Thread: What are you working on in May 2012?

It's May! How is it May already?
Let's see all the gorgeous projects! As ever this is my favorite thread.

I just finished a costume called Emerald Zebra. The whole idea was inspired by the skirt fabric.

Eshta, I am speechless. That is the most beautiful costume I think you've ever made.

Yowza!

This month I received a parcel with rhinestones I ordered
They drive me crazy :)
Started "crazy shine" costume full made of rhinestones
A little upset with pictures they don't show even 50% of the beauty

I have been sick the past week, couldn't do much so I decided to start working with the beads that have been sitting in my drawer for years! this is the result: an uneven fringe (like pharaonics) in metallic green miyuki beads (twisted bugle beads). I'm about halfway, and I just love it:) Have to redo the first inch though, the strands are spaced to far apart there...Lesson learned:) I love making fringe, it's so shiny!

Originally Posted by Raya83

This month I received a parcel with rhinestones I ordered
They drive me crazy :)
Started "crazy shine" costume full made of rhinestones
A little upset with pictures they don't show even 50% of the beauty

I don't think I have ever seen that many crystals before in my life!!!

Originally Posted by liesbeth

I don't think I have ever seen that many crystals before in my life!!!

Please be careful! Crystals drive crazy

Look at them

Originally Posted by Raya83

Please be careful! Crystals drive crazy

Look at them

OMG! that's blinding

Purple costume finished at the end of April.

Today I converted a form dress I got from a consignment store for $10. I love recycling things :)

Originally Posted by Raya83

This month I received a parcel with rhinestones I ordered
They drive me crazy :)
Started "crazy shine" costume full made of rhinestones
A little upset with pictures they don't show even 50% of the beauty

Wow! Gorgeous!

This weekend I'm tackling my Ancient Reflections belt, mounting it onto a base for 2 shows next week. The belt base is done, coverd and all, but I will have to delay sewing the medallions by a coule of hours because I'm on a crystal high from that YT video.

ZOMG!!!

I've been experimenting with some different silk dyeing techniques. I do mostly vat dipping, but its fun to do something different every once in a while.

I put a pic of this in my retail thread, but I wanted to share the experience for this one. Sometimes when I dye, something beautiful happens immediately. Sometimes, though, something completely fugly happens. That is what happened with this; I almost gave up on it. The original goal was to capture the essence of a bright vibrant floral design. I actually tried hanging the veil on my clothesline and painting flowers on it. It was pretty much a disaster. My husband said it looked like vomited skittles. He actually busted out laughing until there were tears running down his cheeks, because I'd spent so much time on it. (oh, I wish I had taken a picture of it then). Then I did two series of additions and touchups trying to correct the mess, but it wasn't getting better. Husband said I should quit wasting my time on this one. Then the last overdye (with some earth tones), the magic finally happened:



Truly one of a kind -- when mistakes get turned into something wonderful, I generally have no chance of replicating it.

More progress on the turquoise leopard. The fringe is done (thank you Jesus). Wow, did that take a long time. Now I need to make a bunch more of the flower appliques. I've got them all cut out. I'm currently adding wire to them. Then they get covered in fabric, then they get beaded and finally they get sewed onto the costume. I think the end of this one is finally in sight.

life really took a change- but I finally got SOMETHING done after the move!

New dress form- needs tweaking- the base didn't set straight (I used expanding foam so it laid to set on the ground)

but the actual form I'm pretty happy with- I'm not sure how to tweak the base and I'll need to stablize the bottom but agian- fairly happy. and its a little bad ass with its skull accents.

Our troupe had their show on Sat. April 28. I didn't dance in this one (no time for training because of all the sewing) but I was the MC.

Here are some pics of the belly sisters in there new costumes created by "moi"!

Gold bedlah (15 of them) in the magenta and lime green version...




And in the gold white version (same bedlah)




8 charcoal-white-gold galabays for Sewa dance (those made me swore like there was no tomorrow , even broke my machine, so happy they turned out not too bad)




Now I'm back working on regular and new customers demands, alterations, repairs, bedlah's fitting, changing linings, etc. I had to took of few days of resting after the show, I was completely drained...

Here is a pic of my troupe in the costumes we just made at the beginning of April!

I finished this one!
Is a costume for a Sea Goddess character

Originally Posted by Qamar60

Now I'm back working on regular and new customers demands, alterations, repairs, bedlah's fitting, changing linings, etc. I had to took of few days of resting after the show, I was completely drained...

A few days?! You deserved at least a few weeks! You are a machine! I bow to your output capabilities!

I finally finished the gold/pearl/rhinestone duet blingers, and will hopefully have performance pics to post next week.

This is the current list of my upcoming projects:

- red vintage style costume for a Russian dancer (all in a monochramatic tone-red fabrics, red rhinestones, red beading.... red, red, red!)

-another gold/pearl/rhinestone blinger (different style, same materials because a US dancer saw the costumes while in progress and fell in love with the overall look of the materials together)

-gothic romance costume .... a French dancer gave me a Bella that she decided she didn't care for anymore and asked me to harvest all the rhinestones (over 150 of them!!!!) to use for this one.

happy costuming, everyone :)

Originally Posted by kaberaldo

I finished this one!
Is a costume for a Sea Goddess character

Congrats! And BTW I the TIARA !

I doing some alterations on two saïdi dresses for belly sisters who have a show on June 2nd.

The dresses are from Egypt, good quality but no shape , they need to be taken in, shoulders are twice too large, sleeves too long and since my friends are both about 5'2", they have to be hem.

So this is the before:


The after (shoulders reduce from 3"):


And the making of:




To hem the bottom shorter, I had to undone some of the embellishments:



... fold, stich, cut the excess fabric and rebead the round shape in the center:


Voilà! The bottom stiches are visible because of the flash, but wont be noticible while dancing. One is completed, hem and beading on the second one tomorrow night (I have dance class tonight! )

Originally Posted by Qamar60

I LOVE the idea of belt loops to hold scarves of different colors! I might have to steal that!

This pic is still an 'in-progress' pic.... since then I've added mini swags to the skirt (to keep them from opening too wide and showing the audience more than they need to see!), accent fringe to the sides of the 'waist-strap' for more movement, vintage head ornaments and arm accessories.



the back is pretty ornate and matches the upper chest piece with swags attached.

I really hope they share performance pics with me.... this is one set I'd love to see in action!

Originally Posted by BoiseShan

I LOVE the idea of belt loops to hold scarves of different colors! I might have to steal that!

Be my guest, I am flattered!

I've been working on small projects (one a day) recently to get rid of bulk in the to-do pile..

Yesterday I met up with a very nice local dancer who wanted a new bra made up. The original bra just didn't fit her right and was kinda poorly made (not to name designer names but it rhymes with Pomdouh Spalama) And a couple other alterations.

So I made this bra this morning for her

After a long hiatus and several movies later...current condition of the belt

Originally Posted by mlacombe

I've been working on small projects (one a day) recently to get rid of bulk in the to-do pile..

Yesterday I met up with a very nice local dancer who wanted a new bra made up. The original bra just didn't fit her right and was kinda poorly made (not to name designer names but it rhymes with Pomdouh Spalama) And a couple other alterations.

So I made this bra this morning for her

loving the rich color!!!


did you use a regular bra for that? I have made two attemts to make a bra like that and failed miserably!!!

I read somewhere you can get the same Sahara effect by flipping the cups upside down but I'm curious what your method was!!! :)

Originally Posted by Basha

loving the rich color!!!


did you use a regular bra for that? I have made two attemts to make a bra like that and failed miserably!!!

I read somewhere you can get the same Sahara effect by flipping the cups upside down but I'm curious what your method was!!! :)

My friend made a groupe order on eBay of 5 of those Egyptian bra bases.

Can't wait to received and experience with them (purchased 2) !

3 Belly dance costume , bra base | eBay

Hi! A dancer brought some back from Egypt, I bought it from her... Sorry I couldn't be more help!

I knew there were a few online options... I just wasn't sure you started with a pre-shaped bra or DIY-ed. :)

I have a few things I have stuck doing so o do not under any circumstances need to start a nrw project but I was curious. Looks like I will be ordering next go round!