stoning on mesh/lycra

[stacyf419]

Hi everyone-
I just got a test dress that I want to jazz up with a few scattered crystals. The dress is gathered/ruched mesh over lycra. Can hotfix stones be used on this type of situation (i.e. on the mesh), or would it melt it? Should I use the regular back stones with glue instead?
I appreciate your advice!

[Skate@Delaware]

There are some on this board that report melting with mesh and hot-fix tools. I have not experienced this personally. I'm not sure what makes the fabric melt-the tool, time, etc.

You could glue them on if you would rather not take a chance, it only takes a little bit more time. Practice first, tho. Very small amount of glue (E6000) applied with a toothpick or similar tool. I prefer to place a dot on the fabric then apply the stone, only because I get butterfingers and drop stones....with glue on them. OOOPS!!! Yeah, once that glue is down, it stains....

put something (like foil) between the layers of your dress (i.e. front/back) so they don't accidentally get stuck together!!!! :oops: yeah, been there too.

[jenlyon60]

I have seen the Del Arbour folks put hot fix stones on mesh, so it can be done. I also know some skate moms who have put hot-fix on mesh.

Me, I prefer to not use hot-fix at all, so for mesh, I use E6000 and for non-mesh I use GemTac. But that's just me.

Also, I put a layer of freezer paper (shiny side up) underneath the mesh (unless it's mesh over lycra or such) to ensure the glue doesn't stick to anything else.

[stacyf419]

Thanks - it actually is a Del Arbour dress, by the way. I think based on your responses I will go with the E6000 and a toothpick, just to be safe. Many thanks - I've reviewed the other threads on stoning and they're a great help! I just wasn't sure about the mesh...:D

[herniated]

I may have the same dress? Does it look like it is one shoulder? I have the version with the sleeves. One sleeve is mesh and the same color as the dress and one sleeve is nude mesh.

I did stone this dress with a hot fix tool. But since you can not put a protective layer inbetween (they are sewn together) I would heat up the stone and very lightly place it on the mesh. I use a pin to release the stone from the hot fix applicator so the applicator never touches the mesh. Then I use a paper towel to press it down (too hot) and then I seperated the two fabrics to make sure it doesn't stick to the lycra underneath.

But the glue and toothpick sounds like a good idea too.

[Skate@Delaware]

I may have the same dress? Does it look like it is one shoulder? I have the version with the sleeves. One sleeve is mesh and the same color as the dress and one sleeve is nude mesh.

I did stone this dress with a hot fix tool. But since you can not put a protective layer inbetween (they are sewn together) I would heat up the stone and very lightly place it on the mesh. I use a pin to release the stone from the hot fix applicator so the applicator never touches the mesh. Then I use a paper towel to press it down (too hot) and then I seperated the two fabrics to make sure it doesn't stick to the lycra underneath.

But the glue and toothpick sounds like a good idea too.
You could keep pressing down with the pin-that is what I do...hold it there for a few more seconds after you take the tool away...then it should hold. I use a pin 100% of the time because my stones always seem to stick to the tool...even after i clean the tool!

I wait until things have really cooled down before I separate things if it's two layers.

Yeah, there was the time i accidentally stuck the front to the back and I freaked out!!!! Luckily, i realized you can pull them apart, but some of the glue did leak through and stain but it only stained the inside of the back.

Dumb lessons to learn from :oops:

[stacyf419]

That's good to know, Herniated. I know which dress you're talking about - mine is very similar but has a v-neck and is sleeveless. Very comfortable! I'm so clumsy I think I'd better stick to the manual/non-heat method - especially since it's the first time I'd be doing either method.

[herniated]

That's good to know, Herniated. I know which dress you're talking about - mine is very similar but has a v-neck and is sleeveless. Very comfortable! I'm so clumsy I think I'd better stick to the manual/non-heat method - especially since it's the first time I'd be doing either method.

Yeah, I agree. When I first started beading my own dresses I did it manually too. When I got the hot fix tool I practiced on an inexpensive practice dress and then I've never turned back.

I find my dress comfortable too except with the two different fabrics it can be kind of tight... if you gain a little weight. Which I did,:roll: and I hadn't worn it for almost year and put it on right before my skate at Easterns!! Oh..MY...GOD!!8O I felt like I was a contortionist trying to sqeeze into that thing. Talk about skin tight. Good luck with your beading!!

[SkatingOnClouds]

I've tried the hotfix applicator and the glue and haven't had much success either way yet :roll:

When using the applicator on lycra, I tend to melt the fabric around the stone, which tells me I am leaving the applicator down too long. But it seems not all hotfix crystals easily pick up and put down using the specifically sized applicator tips.
I've also tried putting the stone down and using a flat tip applicator to heat it on, though again I tend to melt the fabric by doing it that way.

Last time I used glue. Having a bit of shakey hand anyway, and I being really nervous cos I was doing it on the morning of the comp 8O, I couldn't put the glue on the back of the stone (kept dropping them) but tried the excellent advice to put the glue directly on the fabric. Which was heaps easier and worked so much better!
Except the glue didn't have time to set fully , so some stones came off at the event, and the rest washed off the next day when I carefully hand-washed the dress.
Oh well, at least I get to re-use the crystals :P

[jenlyon60]

With the GemTac glue, one must allow for a good 24 hours of time before it is fully dry, to minimize the stone coming off when worn. The glue is mostly dry within a couple hours, but seems to need that extra time to really firm up, I find. I always dot the glue on the dress (up to 10 or 15 glue spots) then go back and put the stones on the glue spots. Etc. Etc. Etc.

With the E6000, what I do is put a small dab of the E6000 on a piece of shiny side up freezer paper (disposable). I have a bunch of the stones I'm going to use laid out, upside down. I take a toothpick, put it in the glue spot and twirl a bit on the toothpick. Then I grab a stone with the gluey end of the toothpick, put the stone on the dress where I want it, carefully ease the toothpick out and press a bit more on the stone.

The mesh on lycra is a nuisance to stone. I did one of the USIcewear mesh on lycra dresses last year for the daughter of a friend of mine and vowed never again. Especially because this one had the mesh gathered over the lycra. Thank heavens for my trusty "dummy" pillow and that I was able to in bits stretch the center vertical elastic seam.

[sk8_4fun]

I find that with the kandi-cane, I get better results if I use a size smaller head than the one they recommend for the size of stone and I position the stone first then place the tool directly on top until I can see/feel it start to melt the glue. You have to make sure the fabric is as flat as possible and that you have a cork board underneath/ between layers. I've applied stones to stretch velvet, mesh, and lycra with no mishaps (-so far!)

[Sessy]

Hey I've a stoning question maybe you ladies can answer: SS6 and SS10 stones, are they even visible?
Cuz you can get like 800 SS6, 400 SS10 or 100 SS16 stones for the same price and I'm wondering if more and smaller is perhaps more sparkle?

[BuggieMom]

Hey I've a stoning question maybe you ladies can answer: SS6 and SS10 stones, are they even visible?
Cuz you can get like 800 SS6, 400 SS10 or 100 SS16 stones for the same price and I'm wondering if more and smaller is perhaps more sparkle?

More+Smaller=HEADACHE!

On an adult body, I don't go smaller than a 16ss, and that is when I am doing an all-over thing. Smaller just gets lost across a rink. You would need SO MANY of the 10-12ss stones to create sparkle on an adult body, and those suckers are so TINY and hard to work with, you will be pulling your hair out in no time. I used 5ss once, and I thought I would go nuts! If you value your sanity, don't go smaller than 16ss!

As far as the hotfix thing is concerned, I don't use hotfix. I am a total control freak, and would rather apply the stones with E6000 and know that I am getting a good amount of glue, than rely on what is on the back of the stone. Yeah, it might be a bit slower, but I feel more secure doing it that way. I have not had a problem putting stones on mesh, except for the aforementioned adhesive bleed-through mishaps!

I use a bent nose tweezer, pick up the stone, sweep the back through the glue, and set it down right where I want it.

[LWalsh]

I have had great results with the hotfix stones and the bejeweler. The trick is to wait until the wand is really heated up (which is probably longer than you think). Then you must work quickly. You pick up the stone and then stare at it until you see the glue start to "sweat" then immediately stick it in place. ( I learned this from "the moves guru" who uses this method). Sometimes the stone gets stuck though and won't stick to the dress so I keep a toothpick nearby to dislodge the stone if needed. This works on mesh, mesh over lycra, velvet etc. I've never damaged a dress doing this. I do try to put something underneath the mesh if possible.

I agree about small stones, don't bother. It will take forever to stone the dress and you won't see the crystals on the ice anyway. Even the bigger colored stones don't show up as well as the AB depending on the color. MOst are too subtle. Use Swarowski AB for maximum bling. eBay ususally has them the cheapest.

I just did my dress for nationals with 6gross of 16ss stones in about 5 hours this way. I figure if I can't dazzle 'em with my skating, I'll blind them with my dress!

LW

[Skate@Delaware]

Yeah, I let my applicator heat up about 30 minutes or so...even when I switch tips. Gives me time to do other things. I try to use the 16SS or larger but I love the AB stones.

[Mrs Redboots]

I hate fixing my own crystals, makes me cross and sweaty (beading does, too - same principle). But Husband is wearing a T-shirt with a dragon on the back for his free programme this year.... and as I've got him into crystals for our free dance (not many, but just outlining the Queen picture on the T-shirt), I am debating giving the dragon crystal eyes....