How to Sew Sequins for Belly Dancers 1: Sequin Line & Fill

Sequins!

I love sequins. They shine a lot on stage, and they are used in all types of dance costumes.

Sewing sequins is very simple! And knowing how to sew sequins comes in handy when you have to fix your belly dance costumes and re-do some beading/sequin work.

There are many ways to sew sequins, but in this video, you will see a simple way to make a line with sequins and fill an area with sequins.

To sew on sequins, you need:

• Sequins – there are flat sequins and cup sequins. Cup sequins have facets and reflect light differently from flat ones.
• Beading needle or regular needle that is thin enough to go through the holes of the sequins you are using.
• Matching colour thread

1. How to Sew Sequins and Make a Line

First, I will show you how to make a line with sequins.

As always, thread your needle and make a knot. Bring your needle through from below the fabric. I like to go in and out a couple of times to make sure the thread does not slip out.

Then pick up a sequin. If you are using a cup sequin, make sure the cupped side is facing up. Bring your sequin down, and take your needle through to the left of the sequin.

Then come back up around the same place, and pick up another sequin. Bring your needle through to the left, and come back up. And repeat. As you can see, the sequins end up overlapping and hide the thread.

It is easier to first draw a line on the fabric you are working on then follow the line with your stitches.

2. How to Fill an Area with Sequins

So filling an area with sequins is exactly the same as creating a line, but you fill up a row at a time for a clean finish. As an example, I am going to fill up a tear drop shape here that I drew.

First, decide which way you want to sew on sequins. It is easier to go from outside to inside for circular shapes, or from bottom to top for other shapes. For this one, I am going from bottom to top.

Pick up a sequin, and put your needle through in the direction you are sewing. In this case, I am creating rows of sequins upward, so I take my needle up and down through the fabric.

Then bring your needle out right next to the first sequin. Pick up another one, and bring your needle down to the top of the sequin. And repeat.

Once you get to the end of the row, bring your needle out to the top of the last sequin, right where the last stitch is, and start sewing another row.

And keep going until you fill up the space. I ended up framing this one with green seed beads using the single line technique, but it is easier if you do the framing first before you start filling up the area with sequins.

Here is another example. This is an applique in a shape of a leaf. I first drew the shape on the fabric, and framed it with green seed beads using the twist line technique. Then I created the veins with white seed beads using the single line technique. Then I filled up each section with pink sequins.

And this is not my work, but another example of how these techniques are used in costumes. Here is the sequin line along a beaded twist line.

And these sections are filled up with flat sequins.

Hope you enjoyed this, and next week, you will see ways to sew with both sequins and beads to create awesome looks!

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