Thread: What are you working on in February 2012

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What are you working on in January 2012

Let's see what the costume fairies of Bhuz have on the working table for Feb.!

I'm still working on my blue faux-Bella project. I'm posting video tutorials of the process as I go on YouTube, and embedding them in order on my website.

Here's a picture of my cat Pippin helping me by trying on the front belt panel. He's such a good boy.

pippin.jpg

The little facinator to go with my Valentine Hafla costume is done!




I still have to put hooks and eyes of the skirt closure and an elastic on the inside in the back.

Qamar, I love it! It is so inspiring...

Originally Posted by Qamar60

The little facinator to go with my Valentine Hafla costume is done!




I still have to put hooks and eyes of the skirt closure and an elastic on the inside in the back.

I had to put my turquoise and brown leopard project on hold for a bit. I'm making this gold bedlah for a troupemate and fellow bhuzer, kimsinclair. As I work on this, I have 30 yards of silk habotai on the way to me to make skirts for my troupe for an upcoming performance in March. I've got to make and dye 6 circle skirts. The dye jobs will be simple one color jobs. Nothing fancy. My goal is to make two per week. The performance isn't until the end of March. I need to have all 6 skirts plus this gold bedlah done by then.

Ohhh. Silk skirts? Will you put fishing wire in the hem so they're curly-swirly when you twirly? Is this for Club Bellydance?

Originally Posted by Jessani

Ohhh. Silk skirts? Will you put fishing wire in the hem so they're curly-swirly when you twirly? Is this for Club Bellydance?

Yes, it's for club bellydance. I haven't yet tried the fishing line thing. I'm not sure I'd be willing to experiment on silk. I may try it on another skirt and if it works, do it for the silk. I'm just being a scardy cat about it. I've got the line and have read how to do it, I just haven't been able to bring myself to do it yet.

Shahla fishing line hems are super easy! I was scared too but I just started doing it and it is awesome! I finish the edges with my serger then sew a tiny little fold over the line with a tight zig zag then I go over it again with sequins. Time consuming but so so mind numbingly easy.

Maybe I've been doing it wrong, maybe just different - I just feed the fishing line into the serged hem while serging it! Looks fine to me....

Originally Posted by eshtabellydance

Shahla fishing line hems are super easy! I was scared too but I just started doing it and it is awesome! I finish the edges with my serger then sew a tiny little fold over the line with a tight zig zag then I go over it again with sequins. Time consuming but so so mind numbingly easy.

I decided yesterday morning that I needed to get over my fear of the fishing line and just do it. I grabbed a double layer chiffon skirt that I'd already made and hemmed and just zigzag stitched the fishing line to the back of the hem. The skirt didn't have any slits so I used several square knots to tie the two ends of the line together and added a dab of glue so they won't come undone on me. I was pleased that the addition of the line to an already hemmed skirt didn't change the length significantly.

I'd like to try superbunny's method of feeding the line into the serger. I may take some fabric scraps and experiment with that.

For the silk skirts, I plan on making them up with silk thread and then dying them after they're put together. I use the washing machine method for dying and I'm not sure how well a wire hem skirt would do in a washing machine (even on gentle cycle). Anyone every put their wired hem skirt in the washing machine?

Originally Posted by superbunny

Maybe I've been doing it wrong, maybe just different - I just feed the fishing line into the serged hem while serging it! Looks fine to me....

Aren't you guys worried that the serger cutter will cut your fishing line? I'm confused. But I am doing 2 wired hem skirts today so I will try it and take some pics to post later.

Originally Posted by eshtabellydance

Aren't you guys worried that the serger cutter will cut your fishing line? I'm confused. But I am doing 2 wired hem skirts today so I will try it and take some pics to post later.

I wondered about the cutter too. I figured you' have to be very careful to guide the fishing line along out of the reach of the cutter. On my machine that would mean feeding the line to the left of the cutter. I'd be very curious to hear how it works out for you today Eshta.

I have finally finished my peacock inspired costume. I wore it to work on Saturday night and thank god, nothing fell off or ripped Anyway... here is the finished article. The skirt is double layered with a teal colour on top and the blue underneath it (although you cant see this until i spin in it) It also has a split that the blue hanging piece of fabric covers. It took me about a month from start to finish doing it in the evenings... I will be glad not to see any blue or green beads for a while

That looks amazing on you Talia. Great work.

Originally Posted by eshtabellydance

Aren't you guys worried that the serger cutter will cut your fishing line? I'm confused. But I am doing 2 wired hem skirts today so I will try it and take some pics to post later.

On most domestic machines, especially those that set up for roll hem, you can turn the knife off.
On my machine, I open the cover on the left side, and there is a large silver knob that I push in and turn. It pushes the knife out and turns it underneath, so it's out of the way.
Check your manual - normally theres a button or lever.

Originally Posted by eshtabellydance

Aren't you guys worried that the serger cutter will cut your fishing line? I'm confused. But I am doing 2 wired hem skirts today so I will try it and take some pics to post later.

there are 4 options here:
1 - what Mirahmar said. Dis-engage the cutting knife when hemming.
2 - be very careful when guiding the fishing line in, trying to avoid the knife (too much hard work for me, not worth it!)
3 - get a specific presser foot that allows for piping/fishing line to be fed into the serger (I've heard about these. Never seen one....)
4 - luck out and get a serger where you can see the fabric edge being serged behind the cutting knife; feed the fishing line over the presser foot, directly into the area being serged, completely by-passing the cutting knife!

Yep, I use that last one. I find I need to thread some excess fishing line into the area being serged first, so it pokes out behind the material. Getting started takes a little coordination, feeding the line in at about the same rate as the feed dogs move the fabric through (just go slow!), but once it gets going, there's enough friction along the already-serged fishing line to pull it through at the same rate as the material.

My serger has a separate feed for piping or fishing line - mine's not a specific presser foot - it's just an additional spool holder and set of feeds coming down the front of my serger and feeding the line in just before the thread. It's super easy... just takes time to feed all the way around a circle and a half hem.

Not sure if this helps anyone but this is how I do it. My serger doesn't allow me to add the line while I'm serging. My blade is so close to the needles that it gets in the way.
So first I serge the edge. Then I roll the serged edge over the fishing line using a zig zag stitch.

I can do a wide zipg zag if I'm adding sequins or a tiny one if I'm not. It ends up looking like this.



Then I go over the whole thing again using clear plastic thread and the widest zig zag stitch while adding sequins. I do have a sequin presser foot but this is just easier for me. I also leave about 12" of line at the end because it gets tighter as I run it through the machine and I often have to pull the excess fabric a few inches at the end.

It works for me this way because I have a 50 yeard old selectronic machine which I love.

Originally Posted by eshtabellydance

It works for me this way because I have a 50 yeard old selectronic machine which I love.

And it looks beautiful!

I am finishing the Zebra costume, pics will follow soon.
I am also working on purple bra and skirt for lovely Shereen, the fabric is two-way stretchy silk-like, very lightweight and hard to work with for me.
The bra is finished and now I am working on the skirt, there will be several inserts (godets) of different fabric and also two underskirts with fishline-hem to add fullness.
I will not decorate nor bead the costume.

Originally Posted by shahla

That looks amazing on you Talia. Great work.

Thank you very much x

Originally Posted by eshtabellydance

Then I go over the whole thing again using clear plastic thread and the widest zig zag stitch while adding sequins. I do have a sequin presser foot but this is just easier for me. I also leave about 12" of line at the end because it gets tighter as I run it through the machine and I often have to pull the excess fabric a few inches at the end.

Hi Eshta! I've never work with clear plastic thread but I'm curious of trying it soon: Do you use it for the upper thread and for the bobbin, or only on the upper thread?

I don't know if it makes sense, I have a hard time translating my French sewing terms into English...

I'm rehabbing a cossie that was in good condition when i bought it. The rhinestone chain used catches and was missing some chain. I'm replacing it. I'll tighten up some loose sequins and beads next. I've secured the large stones.

I made some pattern weights with washers and scrap fabric. I like to have projects that will be completed in a short period of time along with this longer one.

Originally Posted by lylagus

I'm rehabbing a cossie that was in good condition when i bought it. The rhinestone chain used catches and was missing some chain. I'm replacing it. I'll tighten up some loose sequins and beads next. I've secured the large stones.

I made some pattern weights with washers and scrap fabric. I like to have projects that will be completed in a short period of time along with this longer one.

Love those pattern weights. I hardly ever pin anything any more now that I have pattern weights but can always use more. After my step mother passed away my sister and I cleaned out her house and I found my mom's old sewing machine and brought it home. There were lots of weights in the bench but they were old and rusting. Still have them and I bet covering with fabric scaps would be just the ticket!!

Originally Posted by Qamar60

Hi Eshta! I've never work with clear plastic thread but I'm curious of trying it soon: Do you use it for the upper thread and for the bobbin, or only on the upper thread?

I don't know if it makes sense, I have a hard time translating my French sewing terms into English...

I use it for the upper thread. And for the bobbin I use regular sewing thread that matches my fabric. You gotta keep the tension on the lowest setting because the clear thread is really only good for tacking things down like sequins or making a quilting stitch. There isn't much strength to it so if your tension is too high it will snap. I use the largest zig zig I have that way there are less holes through the sequins. I use size .004 and it's made of nylon. It's fun to play around with.

Originally Posted by eshtabellydance

I use it for the upper thread. And for the bobbin I use regular sewing thread that matches my fabric. You gotta keep the tension on the lowest setting because the clear thread is really only good for tacking things down like sequins or making a quilting stitch. There isn't much strength to it so if your tension is too high it will snap. I use the largest zig zig I have that way there are less holes through the sequins. I use size .004 and it's made of nylon. It's fun to play around with.

Thank you so much!

I'm almost finished rehabbing a beautiful Egyptian leopard bedlah. When I got it, the bra was in pieces, one side piece was completely missing. The belt was in good shape but was about 3 in. too small for me. Here is the before:

Leopard.jpg

Here is now, I still need to add hooks and line the bra (you can't see the side straps that I built out of two layers of denim and a stretchy glittery knit in nude) I need to decide what kind of fringe to put as a drape on the bra, either copper to match the belt medallion, or gold to match the gold fringe on the rest of the belt. I had to fill in some bald spots on the bra and create a connector between the cups to get it to fit properly. The leopard fabric looks wider on one side but I followed the beading and the designer's lines that were drawn on the bra. It's not noticeable when the bra is on:

Leopard_bra.jpg

You can see the medallion I built to extend the belt.

Leopard_belt_detail2.jpg

I just finished a commissioned hip scarf for a lady in a troupe. They are doing a country themed show and she paid for a prototype. If the other ladies like it, then I get to make 20+ more in different colors!!

I also just finished a really versatile seafoam/green tiedye velvet sparkly choli top and hip scarf for myself. Wanted something fancy to wear to class. It's also usable for being a mermaid (dry land) and setting myself on fire! Even better, I can use it to cosplay a specific character that I made with some friends. And it's also a phenomenal color on me!

Now I'm done sewing for the night and will draw a custom Joker card for a friend as a gift. Man...now that I no longer play all those facebook games, I have a lot more free time...

Originally Posted by shushanna

I'm still working on my blue faux-Bella project. I'm posting video tutorials of the process as I go on YouTube, and embedding them in order on my website.

Here's a picture of my cat Pippin helping me by trying on the front belt panel. He's such a good boy.

Attachment 47590

My 8 year old son just asked, "What is that cat wearing? Armor?"

Originally Posted by Qamar60

The little facinator to go with my Valentine Hafla costume is done!




I still have to put hooks and eyes of the skirt closure and an elastic on the inside in the back.

I hear 'Heartbreak Hotel' by Elvis whenever I look at your costume.