- Robert Haven has created dazzling beaded garments for clients worldwide.

Many of his works are in museums around the world and one of his greatest joys is teaching the technique of tambour beading.

While last series, we learned the meaning and the how to, of tambour beading.

Today, we continue that process as we go from the frame to fashion.

Robert will teach us several methods to make that transfer to our fashions.

His goal is to make it fun and easy, all today on Fit to Stitch.

(upbeat music plays) - [Male Voice] Fit to stich is made possible by Kai Scissors, Bennos Buttons, OC sewing Orange County, Vogue Fabrics, Pendleton, Imitation of Life, and Clutch Nails.

(upbeat music fades) - Last series we had the opportunity to learn about tambour beading, beautiful beading and simple and efficient.

But today I really wanted to take it a little more advanced and I invited Robert back so that we could really learn about once we have it and we've done it on the frame.

We can take it to clothing.

I want to learn more about that process because I want to wear it.

- Exactly.

And there are basically four major ways to get it off the frame and onto a garment.

- Are they easy?

- To the most part, most of the time.

Yeah.

- Will I have a tendency to want to do one more than another?

- It all depends on the application.

- Okay, perfect.

- So the first, the first and most trustworthy method is to actually pattern the garment shape on the fabric and do the embroidery there before you cut the pattern out.

- [Sagers] Got it.

- [Haven] Here's a sample of one that's been a first class sample.

It's a Bolero jacket has a front and you can see these are all the seam lines and this was on the frame.

Get all the embroidery.

- So you just come in within the seam allowance, watch your seem allowance - Right within the seem allowances, yes.

This piece was also done the exact same way and it was all done on a huge frame, which has the same frame that is behind us.

- Oh, this is beautiful.

- This is a jacket.

- This is beautiful.

- Basically, so what we have here, between here and here are the sleeves, the sleeve openings.

It's sort of like a kimono jacket.

Here's your neck line center front.

And then there's going to be more of this kind of embellishment on each sleeve and along the front.

So that it's bronze on this side and then silver.

- [Sagers] Oh my goodness.

- [Haven] On that side.

So it will be completely reversible.

- Oh, okay.

So with this particular beading, because you're beading from the back side, you're actually beading the silver.

- At the same time as I'm doing this side.

So you're doing some from the front, some from the back with the same stitch.

- So talk to me about why you're using this method on this fabric.

- Because it's all, I didn't want to cut pattern pieces out.

- Got it.

- So, and I wanted to use the selvage edges as the hem of the sleeve, which will come about three quarter, three quarter length.

- So that's pretty much based on the fabric and the characteristics of the fabric.

- Characteristics of the fabric, as well as the shape of the garment.

- Okay, I see.

- It works itself well this way to make the maximum use of the, of the fabric.

And I'll only have small corners of scrap and they'll only be two seams up the side, you know, and out to the arms, and that's it.

- So it seems to me that it's the fabric that makes that decision in some cases.

- [Haven] Yes, in this case, this was definitely it.

- It's beautiful.

I mean, I can see where this is just going to look like it was all hand created piece by piece because it's, the edges and everything.

- [Haven] The edges are all there.

- Wow, it's beautiful.

- So that's the first method of getting it directly on your fashion fabric.

- Okay.

- Which is also a common way to do it.

Now, the second way to do it is to pattern out your, your, your design pattern and then bead it, and then appliqué it.

That's how these high top sneakers were done for Miss Kentucky, - These are adorable.

- To wear at Miss America.

I took the pattern off of the, the, the piece itself, laid it out, did all the design work and the pa- and the beading, and then sewed them back together and applied them to the, to the, to the sneakers.

I've done two other, two other sets of boots like that for- - Whenever I look at something like this, I just have to always wonder, like, how long did this take?

- I think I worked on those for a couple of weeks.

- Okay.

- Most of the time I spent making sure that the lettering was going the proper direction on this leg and the proper direction on this leg, because you see that going in opposite directions because when she lifts her leg up on the parade, you gotta be able to read the writing.

- All the details.

- I'm not gonna say how many times I laid this out to make sure that it was correct.

- Oh, that is incredible.

One thing you don't want to do is avoid any- think the project through, carefully.

- Yes, carefully, carefully.

- Think the project through.

- So, and this is kind of a novelty thing, but to do it on a garment, this, these are the actual tracings I made in organza, of the bodice of the blue dress behind us.

And if we come up to here and then I put the design on here, and then once I was beading it, you could see that this fits right into, - [Sagers] Oh, it does.

Oh my goodness.

- [Haven] To that position right there on the bodice.

So this was done in like five, let's say 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 pieces.

And then, - [Sagers] And you trace these pieces, - Trace these pieces onto the organza.

This was my actual tracing.

And then I trace this onto a bigger frame, did all the beading and then took it off and assembled it.

And I had to keep track of the density of the color here and the color here, because this is all the purple iridescent.

This is all the turquoise.

And then they kind of mix in between.

So it was, so many of this color, so many of this color, as I went through, and then I had to make sure that it matched along the seams.

So it didn't have a solid break in that.

- So this seems, I mean, a little more complex.

- It took a lot more thought.

I had to pay attention.

So to do that, I have four different color threads on these beads so that I could see where this solid one ended where the next grouping was, where the middle grouping was, where the next grouping was and then where the final grouping was.

- So how do you, what helps you get a vision?

Do you, do you work off a photo or what helps you have that vision?

- Um she sent me an idea of what she wanted on the, on the top of this dress and, you know, just completely beaded.

And I wanted to add a little something else.

So I used, I took a tracing off of another piece of fabric to get the scroll work and then put the gold and some stones and things, - I see.

- and then just filled in the background.

- And did you have the fabric here before you worked on the colors?

- Yeah, I had the whole dress.

- [Sagers] You had the whole thing?

- I had the whole dress, 'cause I had to take the pattern off of the existing garment.

- I see.

So this was an existing garment and you put the bead over it.

- Yes, this can all be slipped, taken off.

It was all hand stitched on.

- So it's like a slip, slip cover.

- It's a slip cover, yeah exactly.

- Oh my goodness gracious.

- The pink one is the exact same concept.

This is all a slip cover.

And you can see, it's only attached up to the, was a very high waist and the young lady actually had a lovely figure.

So we decided to extend it and pull it in.

But this just draped over, over the hips.

- It's just amazing how it doesn't look like that.

- No.

- It just doesn't look like this.

And when I look at this one, I mean, I saw where you held up that pattern, but you don't even see a seam.

- No.

- You don't even see... - That was the g- that was the goal.

- So how did you, sew those that tight?

- Well were gonna get to that when I get to the next, - Okay.

Okay promise?

- To the next- I promise.

- Okay, because I want to mention, I want to ask something about this one.

We missed this one.

- Yeah.

Oh.

- So talk to me about this one, because this is like a flappers.

- It's a 1920s style flapper.

Yes.

And the whole, there's two pieces to it, the front and the back, the two hangsy downsies, and the collar, - [Sagers] I like that, Hangsy Downsies.

- [Haven] "Hangsy Downsies," - [Sagers] That's kind of what I have a hangsy downsy, okay.

- [Haven] So the, the front and the back was stretched individually on a frame, throw out all the, the pattern lines and then did the beading.

When the beading was done, I was able to take them off the frame and assemble them.

- [Sagers] I see - The same thing that these two long hangsy downsies, would laid out all beaded and then cut out and then backed, and then attached.

- So as far as advantages, this was done, what makes you decide this way, or this way, or this way?

- Well, part of this- - Like this is done on the fabric just like this- - On the fabric, because I was working off of the sheer areas of the fabric - [Sagers] I see.

- [Haven] and this would not, and it just lended itself to it.

- [Sagers] I see.

- [Haven] So I looked at the fabric and I knew I wanted to do something with it.

So I said, okay, I'll do a, sort of an art deco design with uh, following the stripes, - [Sagers] Sure.

- Because they're right there.

And there nice straight lines to follow.

So it made it easy to, easy to... - So it was the pattern that you were going after in this case.

- So it was the pattern and the fabric, yeah.

- Okay, no selvage is showing here, but that pattern really makes it, made it easy for you to follow with your beading.

- With the beading, yes.

- Is there a worry about weight, as far as when you're beading?

- Well you always want to develop a sense of balance from front to back, and left to right.

That's why there are two of these things so that they, they actually help hold this up on the neck.

Cause if they weren't there, this would pull the neck down.

- You know, and I look at a lot of ready to wear that's beaded and sometimes it's beaded in the front and then the back is left for expense purposes.

- Right.

- And I always, it always cheapens it a little bit to me when it's not balanced or... - Exactly.

In a case like this, where there's no really fitted ness to it, there's no shape to a twenties dress.

It's a pillowcase with armholes.

- Right.

- You have to balance it.

Otherwise it's going to pull one direction or the other, - Sure.

- and it won't, it won't hang properly.

- And do you, you don't do that by weighing beads necessarily.

You just do that by the design itself and making sure it's... - Making sure the design is done right, correctly.

- It's just beautiful.

- These two back pieces basically counteract the weight, which is mostly this, in the front, and some of this.

So that it, it keeps this from pulling the whole dress forward.

- Yeah.

I mean, we've all had garments that either pulled to the back or pulled to the front.

They're just not fun to wear.

- Exactly.

So on these, these two as well that we have, you know, the beading goes all the way around, so it's completely completely balanced.

- Yeah.

- So that it goes up.

And these two, actually the two ladies that own these, she was just the second runner up at Miss Kentucky a few weeks ago.

- Oh wow.

- This was the first runner up.

- Tell me you're not from Kentucky.

- I am from Kentucky.

- Oh, that's amazing.

I mean, these are just incredible.

You can see the seams on this, but that's simply because of the way it was done.

- Cause it's a layer of, of tulle on top of a layer of silk organza, and because this one did, you don't see it because it's totally beaded.

It's totally covered.

Whereas that was going to have some, some openness.

- Okay, so I can do it right onto the fabric or I can copy the piece, bead onto it, and then put it on top and make it removable.

- And make it removable, because this would have to come off for a dry cleaner.

- Got it.

- Dry cleaner wouldn't touch that.

- Got it.

Got it.

- So you've got to take all the beading off.

Then you can dry clean the dress.

- Okay.

- So the third way is to actually applique.

And I'm going to get my little, iron out here and to applique on, you have to have a clean, clean edge.

So these designs here, you can see you can't cut around that.

These are the, this too intricate.

You wouldn't be able to applique it.

This design has a clean edge, as does this one.

So that makes it an easy applique.

- Sure.

- So this one has already been treated with a heat sensitive paper, backed adhesive.

- It doesn't matter the brand or the type as long as heat sensitive?

- No anything that's heat sensitive, and all I'm going to do to finish that, is cut here like this.

- Does that make you nervous?

- Oh no.

- Cause you've done it enough times.

- I've done it enough times.

Yeah.

- This is always the point to me where, the beading can be perfect.

And if you don't, is there anything I need to watch for when I'm doing it.

- So that the fusible glue is on the seam allowance.

So I can just press this back, touch it and then it's going to... - Oh my goodness gracious.

Do that again.

- It's going to seal it right to there.

And you can- - It's not hot enough for the beads to melt, the beads aren't gonna- - The beads are glass.

- Oh my goodness.

Gracious.

- So no.

So then with a little care, you have a corner that is nice and clean and you can hand stitch right between these beads and you'll never see it.

- So that's how you actually applique.

You feel like the best is, you don't try to do it by machine.

- No, no, not for now.

- Is that kind of a nasty word?

Right?

- Well it's not a nasty word, but it's, you wouldn't be able to do that.

And what's important to understand with the tambour work is that as in this sample piece here, if I folded this right along this line here and fused it back, you can see that the sequins extend beyond the edge of the fabric so that none of your fabric shows and the same thing works for beads.

When, when this is pulled back and stitched, I don't know if you can see that on there, but let's put it over here.

The bead extends beyond the fold of the line.

Because the line- the fabric will fold at the thread line.

- So when I see something like that, I have to know then that it's hand done.

- More than likely, yes.

- Than machine.

So is that, you know, a hand beading is way more expensive than machine beading on any level.

Is that a little telltale sign that really - Well, yes it- - Looking at your vest, I'm going to critique it now.

So I can see where the beading is.

- Well this was done on sheer fabric.

- Okay.

- You can see, because you couldn't applique this it's too complex to applique.

- So you took the whole piece.

- So I took the whole pattern piece and did it right there on that, right.

- Just because you didn't want to be out done by me.

- Exactly.

I wasn't going to be upstaged by you.

- I got it.

So this is amazing.

I've never seen that just with that quick little amount, of whatever to hold that back because that stabilizes it also.

- Yeah it stabilizes it, it works, yes.

And now in a case of lace, you can just, this has been attached to the organza and this part has been cut out and it doesn't fray because the tulle that the lace is made out of doesn't fray.

So the, the, the, you can quick, you know, easily trim back.

- That's an interesting statement.

Can I go back to that just for a minute The tulle?

- The tulle doesn't fray.

- So it's a woven, but it doesn't fray, - It's a woven, but it doesn't fray.

- That's magic.

- And what I did here, as you can see better on the back, is that the whole design is outlined with a stitch.

So that secures the, the organza to the, to the motif of the- - And you did that before you start the beading?

- Did that.

Yep.

- Got it.

Okay.

- From the back, so that I can then, as you can see, it's still here.

I can cut right up next to that thread line and it keeps the motif.

- You know I just love beading, I loved beading, but just something like this, not you, but just a regular person.

What would it take just a really a couple hours?

Three?

A day maybe?

A couple- - Once you learn the technique, yes.

I, you know, I did these probably in a matter of a couple of hours.

- I've seen a lot of very high end designers who just have a little bit on, and it's beautiful.

- And it's very expensive.

- It's very expensive.

- Right.

- Very high end.

- If you learn the technique you can do it yourself.

- Wow.

And save a lot of money.

- Save a lot of money.

- Yeah, yeah, I like that.

- And you can take any relatively inexpensive lace and, - make it much more elegant, much more elegant.

- Yeah, Yeah.

- So the, the, the last way of doing it is to actually create three-dimensional objects.

And in this case, we get this little, little pin it's got that little felt on the back.

It was finished the same way I did this here, it was cut around, folded back, and then the felt was applied.

And then the little clasp was put onto it so that it can be, can be worn.

- So even though you don't see it, it still has still has the fusible.

- It still has the fusible web on the back.

- I see.

Okay.

- Yes, yes.

- And that gives it, its stability.

- It gives it some stability.

And then it gives you something to also seal the, the felt onto with a little bit of heat.

And then I also hand stitched around all of the edges just to keep the felt from pulling away.

- Sure, I mean you've created stuff like literally all over the world.

- Yeah, there's pieces that have gone here, there, and everywhere for a variety- - So my question really is where's the inspiration coming from?

I mean, I'm sure everywhere you're going to say, but can you give specifics?

- Well a lot of it, like in this particular piece here, was inspired by an African hat that was in a bead exhibit that I participated in last year, and the curator really loved the hat.

And I said okay I'll make you one.

And so this is the, - Aw, that is not a simple statement.

- No (laughs) it's taken me a year to do it, but I, you know, I finally got to it.

Because I was teaching a class there.

And while I was teaching and I was doing the top, and then I just had to do the thing.

So this was measured to fit him.

And, and I'm going to show you how, part of the process of finishing this off.

- See this is always a scary part, even if it looks perfect here.

- No this is the easy, yeah.

This is easy?

- This is the last thing one does.

I just got to get this pin out of it.

- Easy, remember that word, easy.

I love it.

So this is the brim of the hat.

It's like this it the top and then the- - This is the side, the side.

Yeah.

- Okay so it's not a brim huh?

- Yeah, it's, just not a lot of space to get in here.

There we go.

Just enough that I can, so this is the bottom.

- Okay.

- This is where the, the brim will be attached.

- Sure.

- So to do this, all you have to do is fold this back.

I will use some of the fusible, but then I will also stitch between these rows of beads with a white thread.

And you'll never see any of that.

- Oh my, Goodness.

And that's exposed just a little bit.

And that is exposed just a tiny bit.

- Okay.

- And then when I put a lining in there, the lining will come right up to the edge there and I'll put, I'll put all of that in by hand.

Probably, I will probably finish the edge of the lining, put it in and then stitch it, you know, ladder stitch it in so that it will, it will stay.

Cause I'll probably have to put a little bit of backing on this to give it a little bit of body.

Cause this is heavy - More than just a fusible?

- More than just a fusible.

I don't know if I'll put a layer, a thin layer of felt or maybe some kind of an other stiffer interfacing, just so that it has, you know, it doesn't just flop, because it's pretty heavy.

- But I think in every case, it's imperative to understand that the fit is all accomplished prior to doing this beading work.

- Oh yes.

I took his head measurements before I started that piece.

- Got it.

Uh huh.

- Because that, - Cause you just don't want to bead a little extra half inch, if it doesn't work.

- No.

(laughs) - That's when you put the elastic behind, right?

- And, and, I really struggled with the geometry of getting all of this to work out and it doesn't quite work out here but there's a couple a tassels, big tassels that come over the side.

- Oh, I love that.

- That's where the tassels will go.

They'll be attached.

So you won't see it.

- So perfection is overrated.

- Exactly.

- You can make it work.

- It's called making a design decision.

- Oh I love that, I love that.

- Yeah, make it work, make it work.

- Oh that's great.

- And then another example of three-dimensional pieces is working off of- - Wait, wait.

I have one more question about this.

So literally will that seam be as invisible as this seam.

- If I make the tassels big enough, yes.

- Okay, but even forget the tassels.

I mean, I know that it doesn't, it won't match exactly.

But will the seam be?

- I can still do it fairly easily because you would take one edge of this and leave it this way and take the other edge, - I see.

- and fold it back so that you actually have a lapped seam.

- I see, okay, yeah.

- Like that, and then you'd stitch through the beads and you can't - I see, I got it.

- and you don't see it.

- So you are bringing those beads right together, - Right together.

Yes.

- Okay.

- That's why you have to put it together by hand because you can't get in there with a sewing machine, not even with a, with a, a zipper foot.

It's just not close enough.

- Right, it makes sense.

When you look at it, if you understand the zipper foot, makes total sense.

- Right.

So now in this piece is the companion to what you're wearing that is, - Cher wore this.

- Cher wore this.

She wore this the 1974 Academy Awards and it's now owned by a private collector, Gary Scarborough in Ohio.

And when he bought the piece, it didn't come with the neck piece or the head piece, which is right here.

So he contacted me to, to do some work, to replicate them based on the photographs.

So I did the first piece and this one now is ready to come off the frame.

And I am going to cut another one.

Yes.

Right here.

- I don't know why that makes me crazy.

You know why?

I think it's because, you know, I've, - I just want to make sure I- - Done things really good up to a certain point.

And then somehow they, you can... - Now this is... - That doesn't make you nervous at all.

No, no, this is only when, when this happens, when I'm working on it and it's not supposed to cut, but even, even then you can fix it.

- And all the beading clearly is secured because of its knotted and... - So as you can see, it's beaded on this side, but it's also beaded on that side.

- Oh my goodness.

- So this was a double sided piece, very much like the other dress.

So I'm just now going to cut this very, very, very, very close to the sequins.

And it's not going to fray even with, well though it's going to be, it's going to be worn on a mannequin, but the mannequin doesn't move much so that it's not gonna, be a problem with... - So earlier we were talking a little bit about Cher and some of the costumes she wore and some of those were probably pinned into her or... - No, they probably weren't pinned in, there was no indication of those.

Cause I've done some, some repair work on some of his outfits, - Talking, Bob Mackie.

- but they were, but yeah, Bob Mackie there, but they were very, very, very tight and you know, very minimal closures, a couple of hidden hooks and eyes and that's it.

So this, this piece here is actually going to go on top here and because it's, it's three-dimensional, it's also wired.

- Oh that is beautiful.

- I can, I can shape it and then attach it into here.

- Oh my goodness.

See like mine, its three dimensional.

- So its three dimensional.

And there'll be some more, that'll go here.

Now, this is just one of the pieces in his collection.

He has about 28 Cher gowns, mostly from her TV show.

- Bob Mackie did a lot of her gowns initially.

- Yes.

- And do you think he created this Cher image or do you think it was Cher that it was coming out?

Like I often wondered about.

- I think it's probably definitely a collaboration between the two that I'm sure that he had a lot of creative input into what she would wear and she had the figure to wear it.

- Yeah.

Well she wore, she wore this with a bikini top and a bare midriff.

- Yes.

- So I'm clearly not going to become a Cher.

- No.

And the rest of his collection is actually going to be on exhibit at the fashion history museum in Cambridge Ontario in 2022.

- So going back to the whole Bob Mackie thing, I mean, it's just amazing what he did for her or what she did and the legacy that she really left about clothing.

- Yes only Cher could wear some of those garments.

- Yeah, clearly.

Clearly.

Robert, thank you so much, for sharing all of this with us, because it's just fascinating to see kind of behind the scenes as to what took place and what went on.

- My pleasure.

- Thank you, really, much appreciated.

Next time.

Join us for a bit of hat magic.

As we learn about the sizes, shapes, and finishes of hats and fascinators, and their current trends.

Every woman should have their signature hat.

And what should we know about hats?

We'll let you know.

Next time, on Fit to Stitch.

(piano music plays) - [Male Voice] Fit to Stitch is made possible by, Kai Scissors, Bennos Buttons, OC Sewing Orange County, Vogue Fabrics, Pendleton, Imitation of Life, and Clutch Nails.

To order a four DVD set of Fit to Stitch series 10, please visit our website at fit2stitch.com.