~Costumes Everything~

~where to find a great costume ~ what to look for ~ great web sites ~ where the locals go ~ where to find a good seamstress ~ how to clean your costume ~ what colors work for you ~ paints... what styles do you like and work best ~ how to pin you costume ~ tired of your costume, what do I do with it ~ mixing and matching

Feel free to add more to this list! Looking forward to see what comes up in this room!!!

Seamstress Recommendation

Olga Soto, if anyone is interested, please contact me (Alina) and I'll let you know how to get in touch with her. Olga has been helping many belly dancers with costume alterations for many years now, she is very reliable and has fair prices.

Here is a helpful hint, given to me by one of my former instructors, on storing your hip scarves. I keep every single one of my hip scarves in individual zip lock bags. This keeps them from getting damaged and preserves the embellishments(beads,coins) as well. I use the gallon size bags, they have plenty of room.
Of course, then there's the issue of where to keep all of these zip lock bags !

Yedidah

I love this idea and will be putting my zip locks to better use now that I know about this idea!

Hey, can we wrap them in click here->bubble wrap<-click here first THEN put them in the zip locks???

Quick question about pining the costumes. I am sure that safety pins are used but exactly what do you pin and to what?

Costume novice
Tina

I found these great jumbo sized safety pins at Rag Shop and they where perfect. I was taught to pin everything to everything and even then some. I pin my bra top at the catch so it doesn't come loose. I pin whatever belt I may be using to my skirt, pants, etc. in various places. Keep in mind where you have placed these pins so that they can be removed promptly if you do have a costume change and need to get out of and into another costume in a hurry. Sometimes you might need some help! Pinning is very important to avoid wardrobe malfunctions! Just a small piece of advice from the novice!

Yedidah

I always say that Pins are a dancers Best Friend!!!

Hi Yedidah !!!

Thanks for sharing ....I have to buy those safety pins soon !!!!

Alexa

WINGS OF ISIS

Attention sewing fiends...

Last Sunday a handful of Meetup members got together at Tamara's for a sewing lesson. We covered a handful of sombjects from how to thread your machine, to which foot to use for which stitch. We learned how to hem veils with ease, build harem pants, make chiffon and strechy tie-tops, as well as tricks for cutting 1/2 circle veils and panel skirts for tribal. Elviza, Tamara, Portia, and Zizi all walked away with a set of tribal hair pieces.

We have discussed having future events, even workshops. These will be geared towards those individulas that want to sew costumes for themselves or their "troupes" and will be project based.

The next event will be a lesson in how to make "Wings of Isis" Elviza and Portia both expressed an interest in hosting an event, and I am ready whenever so lets set a date for a Sunday....It will be a Sew-Sew Sunday!

Those interested please reply to this post and you will need to purchase your own fabric (in advance) and bring your own machine (we will have on hand to lend).

You will need 7 yards of 50-60" wide fabric, either a shimmery organza or metallic Lame (any lightwieght chiffon, simple lining material, sparkly halloween fabric will work, it is a bit hard to sew stretchy fabrics). You are looking for anything you would normally use for veils. The ladies at the Fabric store can help you find what you want.

You will also need 2 spools of matching thread and a pack of White or Black velcro for the collar (if you can find it in exactly the same color as your fabric, you are lucky indeed!). If you do not want velcro, you can substitute for a metal clasp (will have on hand).
If you cant find 60" wide fabric that you like, you will have to get more yardage, about 9 yards of 45" will work but you will have a seam showing in your wings.

There will be patterns available, and it will be step by step, so no one will get lost.

luv,
Adeela

COUNT ME IN!!!

LOVE,

ZIZI & ZIGI