How to apply crystals to dress

[Hanca]

I was wondering if anyone can help me with this. I have been applying crystals to my dresses for a while. I am using the bejeweler and most time it works fine, but I am always loosing some stones from the dress later on. It is not that many, perhaps 5 (max 10) stones per dress, but if you go to competition, the dress is ok at home and then you arrive there and see here and there a few crystals missing, it makes you feel self conscious. Especially when the stones were in a row and the gaps are visible.

Anyone else has this problem? How are you dealing with this?

Are there any other methods of applying stones that you believe are better/with more lasting results?

Is there any way how to take off crystals from a dress without damaging the dress? 

[Sk8tmum]

Whe I hotfix stones, I wait about 6 hours, then, go around carefully with a pin or needle and check for adhesion.  If it's not "stuck" I reheat and restick it. I ran into a batch of stones recently that had some issues with the glue (first time ever, and yes, real Swarovskis) - and resorted to using a small amount of glue to hold them down where they didn't stick. Usually, I might get 1 out of 300 that doesn't go down firmly first try.

A few bejeweller things ... I have a range of tips in all the sizes. I generally use the one size smaller when I attach them; I find I have less chance of them getting stuck in the tip and having to lever them out with a pin. I also use the hotfix "spot" tip quite a bit, I've found that by holding that one on the top of the stone and then moving it around the edges I get great results.  This works really well with the small ones when I've done a close placement for effect.

I also will put the dress on the ironing board with a pressing cloth and heat them up afterwards.  I have been using SS34s lately, and I am absolutely neurotic about losing them.

I know it sounds like a lot of work, but, I don't like using glue (just can't get the hang of it). I had to do glue recently due to a need for a shaped rhinestone and some ss40s, and I cursed those things left right and centre; I do really fine embroidery and the like, but, can never seem to get the glue perfectly covered no matter how hard I try, and it seems to take forever! I think it took me about 30% longer to glue ... I know lots of you find it easy and are way better than I, I'm just glue-hopeless.

To take them off ... you can reheat and then carefully lift them off. Test first. Some materials will show a mark where the glue used to be, some it works beautifully.

[katz in boots]

The first dress I blinged lost a lot of crystals and I've been super-careful ever since.
My preferred method of application is using mylar paper and ironing on, or sometimes using the flat tip with my applicator.  I find ironing them on means I can really cook them on there - I count slowly, if it's 10ss, I'll count to 12, if it's 16ss I'll count to 18 etc.
If I'm doing a few at once, I will flick them with a fingernail afterwards, just to make sure they are really stuck.  Never lost a crystal doing it this way, even on velvet, which can be iffy with glue or an applicator.