Thread: What are you working on June 2012

Am I the lucky gal this month??

Finally i have a performance photo of my Samia Stars costume I made waay back!

Woohoo! I finished the Pink Confetti Costume!



Now to make some skirt sets to go with it...

the pink confetti costume is adorable!

I'm planning a trip to Costa Rica so I'm dyeing lots of new veils and trying to fashion a long dreamy silk
gown or skirt with wrap top for photos..

also did some resist painting on silk yesterday, will see how it turns out

This months will be dedicated to UFOs (UnFinished Objects) that have been haunting my wardrobe for years!
the first 2 pictures of the nightblue one is what I've done so far, the last one is what I plan to do. The colour is a deep nightblue with purple undertones.

The purple velvet skirt is still missing a bra. I'm a bit scared because the material is not stretchy at all. The colour is lighter then the picture of the whole skirt (definitely lighter than the detail picture!). The detail picture captures the colour of the beads pretty well which are coppery gold and purple.

I have some fabric scraps from a dress I made for my daughter to wear to her best friend's Bat Mitzvah. I have some large scraps left over from it. It's not enough to make a skirt with so I was thinking of using this fabric to cover a belt and bra and make some accessories. The fabric is a printed, soft poly-satin.

So now I'm trying to decide what shape belt I want to make out of it, or what shape would look best and how I'm going to embellish it. I'm also trying to decide if I want to make a trumpet or traditional circle skirt. Because it's satin I was thinking a chiffon circle skirt with contrasting color panels to match the colors in the bra/belt. I was thinking of embellishing it with beaded embroidery or just adding some appliques. I guess I won't know until I actually make the belt what would work best.

The pic isn't the best since I took it with my cell phone. The fabric has more sheen than appears in the pic. I'm open to any suggestions.

I still did not finish pharaonic costume for my friend, but in the meanwhile I am continuing on golden salmon with cutouts

I've been working on my 70s costume for a vintage choreography we've been learning. First performance last weekend, so I can spill the beans now!



The post detailing the project is up on my blog: The Costume Rack

A new project has been given to me... One of my mother's friends bought a costume some years a go, in who knows which basar... Said she didn't need it anymore and I could have it.
So she gave it to my mother a few weeks later. Mum told me on the phone that it was really beautiful and that she would send it to me.

So yesterday I received the box and when I opened it, out came this monstrosity.
IMG_4343.jpg

It has everything you ever wanted: cone-shaped bra cups with nipple-butterflies and a wall of fringe! A belt that is completely straight, therefore having a gap on the upper side of the hip. Another lonely butterfly over the crotch.

So last night I took it all apart and after trying around with the bra cups I decided that I just needed to make new ones.

I don't want to spend hours on stitching a complicated pattern so I got big gold coins. I don't have a coin costume yet, so that will be a good addition to my costume collection.

No let's see how I can save this....

MEISSOUN

Originally Posted by meissoun

A new project has been given to me... One of my mother's friends bought a costume some years a go, in who knows which basar... Said she didn't need it anymore and I could have it.
So she gave it to my mother a few weeks later. Mum told me on the phone that it was really beautiful and that she would send it to me.

So yesterday I received the box and when I opened it, out came this monstrosity.
Attachment 54404

It has everything you ever wanted: cone-shaped bra cups with nipple-butterflies and a wall of fringe! A belt that is completely straight, therefore having a gap on the upper side of the hip. Another lonely butterfly over the crotch.

So last night I took it all apart and after trying around with the bra cups I decided that I just needed to make new ones.

I don't want to spend hours on stitching a complicated pattern so I got big gold coins. I don't have a coin costume yet, so that will be a good addition to my costume collection.

No let's see how I can save this....

MEISSOUN

I got one exactly like that except turquoise and silver, almost the same back story too!!
I cut off all my sequins and removed fringe, mounted it on a brand new base then added chunky beading. I can share pics with you if you would like!

Oh dear! Butterflies? At first I thought they were bees!

Well I have to be honest that blue fringe looks full, surely it can be salvage.

Made this skirt out of approx 1 meter scrap velvet..

Looks kind of blah on the form but looks great on my fanny!

I have a fairly new gorgeous Pharaonics with a weird bra. Besides being a tad bit shorter in the cups than I like, the bra is sort of lumpy, misshapen, and not human like. I have removed the lining to see how very bumpy the inside of the cups are. How could they sell it like that? I plan on adding vertical boning to try to counteract the lumpiness. I will go from there to see what to do to the top of the cups. Normally, I use the headband or armbands to expand the top, but this one is different as the cup edges are not straight.

I absolutely love this costume, but it is completely unwearable for me at this time. Hopefully this will make it work.


Ok, I said it. Now I have to do it.

I've had the Atira's fashions Beledi dress pattern for some time now but have been waiting until I got some more money (being unemployed is a b****) to buy fabric and what not. Using a handwoven scarf (which will be the 'hip scarf') with acid greed, dark green, black and off white as my inspiration.

The dress itself is going to be made from an off-white knit, and I'm working on the sequin appliques now for the neckline (see attachment). Probably going to do little dangly fringe tufts around the waist and thighs area with the edges all sequined as well.

Originally Posted by mlacombe

I got one exactly like that except turquoise and silver, almost the same back story too!!
I cut off all my sequins and removed fringe, mounted it on a brand new base then added chunky beading. I can share pics with you if you would like!

I'd be interested to see! The fringe definitely needs to be made more "interesting". I thought about shortening it in some places.

MEISSOUN

So, mine had nipple flowers, and I think yours is in better shape lol!

Before:


After:



Didn't shorten the fringe or anything. It's very fringy still but not as bad!

Here's my newest project. It started with the skirt. I got it from EzmaSiddiqah awhile ago. It also came with some chiffon pieces with a finished edge that will become some sort of arm accent. I think she removed the pieces from another costume. I re-finished the waistband and hemmed to my length. I was able to find a perfect match in fabric to cover the bra/belt. It's going to be sort of a tribute to Samia's famous mint green costume. This one is much more aqua, but you get the picture. I found some seafoam fringe that looks pretty good with it. I plan on shortening each individual strand of fringe to get the "icicle" look that you see on Pharonics costumes. I haven't really finished my thought process on the beading, but it'll be gold, aqua and pearl/white.

Here's a link to more photos: Aqua Samia pictures by Shahla64 - Photobucket

Originally Posted by meissoun

I'd be interested to see! The fringe definitely needs to be made more "interesting". I thought about shortening it in some places.

MEISSOUN

Since you have so much fringe I would simply position the fringe in a diagonal pattern. Easier, faster and no reworking the fringe. The chunky beading in the other post is also lovely. I do adore the chunky beadwork.

I hate coming in here sometimes... it makes me feel awful and terrible about my own work... mostly because you guys are literally AMAZING.

I always feel like my stuff is so sub-par.... by- like a lot. and I feel like I can't finish a cotton picking thing.

Kudo's to you guys who gut it out and finish up!!! Your stuff is so amazing and creative.

Basha, don't feel bad. We all started somewhere. I'm completely self taught. I've made some horrible creations over the years, but my work is good now, only because I hung in there and kept making a better mousetrap. Hopefully what you see here inspires you, not defeats you. I too am always amazed by what so called no name designers here create. It's all good in my eye. She who dares pick up a needle and thread is to be admired in every way.

Shahla, that deserves a round of applause, you put into words exactly how we all feel about our craft!

Basha- keep in mind we probably all made something god awful at some point, if I hadn't destroyed all of my failures I would post them up here so you could have a good laugh!

One day things just clicked for me and I've been on this costuming rollercoaster ever since!

I have been stitching away like a madwoman this week... I would like to think that I am halfway through now.

So let's see what we have:

I divided the costume into individual pieces
Made completely new bra cups
Made the belt narrower because a) it looks better b) I needed the sequins for the bra cups
Designed and made an appliqué decoration that goes in the center of the belt (replacing the butterfly) and will make another one for the back side.
Started trying out the big coins and approved. There will be a lot more in the end.
The fringe was not in perfect shape, it lost pearls here and there, so it can't just be used in one piece and I didn't like the "wall" look.
I will use some of the "veil" material for ruffles on narrow armbands since I don't have enough blue sequins to cover armbands.

And inbetween I should really do some dancing :-)

MEISSOUN

Woohoo it's been a while since I post but I wanted to finish this one for today: I'm taking this baby to an event call "Tribute to Oum Khalsoum", I'll be dancing on Hayati albi maak.

I purchase a silver Turkish bra/belt set from a Bhuzzer (sorry I forgot her pseudo but will find who, eventualy) I decided to add a touch of green and purple on it to match a bodystocking (from Ezma )

I bought a crepe chiffon skirt and veil set in kelly green. I use the veil to make spiral "frillies", armbands, ankleband and finally, bought shiny dance thights that was embellished with stones and crystal hotfixs. It's got a "Sohair Zaki" kind of golden era style.

Before:


After:




Next I have a customer's prom dress to hem and an assuit fun pants costume to alter... Bzzzz, bzzzz, bzzzz

I love it Qamar!

But where is your turquoise Samia? Did I miss it, or you did not post it? Is it finished already?

Qamar, it is stunning! I would love to see that costume in action, I imagine the spiral chiffon moves beautifully.

I finished making the appliqués for the neckline and I'm very happy with them even though they were my 1st attempt. As for the dress itself, I've put almost everything together, but I am not happy with the puckering I've got going on in the side seams below the hip. I do feel that making the side slits longer will help, but still won't help with what is above the slit. I used the stretch stitch option on my sewing machine . . . do you ladies have any advice?

I'm also reconsidering my previous tuft-fringe idea but would like to continue beading into the skirt area. Decisions, decisions!

Golden salmon is almost finished, bra needs second lining and I need to finish fringe on the belt.

Oh WOW! That is one amazing transformation!! You'd never tell what it originally was!!

I am super impressed!

Originally Posted by mlacombe

So, mine had nipple flowers, and I think yours is in better shape lol!

Before:


After:



Didn't shorten the fringe or anything. It's very fringy still but not as bad!

Originally Posted by Luccia

I love it Qamar!

But where is your turquoise Samia? Did I miss it, or you did not post it? Is it finished already?

Oh no you did not miss it, it's on hold for the moment. Don't worry I haven't giving up on it, it'is just that I'm jumping from one project to an other, for different reasons (or just no reason, or simply craziness maybe )

Ha! I found the name of the nice Bhuzzer who sold it to me, it's Samiradance! The Oum Khaltoum Tribute was a fantastic evening, and I had a ton of compliments on my new golden era style costume, that was more than appropriate for this kind of classical music. Here a pic that a friend took.

beautiful Qamar---did you make the green stomach cover( i'm looking into those now----it's time!!!) also the rest of it----it's all nice!!!

how much of this did you make?

My current project- a silver fringe monster- is on hold awaiting parts, so this afternoon I decided to get a bit creative with the fabric paint and some hand-cut stencils instead.

Branding seems to be quite popular here at the moment, and my troupe, Women of Mass Distraction, want in on the action!



BTW, the lettering on the vest and the bag were done using the same stencil. Funny how colours affect perspective!