How to Guide: Attach or Re-attach Sequins to Clothes

Sequins and glitter have made a huge huge comeback in the fashion world over the past couple of years. No longer just associated with 80s disco, sequin and glitter clothing have proven that they are ready to party any night of the week on any item of clothing; shirts, skirts, shorts, trousers, jumpers and jackets- nothing is off limits for the sequins of 2018! 

As anyone who has owned any item of sequin clothing in their lifetime will tell you, glitter clothing’s biggest downfall is how easily they can get caught and come off. As our designer vintage clothes here at Messina Hembry are, well, you know, vintage, so occasionally you may well need to sew a sequin or two (or a selection) back onto your clothes. If you’ve purchased a preloved item that hasn’t got sequins on but you would like to jazz it up with sequins, this guide is here to help you too.

So, how do you go about attaching sequins onto clothing? There are several methods and ways that you can do this; we’ve outlined them below to help you make your clothes the jazziest and funkiest they can be!

Option 1: Attaching individual sequins

If your sequins are round with a hole in the middle like a lot are, you can use one short straight stitch or several across the sequins all starting from the middle hole to sew them onto your garment. If using only one straight stitch, It will look better if you stitch the straight stitches all in one direction. You may want to take several straight stitches if you want a really strong hold.

If you have a sequin confetti, e.g sequins with different shapes such as stars and flowers, make straight stitches at intervals across the shape (between the ridges they usually have), starting from the central hole. Shaped sequins like these come in a range of shapes and sizes with either a single hole or several placed near the edge.

 

Option 2: Attaching sequins in a row with back stitches

The best way to sew a long line of sequins is with back stitches where you will need to apply one sequin to each back stitch. You will have to ensure that all the sequins face the same direction for a uniform look. These rows can be sewn with both flat sequins and cup sequins.

So, first of all, you will need to individually attach a sequin. Do this by making two anchoring straight stitches on either side of sequins before bringing up the needle from the back two threads away from the sequin you have just attached. Now thread the needle with the sequin! Next, make one anchoring stitch to the front  and then again come up two threads from the sequin. Finally, thread another sequin and continue like this for the rest of them.

 

Option 3: Attaching sequins in a row with two straight stitches

Whilst option 2 is a good way to sew sequins in a row, this is an extra secure stitching method. Here, follow the above instructions but rather than using back stitches, you will be making two straight stitches across the sequins. You can also make the sequins lie side by side with this method.

 

Option 4: Attaching sequins with straight stitches in a random fashion

This option involves stitching the sequins in a row with straight stitches from the top. This is not a very secure stitch nor does the sequin lie flat with this one… However, for small sequins and fast stitching this method is totally fine. It also works well for dense filling of sequins inside a small design.

Option 5: Attaching large sequins at the edge
Big sequins tend to have a hole near the edge (called paillettes/spangles). To attach them to your garment, use a small straight stitch or two to attach the hole to the edge. To make this look more decorative, add a cup sequin and a bead near the edge of the large sequin!

 

Option 6: Attach sequins with fabric glue
If you’re not a fan of sewing, you can also attach your sequins to your clothes with fabric glue. Whilst this isn’t the best option for longevity, it’s a fantastic quick fix. Simply drop a small amount of fabric glue onto the garment and then stick the sequin on top. Leave it to set for around 30 minutes then you can wear it straight away

Option 7: A Sequin Trim

This option is for if you really want to customise your item of clothing by having a running trim of sequins along the bottom or on a sleeve. Sequin trims are long trims with sequins already threaded and stitched. They come in single rows or multiple rows of sequins neatly attached and it not, they can be attached by hand by using a couching stitch (use a hand needle and attach the sequins trim at intervals with small straight stitches across the trim). If this seems a little too complex for your hand sewing abilities, you can use the  sewing machine to attach the trim with a wide zig zag stitch. If you have a sequin foot or braiding foot, the sequin trim will slide inside the foot and make your job a lot easier.

Here, you will have to ensure that the zig zag stitches land on either side of the trim and the needle is not hitting the sequins at any point during stitching!

 

Option 8: Attaching sequins with a sewing machine 

It’s possible to sew sequins with your regular sewing machine when using large sequins - it’s a lot harder with smaller sequins! If you choose to use your machine, you should use the practices of free motion embroidery.

So, use a small needle and monofilament nylon thread on the machine whilst keep the fabric stretched on an embroidery hoop. Make sure you anchor the thread with some stitches to keep the sequin in place and then make a stitch to the edge of the sequin first, before moving the hoop and fabric so that the sequin hole is under the needle. Here, you need to take a stitch and then move to the other edge of the sequin and make a stitch - repeat this for all the other sequins! 

We hope this has been another useful guide for you on how to attach, re-attach and jazz up your favourite vintage garms!