two of sewing
lubricant will aid the needle in pushing through the fabric.
A drop or two rubbed onto the presser foot will help the dots
slide along if you are sewing dot side up.
Clean your needle - During long batches of sewing,
an alcohol wipe can help clean the needle. Wet-wipes are an effective,
easy-to-use tool that can be pulled out at a moment's notice.
After cleaning the needle, re-apply silicone lubricant before
continuing to sew.
Sew as little as possible - Perhaps the best way to
streamline the process of sewing glitter dot fabrics is to reduce
the amount of sewing. Pick garments with simple lines. This fabric
doesn't fray, so don't serge it. It also doesn't unravel so if
it's cut evenly, a hem might not be needed.
Plan twice, Sew once - Every time a needle pierces
a dot it leaves a permanent hole. Like leather and vinyl, glitter
dot doesn't "heal"' so plan accordingly. Make sample
garments from inexpensive muslin to test fit. Transfer any adjustments
to your pattern before cutting out the dotted fabric.
Hand Sewing
Glitter dot bras and belts can add a lot of shine
and shimmer and provide an excellent foundation for further embellishment.
Plan on lining your glitter dot covered bra in a smooth cotton
or silk. Glitter dot is exceptionally scratchy and linings will
add a degree of comfort. Hand sewing the cover to the bra or
belt base will eliminate stitch lines, and will give you more
control over placement. The dots make a grid pattern that can
be equally attractive aligned with the top edge of the bra, or
turned on an angle
Use a long, fine, sharp needle - This will make it
easy to slip between the threads and around the dots. Avoid stitching
through dots at all costs, as you can break a needle, the thread
or both.
Wear a thimble - If you need to sew through the dots,
wear a thimble to protect your pushing finger. Some seamstresses
use a rubber grip to pull the needle, adding traction to prevent
their fingers from slipping.
Plan your surface design - As with machine sewing,
it's best to plan your stitching to avoid the dots themselves.
Stitch from front to back - If you must go through
the dots, try to go from front to back, so you can control where
the thread goes into the dot while avoiding pushing the dot loose
from behind.
Angela's Teal and Silver costume in Glitter Dot.
There are two sizes of glitter dot used on this
costume. The skirt and gauntlets are made from tiny glitter dot,
while the bra and belt are covered in a matching fabric with
larger dots. The costume is decorated with beaded appliques,
sequins on string and silver beaded fringe.
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