Sequinology in London: sequins since the 16th century — and how to add one to your cross stitch
From 3 October 2026 to 11 April 2027, London's Fashion and Textile Museum is showing "Sequinology" — a display about sequins in fashion, fine art and costume from the 16th century to the present day (display page).
What's on show
- Where and when. The museum's Small Gallery, 83 Bermondsey Street, London. Tuesday to Saturday, 11:00–18:00, last entry 17:15. Entry is included with a ticket to the museum's main exhibition.
- Who put it together. The guest curator is a professor of dress history at London College of Fashion. The display draws on the research and work of a designer who studied sequins for a PhD.
- What's shown. A 16th-century raised embroidered picture, 18th-century pocket books, a 1930s clown costume, and contemporary work by artists and fashion designers.
- What sequins are made of. Metal, plastic, recycled plastic and newer materials — bio-plastic and plant-based cellulose.
As the display defines it, a sequin is a small, perforated, usually disc-shaped dress ornament. The display shows that this detail is centuries old: long before glitter on stage costumes, sequins were used to decorate embroidery.
A sequin in cross stitch
Sequins are rare in cross stitch charts, but they can bring a star, a snowflake or a Christmas ornament to life. How to attach them:
- With one stitch. Bring the needle up through the hole of the sequin and down at its edge. The sequin holds, but it can turn.
- With two or three stitches. The same stitches from the centre to the edge on different sides — the sequin stays put.
- With a bead on top. Bring the needle up through the hole, thread on a seed bead and take the needle back down the same hole. The bead holds the sequin down and no stitch shows. For choosing a needle and thread for beads, see "Beads in cross stitch".
- Thread. Use a fine thread matching the sequin or the background, one strand.
When to add them and how to care for them
- At the very end, like beads: after the crosses and backstitch. Otherwise sequins catch the thread.
- Pressing. Plastic sequins don't like a hot iron. Press from the back through a cloth, and don't press down on the areas with sequins.
- Washing. If the piece will be washed, test a sequin on a spare scrap of fabric first. For washing in general, see "How to wash and press a finished cross stitch".
About the author
This article was written by the Crossette team. We're building Crossette, a cross stitch tracker for iPhone and iPad. It's in development; to join the beta, see the Beta page.