The Sewing Place

Help Please ....

Iminei

Help Please ....
« on: June 03, 2017, 07:41:15 AM »
With my blingafication of the Under the Sea quilt.




I have Gemtac, please can you guide me on how to attach lil rhinestones etc so they

A) won't fall off after being packed, unpacked etc
B) won't leave glue everywhere...

just any tips and techniques to help me fix them professionally really please ????
The Imperfect Perfectionist sews again

Jo

Re: Help Please ....
« Reply #1 on: June 03, 2017, 07:42:32 AM »
No idea how to help with your requests, but wanted to say your quilt looks MAGNIFICENT!! :D

Sakar

Re: Help Please ....
« Reply #2 on: June 03, 2017, 09:42:11 AM »
No idea how to help with your requests, but wanted to say your quilt looks MAGNIFICENT!! :D

Same for me!!!!  0_0

Marniesews

Re: Help Please ....
« Reply #3 on: June 03, 2017, 20:25:04 PM »
Just caught up with this after getting a notification from my previous thread. That will look fabulous with some judicious sparkles.  :D

I doubt any will fall off as long as you leave them to set firmly for 24 hours before folding it but if you do take the glue with you and a few spare stones, any odd ones that have escaped can soon be replaced. Just wait a while for the glue to go off before adding the crystal - if it's already hung vertically before you spot it I'd suggest leaving the blob of glue a little longer than normal perhaps a minute or so.
Hopefully back more regularly! Ballroom sewing may be permanently paused but bag making is the current focus.

sewing in oz

Re: Help Please ....
« Reply #4 on: June 04, 2017, 03:26:47 AM »
Gorgeous quilt Iminei!  There are as many ways of applying rhinestones with glue as there are people doing it.  Whatever method you end up using, try to avoid having a stone cross a seam junction if you possibly can; the stones will adhere better if they have a consistent surface to take the glue.  If you're using Gem Tac, I'd make sure the quilt is flat on the table, not hanging, and can stay flat and undisturbed until the glue has cured.  This can take 24 hours or more, depending on the weather. 

What size rhinestones are you planning to use?  How I apply the glue depends often on the size of the stone I'm using.  For larger ones (over 20ss), I tend to use the Gem Tac bottle with a very small hole in the lid, to place a small dob of glue (about the size of the stone you're using) directly onto the quilt where you want the stone.  After the glue has had a chance to go "off" a little, I use forceps to pick the stone up and simply place it on the glue.

If the stones are smaller, I pour a small amount of Gem Tac onto a square of silicon baking paper or a small disposable plastic plate, then I use a toothpick with a dob of orthodontist wax (or worn out Blu Tac) on the end to pick up the stone, shiny side up.  I dab the flat side into the glue, making sure the entire flat side is coated in glue, then I put the stone glue side down where it needs to be.  If needed, I use forceps to gently disengage the stone from the toothpick.


Iminei

Re: Help Please ....
« Reply #5 on: June 04, 2017, 08:25:30 AM »
try to avoid having a stone cross a seam junction if you possibly can; the stones will adhere better if they have a consistent surface to take the glue

Good point and one I hadn't considered, thank you!

If you're using Gem Tac, I'd make sure the quilt is flat on the table,

That will be how I apply them, keeping it flat might be a different matter but I will for as long as i possibly can.

The stones I'm using are small going down to teeniest tiniest! I've just gone and got them from upstairs, lets see what we have here!

I have the white wax pencils, but I've tried these before and I must be missing something ... I'd quite like to see how the bluetack method works.

I have two Anitas gemstone wheels , one has miniscule gems the other a size above that and I have various packs of more conventional sized stones.

https://goo.gl/photos/EYf3oK8xZq5G3xow9

I choose teeny as I want a subtle bling ... if you can imagine such a thing.

I will definitely practice first, as when I have attached stones before I found it v fiddly




« Last Edit: June 04, 2017, 08:27:05 AM by Iminei »
The Imperfect Perfectionist sews again

sewing in oz

Re: Help Please ....
« Reply #6 on: June 04, 2017, 12:18:04 PM »
Not sure what is an Anita's Gemstone Wheel but I suspect it's a pot containing a selection of different size stones?  If your stones are not sized, then you size them by measuring their diameter.  ss12 is 3 mm across, ss16 is 4mm, and ss20 is 5mm (all approx).  Any smaller than ss12 and I'd be tearing my hair out!

To use blu-tac - work a small blob of blu-tac in your fingers until it loses some of its stick.  This might take a while.  To help the process along, you can work in a wee bit of talcum powder.  Then simply stick the blob on the end of a toothpick, form the end into a bit of a point, and wait until the warmth has gone out of it.

The reason I first "de-sticky" the blu-tac is that if it's too sticky it won't release the stone and I make a terrible mess trying to pull a glue-y stone off the toothpick onto the correct place on the garment.  The blu- tac works best when it's not too warmed by your hands, as the warmer it is, the stickier and stretchier it is, and the less likely it is to release the stone when you need it to.


Marniesews

Re: Help Please ....
« Reply #7 on: June 04, 2017, 13:11:06 PM »
Just a quick mention that whether using blu-tack or a proprietary product it helps if you twist the stick to release the stone after it's been placed down on the glue spot. You may find you do that instinctively anyway.
Hopefully back more regularly! Ballroom sewing may be permanently paused but bag making is the current focus.

Iminei

Re: Help Please ....
« Reply #8 on: June 04, 2017, 15:33:37 PM »
Heres the stash....



and these are the Anitas, not different sizes, but different colours.......two sizes, mini and miniscule......



« Last Edit: June 05, 2017, 06:08:04 AM by Iminei »
The Imperfect Perfectionist sews again

Lowena

Re: Help Please ....
« Reply #9 on: June 04, 2017, 16:58:11 PM »
No photos visible again Imi  :'( ( getting to be a habit  :P )
Triumph of hope over experience :D

sewing in oz

Re: Help Please ....
« Reply #10 on: June 05, 2017, 01:04:50 AM »
I can't see anything either?

Iminei

Re: Help Please ....
« Reply #11 on: June 05, 2017, 06:09:38 AM »
Any Better ????

I seem to be getting more technically illiterate as I get older ! :(
The Imperfect Perfectionist sews again

sewing in oz

Re: Help Please ....
« Reply #12 on: June 05, 2017, 07:01:18 AM »
Got it the photos now show up  :D.  What size are the rhinestones?  Any chance you can re-photo with something for scale (eg a ruler lying on top of the container)?

Iminei

Re: Help Please ....
« Reply #13 on: June 05, 2017, 07:13:25 AM »
There are pencil sized pencils there...The teensiest are very teensy!
The Imperfect Perfectionist sews again

Marniesews

Re: Help Please ....
« Reply #14 on: June 05, 2017, 12:39:59 PM »
Ah yes, and I recognise the wheel containers so I think the sizes are ss12 or smaller. I'd find them very fiddly with tweezers - they'd ping out all over the place like tiddly winks!  0_0 I found the pencils to be the least effective of all the tools I tried but I was using ss20 stones and the teeny tinies may pick up more easily as they're very lightweight so worth a try.

If you use blue tack or Embellie Geilie you'll need to form it into a fine point to stop them getting constantly embedded in the stuff. Use a delicate touch too, much less than with the pencil.
Hopefully back more regularly! Ballroom sewing may be permanently paused but bag making is the current focus.