fully beaded top

[Caroline]

I am starting work on a fully beaded top for my friend's northern traditional outfit. Has anyone here ever done one of these? I am using canvas as a base to bead on. I pre -shrunk the canvas, cut out the shape and drew the major parts of the design on it with a pencil. I also zig zagged the edges with my sewing machine so it won't fray too much. I am thinking bias tape around the edges would be good. Does anyone know of bias tape is pre shrunk? I am worrying that if I put it on and the top gets wet, it could ruin the top.

Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated :)

[powwowbum49]

Caroline

Unless your friend is planning on throwing the dress in a washer and dryer you shouldn't have to worry about preshrinking the backing and stuff. I have never know of canvas shrinking from hand washing and line drying, and I doubt she is going to want to get the hide bottom wet anyway (if it will be permanently attached).

[OLChemist]

If you are planning to use a dark or bright color, shrinkage is the least of your problems. I can tell you from painful experience the excess dye in the unwashed tape (some brands are worse about this than others) can be extracted from the tape by the chemicals in the hide or just plain rub off on brain tan.

I'd wash the tape just to remove excess dye and sizing (some people are quite allergic to the sizing compounds). To keep the tape from tangling around the aggitator and/or coming unfolded in the wash: Make a fat plastic I-shaped bobbin from a margarine tub lid. Wrap the tape on to the bobbin and safety pin the ends together. If you have one of those bags for washing delicates (or a clean plastic mesh bag like they use for onions) throw it in. Then wash away. The bobbin will help keep the tape from unraveling and unfolding.

Hope that helps.

[Caroline]

:Chatter I doubt that she will ever put this in a washer and dryer.

The bobbin idea is a great tip, thank-you! red dye will most likely run a bit and probably rub off on the buckskin. I hadn't even thought of that.

[WolfTears]

vinegar an epson salts help lock in red dye , trust me I know . I use allot of red I love the color an learned the hard way rain an red dont mix. You just use cold water your reg soad a cup of vinegar an 1/4 of salt .

[Caroline]

Thank-you for the tips! I decided to use an off white bias tape instead of the red and bead over it. I am doing the main parts of the design in applique stitch, then I will fill in the background with lane/lazy stitch.
I think I am just being a bit panicky about taking on a project this big.

[WolfTears]

LOL talk about panic I took on doing my own yoke fully beaded for my first brave project ... NOW I am thinking I lost a few bolts when my head hit the ground a few years back lmao ... Good Luck just enjoy the task an when it gets to much put it down an take a walk . It works for me . Plus Black Bear has been allot of help .