Thread: Veil Question - Silk Vs. Other

Okay, so I need a silk veil for a voi number I am doing and thus want specific dye pattern. I looked up the cost of silk by the yard and the cost of getting the dye, the silk, and my sanity in trying to dye it equals about how much it would cost me at retail.

Then I started looking at charmeuse and faux silk at Jo Ann's. 3.99 a yard versus 12.00 a yard..

I know nothing flows like silk but really, is the charmeuse all that different? A corner of the rectangle is going to be attached to a weight and chain anyways so there's lots of force there...

I need imput, please. Thanks!

Well, you're not going to find your specific dye pattern at the store, are you?

Seriously, people are always asking me for hand dyed silk yardage and are stunned to find how expensive it is. It's hand dyed in small batches, that's why it's more expensive, not commercially done in huge amounts.

Since we're talking about voi, I think the key thing about the fabric is the weight. I think silk vs. non-silk is less important in voi work, because you are not expecting the fabric to float. And you want enough weight on the fabric, but not too much -- the weight of the poi has to be enough to pull the fabric around.

Charmeuse (whether silk or poly) tends to be quite heavy. That might be a bit much for voi work. Some of JoAnn's faux silk is stiff like dupioni; you want something flowy. And don't use a poly lining, you may have a big static electricity problem. All that said, you're not really going to know until you whirl the fabric around... try not to hit anybody in the aisle! :-D

Dharma Trading sells pre-hemmed silk veil blanks for $10 or so. Habotai Veils

They sell 5mm silk for $3.50 a yd, cheaper in bulk. If you need it heavier, it costs a little more. Charmeuse is much heavier than veils: about 3 times heavier.

You must determine what your time is worth, but if you think there are more veils in your future, it might be worth it to learn how to dye your own. Dharma has instructions for doing tie-dye in a microwave, you don't even need to buy a pot.

Okay..so I love you now for showing me that website. You're my new best friend.

I'm actually thinking about just dancing with a white veil. My costume is a red velvet split skirt, black shawl with fringe. The belt I'm wearing is a regular belt for jeans or whatever and it has silver studs in it. Fringe is some safety pinned silver chain. Silver coin bra, black turkish vest, black armbands and red wrist bands. Thought a white veil would contrast nice. It would pick up the glow of the stage lights.

Originally Posted by AllyisLuma

Okay..so I love you now for showing me that website.

Pass it forward! :)

i think what fabric depends on what you do with a veil.in my style, real silk dances like wet toilet paper.in another style, it floats. we use joanns silk essance.

I like Dharma also, how where you thinking about dyeing it?

Originally Posted by zamora

i think what fabric depends on what you do with a veil.in my style, real silk dances like wet toilet paper.in another style, it floats. we use joanns silk essance.

Oh, I'm very curious about this. Don't suppose you have a video of your (or your fellow dancers') veilwork? I would love to see your technique to see how it varies from what's done in my area.

Cory Zamora at the Carnival of Stars

Okay, so call me obsessive, I just had to go out and find video of CZ with a veil!

I just love the way you got out of this wrap. There's not a lot of your veil work here, but there is some. I see you move a veil very quickly through the air, so probably a light silk veil would really collapse on you. Have you ever played with a heavier-weight silk?

I'm just wondering. As a veil maker I really like to know what works and doesn't work for people. :-D

Originally Posted by tigerb

I see you move a veil very quickly through the air, so probably a light silk veil would really collapse on you. Have you ever played with a heavier-weight silk? I'm just wondering. As a veil maker I really like to know what works and doesn't work for people. :-D

Veils respond to technique (strong arms, weak arms) as well as condition (new, well-maintained, weakened by body sweat or too much handling or mis-handling) as well as quality of fabric and dying process (sudden temperature changes damage the silk). Daughter uses one to four 5mm silk veils in veil dances with many quick and slow movements with no collapsing, so problems with veils should be examined from several angles, IMO, including what folks do with them when they are NOT dancing with them. Veils dropped on the floor during rehearsal are NOT the same as a piece of carpet, for instance. And dividing your veils into those you use for dress rehearsal and performance vs practice veils vs loaner/coverup veils is helpful in keeping performance veils from breaking down.

I would love to make 6mm silk veils but the only vendor I found for this weight was Thai silks, and there was something odd about the feel.

charmeuse silk is lovely but IMO is better for faster veil dance..i have a pair of Little Wings size and love them

silk essence was my first veil and i loved it

but of course i'm gonna say i'm a silk snob :)

and agree with Tigerb that paying for dyed silk is VERY expensive. what is ironic is that i can retail a crepe de chine neck scarf for $70 but a full length veil is $44. veils are more 'labor' to dye (but scarves are more fun )

Here's a clip of Cory using a white "Silk Essence" veil:

-Devora

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fndHx9LCXPU"]YouTube - Cory Zamora Famous Belly Dancer Teacher[/ame]

Cory Zamora Famous Belly Dancer Teacher - AOL Video

thanks devora !

Originally Posted by maurazebra

And dividing your veils into those you use for dress rehearsal and performance vs practice veils vs loaner/coverup veils is helpful in keeping performance veils from breaking down.

I do cringe sometimes when I see a dancer at a local hafla pulling one of my veils out a bag where it has simply been stuffed in any which way. A class veil, sure, treat it however you like, but if you're going to perform with it... well it's not going to last long all crumpled like that. Particularly the featherweights, which can easily show shifts in weave.

Originally Posted by jesennia

charmeuse silk is lovely but IMO is better for faster veil dance..i have a pair of Little Wings size and love them

silk essence was my first veil and i loved it

but of course i'm gonna say i'm a silk snob :)

and agree with Tigerb that paying for dyed silk is VERY expensive. what is ironic is that i can retail a crepe de chine neck scarf for $70 but a full length veil is $44. veils are more 'labor' to dye (but scarves are more fun )

I've seen silk charmeuse half circles spun, and wow! so fluid! Clearly not for wafting about, but gorgeous in their own right.

Scarves are a different market, clearly. I've occasionally wondered how mine would fare at a really upscale art show, but those have such high entry fees I've never wanted to pursue the idea.