Thread: I want to make a costume....

but where do I start?

Ladies (and gents), I've been wanting to make my first costume. I have lots of sewing experience and beadwork experience (I work part-time in a bridal shop), so I am wondering....

What are the big do's & don'ts for the first time costume maker?

Any hints & tips would be gratefully appreciated.

remember that the bra band will get much tighter when you cover it with fabric and embellish it...sometimes 2 inches minimum will vanish when the stretch goes away

This website is supposedly pretty spectacular for tips, i haven't looked through it all though:

Bellydance Costume Goddess Tells All: Enter

One thing I would definitely never recommend is using a real bra. It is incredibly easy to make beautiful straps and sew them on. I normally cut out bra pads of bras I know fit and don't need anymore. Use three fabrics, one for lining, the cover fabric, and then a sturdier heavy cotton or denim for the base. The bra pads get only the lining and cover fabric so that they are still strong but allow flexibility, but to make sure the straps are strong I cut strips of the sturdier fabric, and cover completely of course with the back(lining) and front (decorative) fabric. The bead work can be done before the back lining so that you cover your stitches with it. The same sturdy fabric is the base of the belt if there is one, and also cut into the desired shape. I first sew the decorative fabric onto this rough base, folding the fabric over the back part of the base. Then the fringe I sew on the back part, above the folded over part of the decorative fabric so that it doesn't show at all when finished. Then the bead work/appliques, and then the lining which is folded into itself in the back only.

It's a lot of fun to sew a costume come to life just like you wanted. Good luck!

The Costume Goddess has great books. I don't actually love most of Dina Lydia's costumes *personally* but her ideas are very sound - it's a matter of "I don't like that particular lace/ bead combo" rather than unpleasing proportions or anything like that.

I've grown up using real bras as costume bases, so I will slightly disagree with Goldenpear. It can and does work well, but you *will* lose stretch in the straps longterm. If you are fairly small you can cut out the powernet from a bra, leaving the straps, and just sequin those. But a longer lasting option is replacing them entirely with petersham braid or similar. I've also seen some really nice "tribaret" bras where all the strapping is replaced by tough non-stretch woven braid/ribbon and metal rings, so they're effectively crossover halters that tie in back. I'd love to try something like that actually.

It is often easier to decorate the belt first, since the bra is fiddlier.

Oh! And if you are going to make your own fringe, *don't* make it directly on the bra/belt. One day you're probably going to want to cannibalise it and if it's made on the garment, you can't. Make it on a length of ribbon instead.

Originally Posted by zumarrad

It is often easier to decorate the belt first, since the bra is fiddlier.

This may be a reason to decorate the bra first, so that if you have to simplify the bra decoration once you get going, then at least you can make the belt match a bit more easily.

Also if you decide to throw the whole thing away into the back of the cupboard, in frustration, at least you won't have wasted the belt-beading time! (Bitter? Moi?)

Fnar. Good point!

My favorite website:

Nadya's Nähtipps für orientalische Tanzkostüme, Bauchtanz;

The cool thing about the Costume Goddess is that I think uses thrift finds for a lot of her costumes, rather than trying to build a Bella. She used to be on bhuz a lot, but she hasn't been a regular in some time. She's got a great dry wit!