Weave Basics

[patient1]

So, tomorrow I'm performing my first sew-in weave and I think I have the basics.

My volunteer has bsl relaxed hair that's in excellent shape. She wants a curly afro look. So here's my plan.

1. Wash and deep condition.

2. Apply a leave-in.

3. Cornbraid her hair in a circular pattern.

4. Sew-in the wefts gently.

5. Strategically fingerfluff the wefts.

6. Spray weave hair with a finishing spray.

7. Provide her with a scalp oil.

Does that sound about right?

I'm thinking I'll split the wefts in half and sew in that way instead of one long swirl.

Any pointers?? Suggestions? Corrections??

Thanks!!
p1

 

[determined_to_grow]

How long do you plan to leave it in? Maybe you should give yourself a mild protein treatment,then follow it with a DC.

 

[ONAMSHN]

Please post some pictures if you can....

 

[patient1]

If she let's me, I'll take pics of her hair before and after.

I'll add some protein into the deep conditioner mix. I'm gonna whip her up a spritz as well.

I've done a ton or research (including reading DontSpeakDefeat's threads)so I'm feeling pretty confident. She really wants an afro puff look. We tried to achieve this on her own relaxed hair with a tight rollerset, but though the resulting curls were soft and beautiful, the hair was still too long.

I might leave the cornrows showing in the front and sew-in a weave in the back. We're going shopping tomorrow morning and by early afternoon I plan to have a beautiful showcase of my work.

I'll be back.

p1

 

[kandegirl]

Your plan sounds good. My suggestions are to oil her scalp prior to sewing in the tracks to she won't have to mess with her style right away. And since it's a curly weave splitting the tracks might make the process of sewing it in take longer. Im not exactly sure if you meant you were cutting the tracks to sew them the way you wanted or you were splitting the weft since some of them come sewn together. Either way I'm sure it will come out cute. Be sure to post pics, braid patterns and all. I just did a curly weave last week and I braided the sides going back (at an angle) and the middle in a circle. So I'd love to see when you braid in a circle. I see it in hair magazines but I'm not sure how they sew'd the tracks on to get it so full w/o putting a lot of wefts on each braid.

 

[Healthb4Length]

Check out blackhairmedia.com's forum on weaves, you'll get plenty of pointers from there. Good luck.

 

[patient1]

Hey Khandi,

I'll use your tip for sure and oil her scalp after I braid it in. I've got a creamy leave-in already mixed that I experimented with on my own hair.

I don't know if I'll braid completely in a circle anymore. I've seen lots of pics with the braids going back and then the ends are pulled up and sewn. Since her hair is so long and the texture so different I just thought a circle pattern would make the hair fuller.

I'm not charging her a dime so it takes the pressure off to get it done FAST, but it will be done WELL. We'll start early in case I have to rewind.

I'm going to give her an oil blend I made and suggest that she use diluted Daily Doctor every couple of days in order to keep her hair moist. I'll mix that up for her too in a spray bottle and add just a tad of original infusium to lend some strength. Her hair is in great shape and I don't want anything to happen to it.

I'm seriously thinking about going back to school for cosmetology. I have a BA (and the student loans to match!!) and am an experienced, credentialed teacher, but I really think I'd rather be doing hair during the day and writing in the evening and on my days off. I could see myself opening my own shop. I just don't want to do chemical services and that seems to be the main thrust of attending school.

p1

 

[patient1]

Thanks Alli. I was reading your posts on weaving earlier today.
p1

 

[kandegirl]

You can go back to school for a specialty license. It takes less time like a braiding and weaving license is 300 hours and you'd be out of school in no time. But good luck. Can't wait to see the pics.

 

[patient1]

Thanks for that. I always thought you had to learn to relax, perm, color, etc. etc. I'm googling that info for my area now.

p1