Pink Rhinestone Project

My husband and I took a trip to the Antique Rose Emporium 

near Independence, Texas last week.

I didn't get the name of the buxom pink beauty on the arch next to me in the photo,

but the next time I'm there, I will find out who she is.

She is most definitely on my wish list.

As most everyone knows, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. And a plethora of products which supposedly support the cause can be found just about anywhere.

My policy concerning charitable causes is usually just to make a direct donation. That way I know most of the funds will go where needed, rather than putting it in a corporation’s pocket. This year I made an exception for a Wrangler “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” western shirt. I found it at an area sporting goods store my husband likes to visit frequently. It’s black with pink paisleys (one of my favorite patterns), which made it kind of hard to pass up.

I liked the shirt a lot as it was. But every woman should have at least one Rhinestone Cowgirl shirt. Plus, there may be something in Texas’ water. I went for more than 40 years not owning a single garment with rhinestones on it. Now, there are at least 5 items with glittery glass in my closet, 4 of which I embellished.

My western shirt is one of my favorites. Due to some good coupons to one of the craft stores it gave me the opportunity to try a new tool. A link to it can be found here: http://www.michaels.com/Hot-Fix-Crystal-Tool/bd0766,default,pd.html?cgid=products-beads-collections-createyourstyle. I liked it because there are several interchangeable tips for different size stones, and it has a power cord with an on/off switch. Since it stays hot as long as it’s on, you can do a large number of stones at one time if you wish. I used to have a battery operated hot-fix applicator, but it didn’t make it thru my first project. If you read any reviews for the Create Your Style tool, here are a couple of suggestions that made it work for me. First, if using Swarovski flat back rhinestones, make sure they say hot-fix on the package. (Packaging is black.) They also make a flat back without glue. (Packaging is white.) Go ahead and use the tip for a specific size stone. The point of the tips is to pick the stones up with the tool, and use it to place them in their desired location. I did notice the stones will come back up with the tool. Look closely at the tips. You will find two slots that nearly divide the tip in half. Once the stone is in its desired location, place a straight pin thru both slots, push it down onto the stone and lift the tool. Ta-da! The stone stays where you want it. For those who don’t mind an extra step, I cut Heat n Bond iron-on adhesive into pieces that fit my stones. (Yes, they were tiny pieces.) It was placed where the stones were going on my shirt to provide a little extra glue. I wanted to make sure my hard work wasn’t ruined by the HE washing machine.

The design on my Wrangler shirt was kept relatively simple. I embellished the collar tips, then followed the seams of the front and back yokes. I do have enough stones left to put a design on the cuffs. I just haven’t come up with something that wows me. The yokes come to points, while the cuffs don’t. So it just seemed better to stop. Some of the design decisions were due to cost. Swarovski hot fix stones are more expensive, but they have more facets and offer several colors, in packages that contain up to 90 stones in 3 different sizes. After cost consideration, it came down to the amount of time I wanted to spend on the project, and the fact that the shirt’s fabric was already busy. I could have made fancy, swirly templates on my computer. I just didn’t want to take the extra time on this occasion. I did do a dry layout for each embellished area to make sure there were enough stones. It also made actual application easier since the stones were already in order. The starting point of each area was the center. From there I worked my way out in each direction.

Moral of this story? Have fun with your favorite causes. Personalize them with a bit of bling or something else that’s just a bit outside your comfort zone. Just like rhinestones used to be for me.

The Project Queen

 The back yoke of my shirt. It's mostly a single row of stones following the seam,

except for the center where a second row extends about 3" in both directions.