Thread: What are you working on in April 2012?

As ever, this thread is *SO* inspiring!

I have just started a bra & belt set, it was supposed to be a Stashbuster, but I ended up buying a lot of extra bits & bobs for it! I've just covered the bra & I'm starting on making the fringe




I'm now up to 5" of fringe, but there's still a *very* long way to go! It's also considerably pinker than that photo is showing! It matches the candy pink of the bra.

Originally Posted by shahla

What an amazing undertaking Qamar. I know how hard it is to make so many of the same thing. It totally makes you sick of it after awhile. The bedlahs are super cute. Can't wait to see a pic of the whole troupe in the final product.

Ditto on everything!

Bea, I admire you or anyone else for that matter who's got the patience to make their own fringe!!! I don't think I could force myself to do it. Well, maybe just a couple of random strands :)

I'm done with my custom order! Today Galit came to pick them up and we did a mini photo shoot. Granted I am a sucky photographer, but at least Galit did a great job of posing! On to stage costumes!

finally all caught up on all the highland costume alterations, and new/bigger pieces for my daughters.... they just keep growing!!

back to monkey business!
* finished one this week for FCBD's Sandi Ball - she's in town for a workshop!
* sending a few special orders to ComicCon at the end of the month: Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Batman (Adam West), and Captain Picard (Star Trek NG)
*next up, a set for the fusion troupe Eclipse and a couple of cabaret custom orders.

That should keep me going to at least the end of May.... :(1)

I finally figured out what I wanted to do decoration wise with the cream assuit bedlah I started about a year ago. It's more sparkly than the pics show, I didn't want to overpower the earthy sparkles of the assuit with a lot big AB stones or sequins. Maybe I will change the swags for short fringe with coins. This is starting to look bridal with the pearls, maybe the coin fringe will give it a bit of a tribaret feeling.

I just hope it fits when it's done, it's bigger than my other costumes so I really hope it will.

Originally Posted by elenya

Maybe I will change the swags for short fringe with coins. This is starting to look bridal with the pearls, maybe the coin fringe will give it a bit of a tribaret feeling.

I just hope it fits when it's done, it's bigger than my other costumes so I really hope it will.

Maybe using silver chain for trim would "toughen" it up a bit. Also the color of whatever skirt you put with it would down play any bridal look.

i hope it fit you too. My last one was a bit too big in the belt. It was held on by safety pins!

This is the first incarnate of my snow leopard costume. I made the belt too big and I plan to add more bling to it. That will have to wait though as Ren. Faire is this coming weekend and I have repairs to make and a new costume to finish!

I FINALLY get to start posting some custom pieces I've made for local dancers! Here is the first one (actually completed before April....but nonetheless here it )

I love the icicle fringing, Jamielynn!

Gold and black/hematite costume I've started working on, including beafarhana's and my sketches and a shot of the almost-finished skirt. I ended up using iron-on interfacing to prevent the lame from fraying!

For the bra, it had way too much fluffy padding, so I cut it open and pulled the padding out before sewing it closed and quilt-stitching the cups to compress all the layers together and strengthen them. The last picture is the original top of the dress, with cheap sequin trim, right after I took off the skirt and the attached picture was my original sketch.

I hate making replicas of costumes, but this was a specific order from my friend for the pharaonic costume for tomorrow´s bellydance contest.

Originally Posted by Luccia

I hate making replicas of costumes, but this was a specific order from my friend for the pharaonic costume for tomorrow´s bellydance contest.

I think we need to see a closeup of that beading. To, uh, check authenticity. Yeah.

That is simply gorgeous, love the colours.

Originally Posted by kelleyvorm

Wow, Im forever looking at these above costumes and are blown away by the creativity and quality of them. Fabulous! Mine is pretty basic but wanted to show what I did with an inexpensive bedlah I got from Isis Exchange. I loved the scalloped belt and pretty much rearranged the whole thing when I got it. I lowered the belt fringe by a few inches. Redid the bra top fringe and added appliques to both. Then I cut off the long straps, made it a halter and attached the extra to make the halter strap wider. Now that I look at the pic, I see I need to hike up the top a bit... : )

That is awesome. I just ordered costumes very similar to that for my student troupe (also from Isis Exchange -- and unfortunately not here in time for hafla!). I LOVE the skirt with that costume. What is it made out of? I also love the changes you made to it. Brava!

:))) OK, here are closeups for your inspection :) I still have to make fringe, arm bands, necklase, fuchsia harem pants and chiffon panels... and lining...

Originally Posted by LilithNoor

I think we need to see a closeup of that beading. To, uh, check authenticity. Yeah.

That is simply gorgeous, love the colours.

Originally Posted by Luccia

:))) OK, here are closeups for your inspection :) I still have to make fringe, arm bands, necklase, fuchsia harem pants and chiffon panels... and lining...

Gorgeous- can't believe how geometrically accurate it is when you consider all the curves in a costume!

Thanks Lilith, it was labor of love :) And thank you ladies for all your likes, I appreciate it

Originally Posted by LilithNoor

Gorgeous- can't believe how geometrically accurate it is when you consider all the curves in a costume!

Originally Posted by andalee-oriental

That is awesome. I just ordered costumes very similar to that for my student troupe (also from Isis Exchange -- and unfortunately not here in time for hafla!). I LOVE the skirt with that costume. What is it made out of? I also love the changes you made to it. Brava!

Thanks!! I love even more that it was under 100.00 That skirt is just a spandex type "liquid gold", but it is copper. Then its a pumpkin color chiffon skirt under it. It was just stuff I had and it worked great! I just bought another costume from Isis and was pretty pleased with it. They are decent for the affordable price. That stinks that yours didnt arrive in time though!!

Finished the bra itself, still needs to be embellished. The belt base has been made with felt and thick cotton fabric, needs to be finished and shaped a bit more.



sorry about it not being rotated, sent from a phone.

I'm working on a Tribal Fusion belt. I'm having lots of fun making it. I'll take pictures later!

Hi everybody!
Been kinda silent this month. I've been crazy busy. But I finished 3 costumes so far so I thought I'd share. I have 3 more to post next week too. I'm also working on a little write up about the differences between Swarovski, Preciosa, and China rhinestones. I get a lot of questions about this and am getting tired of repeating myself plus things change so fast! I'll post it on a blog when I'm done and share the link here.
So I went to see the crazy Persian fabric guy who basically forces me to buy fabulous things and covers my hands in kisses while charging my credit card. I come out of there with boat loads of gorgeous fabric but smelling like the break room at an Armani Exchange. So from his fabric I made a nude one covered in chains and gold sequins and an old school fringe monster in purple silk and pearls. I also finished a white crystal moon costume for a friend which honestly looks better on a body than on a form.

Originally Posted by eshtabellydance

wow that one is stunnig!! you are very talented

I have been working my behind off on 2 matching costumes for a very special duet piece.... Here's a quickie pic until I make more progress....



The design is heavily influenced by a vintage costume photo that one of the dancers fell in love with.

[QUOTE=MonikaMahreen;966358]I am so curious to see what you are working on this month!

Here is my "Indian Fire ' costume,in progress. The fire fringe kind of inspired it.
When the frinnge is on, it should blend nicely with the beadwork. I'll show you when it's finished.
The skirt is the same velvet, with sheer mermaid gores in it.Indian Fire-2.jpgIndian Fire fringe-2.jpg

I wish it was for me! But it's for a good friend, so will have a good home!

I have like 5 projects on a go keep putting them off for one reason or another. right now working on 2 costumes for a duet need to be done by June here is some previews

Finishing up an orange and yellow costume for this weekend. It's my first attempt at a costume bra and my skirt hemming needs work, but it will work for this performance! (Fingers crossed LOL) I will get some pictures when it's complete. I'm finding now I need a dressmaker form if I'm going to keep making my own costumes.

Originally Posted by AbdaJanaan

I'm finding now I need a dressmaker form if I'm going to keep making my own costumes.

Here are some useful threads on the subject:
Dress forms!
Ideas for a good quality dress form
Dress form

This month I made beaded Mantilla wedding veil.
Sorry for wedding theme here but wanted to share pictures

I have been working on my first bedlah for a few months now. My instructor Banatsusan encouraged my troupe mate and I to make gold ones. We each did our own design and are working hard on them. I have the belt beaded and have built the top and am now beading on it. Hopefully, it will all be completed in the next few weeks. Susan and Alexandria have been great costume making instructors.

My cat Colby is a big help also!

I set myself a personal goal for 2012, that I would Make Something Every Month. The "Something" only counts if it's actually finished. I was a bit worried that April would be a fail, because although I'd been working on my Pink Confetti costume, it's nowhere near finished. But I was able to put together this Costume Storage Bag tonight.

It's a design I'd been thinking about for a little while. I can sew zips in so long as they are a more or less straight line, so I figured I could sew the zip, and then make the fabric curve by gathering it! It meant working out measurements using Algebra, and in particular remembering the formula with Pi and circumerences and diameters! And whaddaya know, it worked!



And I'm still working on the Pink Confetti costume!

Originally Posted by amalamphy

I have been working on my first bedlah for a few months now. My instructor Banatsusan encouraged my troupe mate and I to make gold ones. We each did our own design and are working hard on them. I have the belt beaded and have built the top and am now beading on it. Hopefully, it will all be completed in the next few weeks. Susan and Alexandria have been great costume making instructors.

My cat Colby is a big help also!

Lovely work, congrats... He, he, he Colby is adorable! I have furry helpers too! But, I have to be aware , one of them is a cleptomaniac: he keeps trying to steal and run away with little bags of sequins or rhinestones.