spookydonuts

Hello! A complete set of LEDs should work just fine. I think you would need much larger LEDs than the ones in the picture, though. If you want all the fibers to light up, every strand needs to have a light shining directly into it. It seems like you'd only be able to get 1-2 fibers attached to each LED with those, but if you choose wider lights, you might be able to get bundles of 10 or more fibers attached to each light. You can definitely sand the filaments before weaving them in! Seeing the light shining through the filaments might change your decision about where to sand and how much, though, so consider that. Let me know if you have any more questions!

Thank you so much! :D I was thinking of that exact show when I first cut into the cake, trying to keep away unrealistic expectations haha, I was so surprised when it worked!

I agree that the fiber optics look much more magical than the LED strips! I did not have ultra bright LEDs, so that would be a step in the right direction. Keep in mind that the amount of light you can output is bounded by the diameter of the fiber tube, though. If you have the time to weave the tubes more densely, that would be very helpful, too — mine were anywhere between a quarter inch and an inch apart, which is not as dense as I would’ve liked. If you have the budget, I would recommend buying a spool of fiber optics and holding them up to your LEDs to get a feel for how much light you’ll get. I also want to give you plenty of notice that the electrical tape method of attachment wasn’t super effective. The fiber bundles kept popping out when I was transporting the dress. Superglue ...

I agree that the fiber optics look much more magical than the LED strips! I did not have ultra bright LEDs, so that would be a step in the right direction. Keep in mind that the amount of light you can output is bounded by the diameter of the fiber tube, though. If you have the time to weave the tubes more densely, that would be very helpful, too — mine were anywhere between a quarter inch and an inch apart, which is not as dense as I would’ve liked. If you have the budget, I would recommend buying a spool of fiber optics and holding them up to your LEDs to get a feel for how much light you’ll get. I also want to give you plenty of notice that the electrical tape method of attachment wasn’t super effective. The fiber bundles kept popping out when I was transporting the dress. Superglue had a tendency to melt my rubber bands. You might have some success with heat shrink tubing, depending on the shape of your LEDs. With some experimentation, I think you’ll have a stunning dress! It may seem daunting but the results are worth it :)

This would look so magical for your Fairy Godmother! My biggest concern would be the lighting you mentioned. I found that the fiber optics are really only noticeably bright in almost complete darkness (the last two pictures were in a darker environment than it seems). If there will still be a fair amount of light on stage, I would consider something like this instructable : https://www.instructables.com/id/LED-Skirt/which uses much more powerful lighting. I've made a similar version that is quite bright even in full lighting, feel free to send me any questions you might have about adapting this to your needs.If you do go with my fiber optic version, keep in mind that your lights and battery will need to live on the same side of the fabric as the fibers. So if you weave the filament on t...

This would look so magical for your Fairy Godmother! My biggest concern would be the lighting you mentioned. I found that the fiber optics are really only noticeably bright in almost complete darkness (the last two pictures were in a darker environment than it seems). If there will still be a fair amount of light on stage, I would consider something like this instructable : https://www.instructables.com/id/LED-Skirt/which uses much more powerful lighting. I've made a similar version that is quite bright even in full lighting, feel free to send me any questions you might have about adapting this to your needs.If you do go with my fiber optic version, keep in mind that your lights and battery will need to live on the same side of the fabric as the fibers. So if you weave the filament on the outer tulle layer, the lights would need to be covered up by extra panels on the bodice / a large waistband. This is a great idea for your costume, please don't hesitate with any future questions! :)

Thank you! :) It's sitting in the back by the zipper, right above the waist. There's a small pocket so it can sit between the dress lining and the skin.

Thank you so much, this made my day! I'm experimenting with different skin tones and color schemes to see if I can selectively do custom pieces someday. I appreciate your feedback and I'm glad you found this useful!

Thank you! :) It was a circle skirt of tulle roughly 44" in radius at the widest part, made from roughly 3 yards of 60" fabric if I recall correctly.

I got them on eBay, this was the specific listing I bought: https://www.ebay.com/itm/183233760149?ViewItem=&item=183233760149

Thank you! And thanks for reminding me, I'll add that to the materials step. My estimate is around 30 hours, with at least 10 of those going towards weaving the fibers into the tulle. The cost was around $80 total: $15 for a 500 foot spool of fiber optics, $14 for a string of ~60 LEDs (I only needed ~18), $10 for the Gemma, $15 for the lithium battery, and $25 for fabric. Your milage will vary a lot depending on the length of your design. The long skirt and fancier fabric added a fair amount to the price tag, but a short skirt or dress could be pretty reasonable.

I completely agree, thanks for the suggestion! If the LEDs are small enough and the waistband is large enough, the tulle layer could be snapped/zippered/velcroed on top and then just covered up. That would also help the look convert to daytime wear -- I was a little sad that my sparkly organza was covered up by the plastic cables in full lighting.