Adding fringe to my dress

[Creebead]

I am trying to add fringe to my dress, (cloth), my son told me not to put anything but buckskin on it and right now I don't have the frog skins to get the buckskin. He said not to be cheap (brat) not that I am but right now can't skin enough frogs. A friend of mine also suggested ribbon. She said in the LA area you can purchase ribbon for about $10 a spool (100 yards of ribbon). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I can do all my own beadwork and then some but the adding of the fringe I think I'm making more complicated than I need too....................

All of the help everyone has received on this site is great and thought someone could help me out.

Thanks bunches of beads
Creebead

[Mato Winyan]

Now this is just my opinion..........

I have seen ribbon and it looks really nice,.......if.....and I say if, it does not become wrinkled or dirty. If that happens to me it just looks cheap. Hope that does not sound hard, I don't mean it that way.
I would use ribbon if it meant I would not be able to dance for a long time.
I will search for a photo I know I have and will post it.

[Creebead]

Thank you Mato Winyan. My son basically I think was trying to say the same thing. It would look tacky if it were wrinkled and stained. I did see a dancer at one of the Pow Wows and she had ribbon. So I went and talked to her and she said hers had been on for about 2 years and it looked good. I know I will eventually put on buckskin fringe but right now I need to get it together soon. Thanks for the input.

Creebead

[BeadedPony]

Creebread,
Why style of clothes are you making? I've seen ribbon used on fancy, but never on traditional. Just curious.

[Creebead]

BeadedPony,

It is a Womens Northern Traditional Cloth. We've been out on the West coast for approx 15 years, hopefully heading home in the next 6 months and I do see alot of Northern Traditional dancers with the ribbon. I have even seen one lady with a braided ribbon of some kind. It almost looks like elastic that you would put in sweat pant legs and such. She had a beautiful green dress with gold braided fringe. It really looked good. I just want to get it done so I get get my swayin in the wind. lol


Creebead

[Lapis Queen]

I hope I don't get blasted for this. Let me start of by saying that buckskin does look the best, but I totally understand when you don't have the money. I have dresses that I have done in three different ways. I have one with buckskin fringe. I have one with ribbon fringe that I took a lighter to the end and it seals the ribbon so it doesn't frey. Don't actually put the ribbon in the flame, just hold it near it and you will see it roll up and it is set. You will know it's right when you run your fingers over the end and you feel a small ridge. If it begins to melt, you either put it directly in the flame or you held it there too long. I have had that dress for about a year and it looks as good as the year I brought it out. I try to keep that dress in a dress bag alone and I try to iron the dress before I wear it (it's satin). I never have to iron the ribbon. Usually if I keep the dress in a bag alone it doesn't wrinkle. I also place that dress on top of all my luggage. The last dress is done with chainette fringe. If you make your sleeves long and attatch it it hangs really long ( I'm short though so don't know if that will work for you). Have to be careful with that one because it does like to frey and it can get dirty. I attach mine underneath with velcro and I just take it off and wash on gentle cylce when dirty attach again and you're on your way. I have 2 dresses liek that and I only lost one (simply because it was worn out) just last year and it was 4 years old. I am short on money too so I know. I have gotten compliments off all three so it must not be too bad. Of course there are people who have their preferences; as do we all. I prefer buckskin too, but when you have bills it's not all about what you like all the time. Try those things if you like them in interim. Then build and save to get your buckskin. The good thing is you can always add and upgrade! My 2 pennies. It may not work for you or strike your fancy. Just a thought.

[Creebead]

Lapis Queen,

Thank you for your input. That is what I love about this site. You get so many different opinions and you can listen and follow or listen and keep it tucked away till you may need it again. The information you have put here is great and will help me with the fringe. The velcro sounds great too.

Here we go again with my son. I had him make a belt for me. Black leather with silver rivets (studs) and then he tells me after he makes it that the black will bleed into my dress. So now I have to make an underbelt, made out of duck cloth. I should have my son make everything and then just go out to the next pow wow. lol..............................

Creebead

[Miss_Nish]

Creebead..

I have hide on my cloth dress... I thought of putting ribbon on also. I had the hide in one hand and the ribbon on the other.

I decided on the hide instead. I have seen sum really nice dresses with fringes NOT made of hide. (Even one lady who had a fully bead top!!) I have also seen some ladies who cut fringes from cloth that "looked" like white bucksin. It had me fooled for a bit... then I got close enuff to check it out.

Whatever tickles ur fancy, I guess! If it works... it works. All the dresses looked good. Juss make sure the ribbons don't fray. There is also this nifty thing called "Fray Away" that you could put on the ends of ur ribbon. Most fabric stores and Walmart have it!!! *L* Let's juss say the the lighter thing didn't work for me. :p

Whatever u decide to do... Juss be proud of your dress! I'm sure you've put in the hard work in making it.

That sounds like a neat idea... Velcro for the fringes!! I'll have to try that on my sisters dress. Thanx Lapis Queen.

Good Luck on ur dress... Creebead

[Creebead]

Miss_Nishnab,

Thank you so much for the information. I am really trying to get this together for the Long Beach Pow Wow in California in March. All of the great input on this site has helped me get along alot faster. Of course my man thinks I'm suppose to work (outside of the house), cook, clean, wait on him hand and foot, bead, sew and make sure everything is ok on the home front, so it's been hard trying to get this done. I talked to him today and told him he has to help me out and after the heavy sigh's he agreed. So hopefully I'll get this done this week.

What kind of material other than hide do other women use? Maybe I can get some good ideas. I have heard of fray check but never fray away. I'll have to go to wal mart and check it out.

If anyone knows where I can look for buckskin (on the web) please let me know.

Thanks for all the encouragement.

[prettydark]

the cloth they use for fringing that looks *just* like buckskin (at a distance of 5 feet) is the kind of shiny stretchy "nightgown" type of fabric. you cut it into long strips in a certain direction, and it curls up nicely. it doesn't fray...

[MuzeBl]

PLEASE don't slap me, but I just got the skins and whatnots to make a Kiowa buckskin dress...got to studying the pattern I got from Crazy Crow and it scared the mess outta me. I haven't sewn a thing in a LONG time.. Anyways, it suggests making a mockup of the dress in cloth..good idea. Then I got to thinkin' (uh-ohhh) Can I make a cloth dress from that pattern too? <ducking>
I have had this cream colored, linen-type silk material for about 5 years, saving it for something special. What do you think?

What kind of modifications should I make?