Stitching with a Shimmy

Shimmying through life with needles and thread…
January 5th, 2009

To Build a Plus Size Bedlah… Part 1

The first part of this is actually called To Design a Bedlah. As usual, click the photos to see a bigger version.

There are many wonderful books and instructions for building a bedlah out there. At the end of these posts I’ll link to some of them. Most of them, however assume you are a C cup or smaller. I’m not, which means that some of the things they recommend simply do not work for me. This is NOT a detailed explanation, I’ll detail some of the specific things I do to make my bigger bras work, but I highly recommend some of the other resources out there for the details. This is actually the second bra I’ve made. I’m refining my techniques as I go. I’m a LOT better with the actual embellishment than the prep work, but that’s the case for me with any of my needlework!

thebra.jpgThis is the bra I’m using as a base. It’s molded foam, which isn’t remotely optimal, especially at my cup size, but it’s the best I could do.  Because there are no support seams, and it’s stretchy, step one is to make a buckram insert to give it some stability. Because of this, I think the next step after this bedlah is actually to buy a copy of the $90 book on building bras from scratch and start there. I really really would like a sturdier bra for my bedlahs, and if I can start from scratch I’ll know it’s going to hold up to what I put it through.

Step one is actually to wrap the thing in paper to create a pattern.

So. How to do what I did:

Take a lightweight paper, in my case, tissue paper, because I always have a stash of it for transferring embroidery patterns lying around.

bedlahpatternwrapcup.jpgPin it to the top edge of the bra, folding it so that it covers smoothly. The fold lines will become your dart lines, so be very careful with this.

bedlahpatterndrawlines.jpgDraw in the lines, including both sides of the darts. On a large cup size like this one (I’m a 40 DD or a 42D. This one is a 40DD), sometimes it’s more effective to cut the pattern in two curved pieces rather than use darts. This is what I’ve done with the short line in the middle. (The darts almost meet in any case. Not quite, because then I’d have a “bullet bra” and I’m not quite THAT traditional!)

Basically, what that achieves is one long dart to curve over the bust point. (It also provides a nice marker for bust fringe, if you’re going that way, which I, being a traditionalist, am.)

bedlahpattern.jpgWhen you unpin it and open it up, you get a paper pattern. Mark the top and the bottom pieces, and note which corner should meet which corner, because if you flip one of the pattern pieces like I did, you end up with all sorts of mismatching problems in step 2! Lesson learned. Since I had a full inch connecting the two parts, maybe I should have used two darts instead.

If you want to try this at home, buy this book:

I’ve managed to lose mine in two moves since I bought it, and I’m finding I really miss having it around as I’m trying to do this bra. Waaaaa! I may have to buy a new copy myself. If I do buy a new copy I’m sure I’ll find the old one. Every page is full of detailed photos and explanations of how to cover a bra. It’s a godsend.

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December 26th, 2008

Review – Bead and Sequin Embroidery Stitches

On the same shiny, glitzy front as last week’s review, we have Bead and Sequin Embroidery Stitches by Stanley Levy. If you ever think you might want to bead your own cabaret bellydance costume, or just add a bit of shiny glitz to an embroidery project or crazy quilt, this book will teach you how to do it.

Mr. Levy has been doing beadwork since World War II, and has become highly respected in the field, beading many of the costumes for British figure skaters — and later teaching beadwork for the City & Guilds program. It is this teaching background that is wonderfully evident in the book.

One of the first things Mr. Levy tells you is something he tells his students — “do it my way and then go on to do it your way.”Once the basics are known, experimentaiton is what develops good design and new technique.

What I like most about this book is is carefully designed excercises for learning how the materials work with the stitches he teaches. I highly recommend getting sequins and beads specifically to play with and create a sampler of these excercises. The rest of the book contains a chapter of designs you can use to embellish clothing or costumes, or just to practice and frame. The book wraps up with eye candy and inspirational pieces from Mr. Levy and his students.

Very very pretty, and a book I go back to repeatedly when I’m working on a beaded costume.

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October 21st, 2008

To Design a Bedlah

So my dance troupe is putting together a new piece — and I “get” to make my own costume. Now usually this is a good thing — but usually it’s not a full traditional bra and belt set that I have to make in three months!

So. I have a bra to use as a base. My theme is “water.” I decided that I didnt’ have time to bead the fringe myself, although I have an appropriate pice started  – it’s just going to have to go on another costume because I’m not going to have time to finish it.

I found on ebay a set of 5 and 8 inch Egyptian beaded fringe in turquoise and snagged it. It’s not quite what I’d call turquoise – it has a greyish quality to it, but it will work. I also found two turquoise/teal valances at BigLots for $3.00 each.  Bought them, too. Yes, I am planning on working the beaded edge they came with into the design as well…

The fringe and valance (click to embiggen by lots!):

waterbedlah.jpg

I’m going to cover my bra – I’ll actually have to start from scratch on the belt, which means that the shape is completely up to me! Great, yet more decisions. I think I’ll just use one I’ve got and that fits as a pattern.

So. The idea is currently to cover the bra and belt in the valance fabric: put a row of fringe across the bra at the bustline, and sequin/bead above that. The belt, because I get to start the design from scratch – will probably have a dip in the front, fringe around the bottom, and sequinning in easy wave patterns around.

I have a mottled evening blue silk skirt from a current performance, and am toying with the idea of adding a silk gauze overskirt in green & white dappling to make it look even more like water.

So. That’s the basic design. You’re actually not getting all the thoughts on it, because I’ve been wanting both a turquoise cosume and a water costume for a couple of years now. I’m combining two ideas into one, although in the long run I still want my ocean costume that’s dripping with glass fringe, swarovski crystal and pearls! (Yes, I’m already collecting the expensive parts for it!)

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May 12th, 2008

Bellydance Costumes – Cabaret

There have been a few posts that sent you off on a hunt for the cabaret style bellydance costuming.

Modern cabaret costumes come in a variety of styles. If you are looking for something authentic to a specific time/ethnicity/dance style you need to be pretty knowledgeable. If you are American, and looking for an “American Cabaret” style costume, you have a LOT more leeway in decision making (and in embellishment).

For this reason, and because nothing I dance is likely to be completely authentic – as Saqra says, I will always dance with an American accent, I tend toward mixing and matching almost willy-nilly. There are still a few conventions I follow, however.

First, stylistically.

Egyptian Raqs Sharqi. This format is demure not so much by original nature, from what I can learn by reading, but by law. Egyptian law has mutated over the years to specify what dancers can wear, who can dance where, and how much leg can be displayed in Cairo. Stomach coverings and long skirts with very little slit (so as not to show much leg) are de rigeur. This does NOT preclude the “big names” such as Dina from fiddling with this and pushing the envelope.

Egyptian costuming has two different basic variations: the bedlah, or “uniform” which is generally the two-piece costume (with a stomach cover) that we know here – the bra and belt set over a skirt, whether straight or full, and the beledi dress which is a one-piece, evening-gown or caftan like garment used primarily for the more folkloric styles – for example, dancing with a cane.

Turkish Danse Orientale: This format can be much more “out there,” possibly because of the secular nature of the Turkish government, and possibly simply because the Turkish dancers have a more sexual take on the dance form. In my experience, movements are bigger, costumes are smaller. Music styles are different, there are more unique rhythms involved, including time signatures of 5/8, and 9/8, and the instrumentation is different.

American Cabaret: this format combines bits and pieces of all the other formats, and the costuming reflects that. Beads, side slits in the skirt, harem pants, heels or bare feet, and other shinies. The Americans added and expanded on the use of props in the dance. Here you’ll find sword work, veil work, candle dances in various formats, and all manner of gimmics. Costuming often varies depending on the prop used.

Tribal costuming and beadwork techniques covered later. ;)

There is a wonderful description of various costumes at Atlanta Bellydance.

 

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April 24th, 2008

Bellydance Costumes

Bellydance costumes are amazing things. Whether you are looking at a hipscarf used for practice, a fully beaded cabaret costume, or some of the confections that the tribal style dancers put together, you are looking at a work of art.  Heck, even the basic hipscarves that students like to wear to class are amazing works of beaded artwork.
This is just a quick overview of the field. There are several major designers out there, from Sim Moda Evi  in Turkey to Bella and Madame Abla (may she rest in peace) in Egypt. You can see a beautiful selection of designer costumes at www.dahlal.com .

There’s a beautiful article at the LA Times about the designer Ahmed Diaa Eddin. In addition, there are some absolutely drop-dead creative people in the US creating their own costumes, and guaranteeing that they will be unique in the process. The Costume Goddess (Dina)  is a guru of hand-made costumes on the cheap.

And that’s just the cabaret costumes. When you get into American Tribal Style and Tribal Fusion you get funky pants, coins, folkloric patterns and so on and so on. Tribal costuming is still more likely to be made by the individual than purchased, so examples can be seen on the sites of the various dancers and dance troupes.

The costuming Blue Moon Dance company wears at the Renaissance Fairs is typical of ATS costuming (they are a fusion group and wander out of “traditional” tribal costuming quite often) and the Indigo for Tribal Fusion (their myspace site) costuming ideas can’t be beat.

Dance costuming is a treasure trove of needlework and embellishment techniques, as well as basic costume design. Exploring them can become a hobby in itself!

Later I’ll go into some of the dance costume styles in more detail, but this shoud get you started on some eye candy!

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