Needlepoint - Use Sequin Appliques to Join the Glitterati Brigade

Sequins are shiny disc shaped forged bead pieces that come in various colors, sizes and shapes for decoration purposes. These tiny embellishments are often sewn onto or glued to a base material to create attention grabbing lustrous design patches called sequin appliques. 

Such dazzling appliques add splendor and have become a popular quick method of adorning clothing; they are added as center ornamental pieces to glitz up clothes especially glamorous evening gowns, prom dresses, pageant dresses, wedding gowns, figure skating wear, western wear and dancers’ and actors’ sparkling outfits or drama masks. They can enhance the appearance of accessories like handbags, beach bags, purses, belts, scarves, shoes, flipSequins are shiny disc shaped forged bead pieces that come in various colors, sizes and shapes for decoration purposes. These tiny embellishments are often sewn onto or glued to a base material to create attention grabbing lustrous design patches called sequin appliques. 

Such dazzling appliques add splendor and have become a popular quick method of adorning clothing; they are added as center ornamental pieces to glitz up clothes especially glamorous evening gowns, prom dresses, pageant dresses, wedding gowns, figure skating wear, western wear and dancers’ and actors’ sparkling outfits or drama masks. They can enhance the appearance of accessories like handbags, beach bags, purses, belts, scarves, shoes, flip flops, brooches, hair barrettes, pins and hair bows. The trim versions of the applique designs or motifs can be used as dress or bag trimming.

These appliques can even be added to your home decoration ornaments. Lampshades, picture frames, cupboard or mirror frames, fridge magnets, curtain tiebacks, candles, hand towels and pillows will have an added dash of color, personality and brightness. With these items, you can liven up your dull drab home interiors at little expense. They are also suitable for use in your personal embroidery and needlepoint projects, craftwork, greeting card and scrapbook projects or for decorating girls’ dollhouses or doll dresses. You can also use such appliques for adorning your gift bags or gift boxes.

The appliques are usually added to any surface with temporary hold clear drying adhesive for easy removal for repeated use. 

Sequin appliques with sizes ranging from 2mm-30mm are available from online or local vendors in countless designs and themes. Most applique sequins are round in shape; rarely some appliques use sequin shapes such as hexagon, octagon, star, snowflakes, starbursts, hearts or flowers.

The appliques usually feature sequin colors like white, black, blue, red, pink gold, silver and multi color combinations. Applique sequins may be flat or curvy; they may have facets to reflect more light and give the applique more sheen. The appliques sometimes offer sequins in opalescent, clear or iridescent hues for a tremendous visual impact on the beholder. Appliques featuring metallic finish sequins render the most glittering effects.

Christmas themed sequin appliques are perfect for sparkling up Christmas holiday projects such as Christmas tree ornaments, candles and stockings. Sequin based designs apt for special events, festivals and seasons like St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween, fall and Easter are available.

Valentine themed designs exhibit roses, hearts and flowers spangled with diamantes in bright reds, lavenders, purples, fuchsias and pinks to ooze a magical glint onto the finished item. Mardi Gras Carnival themed appliques features patterns of masks, eye pairs, happy carnival clowns and jugglers.

Appliques with sequins arranged in geometric shapes, like circles, diamonds, single application dots, half moons or lightning bolt shapes, infuse bold, modern artistry onto the applique object.

Appliques with sequined floral and leaf motifs, travel and nature themes, animal and bird designs, butterfly motifs, marine life based designs, religious symbols and bow motifs are extremely popular for decoration. Fun sequin motifs include expression appliques, symbol and character motifs, southwest motifs like snakes, cowboy boots and hat appliques.

Fashion appliques feature patterns where spangles are used with acrylic jewel design center pieces or with embroidered design outlines or with beads, copper metal or denim fabric to enhance the design. 

Designer diamantes appliques display Paisley, leaf, fire motifs, insignia or fancy shapes like interlaced florets, tangled leaves, swirls and complex teardrops motifs. They are sold as a mirror pair ideal for accenting the left and right side pockets of designer clothes, jackets and bags.

Sequin appliques are very affordable and price ranges, the more intricately worked upon designs and the designer and fashion appliques are costlier than small, simple solely sequin based appliques. flops, brooches, hair barrettes, pins and hair bows. The trim versions of the applique designs or motifs can be used as dress or bag trimming.

These appliques can even be added to your home decoration ornaments. Lampshades, picture frames, cupboard or mirror frames, fridge magnets, curtain tiebacks, candles, hand towels and pillows will have an added dash of color, personality and brightness. With these items, you can liven up your dull drab home interiors at little expense. They are also suitable for use in your personal embroidery and needlepoint projects, craftwork, greeting card and scrapbook projects or for decorating girls’ dollhouses or doll dresses. You can also use such appliques for adorning your gift bags or gift boxes.

The appliques are usually added to any surface with temporary hold clear drying adhesive for easy removal for repeated use. 

Sequin appliques with sizes ranging from 2mm-30mm are available from online or local vendors in countless designs and themes. Most applique sequins are round in shape; rarely some appliques use sequin shapes such as hexagon, octagon, star, snowflakes, starbursts, hearts or flowers.

The appliques usually feature sequin colors like white, black, blue, red, pink gold, silver and multi color combinations. Applique sequins may be flat or curvy; they may have facets to reflect more light and give the applique more sheen. The appliques sometimes offer sequins in opalescent, clear or iridescent hues for a tremendous visual impact on the beholder. Appliques featuring metallic finish sequins render the most glittering effects.

Christmas themed sequin appliques are perfect for sparkling up Christmas holiday projects such as Christmas tree ornaments, candles and stockings. Sequin based designs apt for special events, festivals and seasons like St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween, fall and Easter are available.

Valentine themed designs exhibit roses, hearts and flowers spangled with diamantes in bright reds, lavenders, purples, fuchsias and pinks to ooze a magical glint onto the finished item. Mardi Gras Carnival themed appliques features patterns of masks, eye pairs, happy carnival clowns and jugglers.

Appliques with sequins arranged in geometric shapes, like circles, diamonds, single application dots, half moons or lightning bolt shapes, infuse bold, modern artistry onto the applique object.

Appliques with sequined floral and leaf motifs, travel and nature themes, animal and bird designs, butterfly motifs, marine life based designs, religious symbols and bow motifs are extremely popular for decoration. Fun sequin motifs include expression appliques, symbol and character motifs, southwest motifs like snakes, cowboy boots and hat appliques.

Fashion appliques feature patterns where spangles are used with acrylic jewel design center pieces or with embroidered design outlines or with beads, copper metal or denim fabric to enhance the design. 

Designer diamantes appliques display Paisley, leaf, fire motifs, insignia or fancy shapes like interlaced florets, tangled leaves, swirls and complex teardrops motifs. They are sold as a mirror pair ideal for accenting the left and right side pockets of designer clothes, jackets and bags.

Sequin appliques are very affordable and price ranges, the more intricately worked upon designs and the designer and fashion appliques are costlier than small, simple solely sequin based appliques.

As a writer, Sandy Winslow likes to share ideas about making clothing unique. Sequin appliques glam up your wardrobe and home.

Can you get custom thread colors for needlepoint?

Thread for needlepoint, called ‘floss’, comes mostly in set colors thru specific manufacturers. I have a project in mind that I need a unique color for. The oh-so-popular bride color of ‘tiffany blue’. I need to know if it is possible to do this.

Answer
The DMC line of embroidery threads, flosses, floches, and assorted perle cottons come in almost every shade imaginable. Anchor -the other big brand -has over 500 shades. You need to go to a store that carries the complete line of these and take a sample of your color with you to get a good match. Tiffany blue is a pale robin’s egg aqua blue and they have a range of aqua-blues that match. There are several lines of flosses, but DMC has the widest range of shades. 747, 3761 and 3845 are all close cousins to classic tiffany blue. When stitched up and close to your selected color, whether a stitched ornament, a ring bearer’s pillow or some other wedding novelty, the floss will look the same as the blue when the light light hits it. All flosses reflect light when worked into a project so any little variations will vanish.

Anchor also has a wide range of colors, numbers 1096 and 167 are two that have been used as “Tiffany blues” Again, take your swatch and match it against the flosses and you should find a colour that will match your swatch.

My hubby does tons of needle point and cross stitch and has sent small difficult to match samples to some internet stores that carry both lines and they have found a perfect match almost every time. He’s never had to have a color custom dyed, and he’s quite happy about that. To dye floss is not an easy first time beginner’s dye project.

The problem with dyeing is the it can difficult to mix the colors to get the shade you want. A Tiffany blue requires blues, and greens. There are infinite variation of both blue and green and mixing the proportion of blue and green would be a nightmare. not to mention getting the *right* blue and the *correct* green….and buying custom dyed floss is expensive and you run the risk that it won’t be a perfect match, it might not be any closer than you can get from anchor or DMC and it could be less like the color from DMC. Not to mention that you might need to fulfill a minimum order requirement, and if you don’t need fifty skeins of floss then you’re simply wasting money. You are best going for a color that is close to your sample. You won’t find a perfectly exact in every nuance match for your blue, but you will find a shade that will look close to your selected blue. Keep an open mind and an open eye and you should find what you are looking for without the frustration and expense of time consuming dyeing.