Thread: What are you working on in August 2012?

I'm covering a bra and belt with fabric and trim cut from a chiffon veil. Almost done with the bra and soon will be covering the belt and sewing on crystals. There is a matching skirt and I plan to make arm drapes, too. I am a very slow worker, though, my sewing skills are sooo basic, but I am plugging away.

Ooh, pretty Dunyah! Smart idea to use an embellished veil.

Originally Posted by bintbeled

Ooh, pretty Dunyah! Smart idea to use an embellished veil.

Thanks, I was scared to cut into it, but armed with lots of fray check and advice from Bhuzzers, I plunged ahead. I was never going to use the veil as it was, except maybe for an entrance. And I adore purple.

I'm starting my first mermaid skirt. I've fallen under purple's spell too, I'm afraid! I found luscious purple stretch velvet at an estate sale for a dollar and decided to jump in. I've already covered a bra in purple satin and am trying to figure a way to make these pieces work together. I'll post pics when I have something to show. :)

Coming to play on this thread instead:

Ooh, can't believe nobody started a new thread!

I did finish altering my friend's "Magic Dress" -- took it up at the shoulders and sewed in a stay of twill tape around the neckline and armholes to keep it from sagging. She's so excited to wear it soon -- she calls it "the dress that does all the work."

Now I'm back to working on steampunk clothing for a bit. Believe it or not I'm trying to mock up a pattern for something like this:

Steampunk Bandoleer | Alt.Kilt

I am trying to design the "ladylike" version, probably in brocade or velvet! Wish me luck.

Originally Posted by tigerb

Steampunk Bandoleer | Alt.Kilt

I am trying to design the "ladylike" version, probably in brocade or velvet! Wish me luck.

That sounds AMAZING! I look forward to seeing it! You're going to convert me to this whole steampunk thing, you know. I've never felt all that drawn to it, but YOU have such amazing ideas for such delicious things...

Tiger costume coming up! The dancer is coming today to try it on.

I am STILL working on my pearl/seashell costume. I started it about 2 years ago, and have worked on it slowly, but I am motivated now to finish it in time for our beach trip Labor Day week. I want to do a shoot by the ocean!

...Progress report on the Orientalist Dessert/pseudo-Ottomanish costume...

Work and other commitments have made me go slower, but I'm now working on the second embroidered band, and since I wasn't entirely sure of all the decorations (I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted but some of it was tried on the fly until it worked), I have assembled/decorated one cup juuust about fully (all I'm waiting on is a few crystals which should be in my hands by Monday, if not tomorrow.) I'll post a picture of the One Finished (?) Cup as soon as I've got those attached and the last row of beads is on. I think it doesn't look too cheesy, maybe, all things considered. It does look like a dessert, though. Once I've finished the second embroidered band, putting together the second bra cup should be a snap (the beading etc. on the first has gone quickly)...and then the belt, but at least I know how the trim's going to go, and the embroidery's going to be bigger (which goes quicker!) Sprained my ankle today (tripped over a curb), so sitting around the house embroidering might be the thing this weekend. Pretty much all I can do, really...

Changing a costume....

I bought this off a swap meet on Facebook. It's a nice costume but needs some adjustments:
- the belt is just a little bit to small
- I don't like halter neck bras - I am already an A-shape, and they make me look even smaller on top
- the belly band needs to go - it will be turned into arm bands
- the big junky red fringe-thingies look cool but I don't entirely trust them not to fall off since they are heavy. So I will take them off and re-attach them with a stronger thread.

So I have done some cutting and added an embellishment to the belt to win a bit of length. The fringe on the belt is so thick that I can easily move some strands to fill the gap.

Fortunately there is not so much stitching work to be done, only few sequins and rows of gold plastic pearls.

MEISSOUN

Yay! I am so excited that I get to contribute to this thread for the first time ever! You guys will get to watch me TOTALLY crash and burn, because MY LANDS, I have no sewing skills.

So... I guess what I'm saying is prepare to be asked lots of questions. Also, most likely: BAD LANGUAGE WARNING.

I'm making a costume based on this Warda dress:


(Which is also TOTALLY worth watching for the audience reaction, btw)


Because I am sewingly-challenged, I shall be buying in the costume pieces and only doing embellishment myself. Heh! The uncool spreadsheeting part of me informs me that I'll end up spending WAY MORE in beads and sequins and crystals than I would if I just BOUGHT A COSTUME, but hey...

Current stage of development - waiting for delivery of a gazillionty sequins in silver holo, white, and clear iridescent and a random assortment of beads in various kinds of star shapes. Wish me luck!

Wigglewhiz, you are a daring woman, and that will make a gorgeous costume! Rock on!

Also, it's astounding how much money one could spend on crystals and whatnot. And the temptation to buy *all the crystals* scares me so much when I'm looking...

...As threatened, a bad photo of the One Finished Cup (actually, I need to trim some threads and tack down the bottom edge of the strange Turkish lace, but finished enough) Beadstuffs are more even than they might look here:



The crystals I wound up using are dangly, rather than just holed, which was a deliberate choice I might or might not regret later. The center square one is something called Tabac, which is weird and flips between brown and green so is a little different from the main brown tone, but I am enamored of the color and it does look nice (and sort of keeps it from being too matching, IYKWIM). Now i have to find and get a couple of bigger tabac crystals for the belt (when budget allows!) The others are rose AB (the bigger ones) and teeeeny ABs which look blue here because iridescence confuses my camera. The pink bugle beads are these funky milky/opalescent beads my lovely friend sent me, interspersed with AB seed beads.

Also, I really hate beading thread. I curse its name, although less fervently since I clued into using beeswax. I find beading harder than embroidery...

Wow, I last remember that embroidery just being a partial!

Did you make the dangly heart fringe yourself or buy? Mmmmmm, so sparkly...

Bought it from an Etsy seller. I was cautious about using it, but it's so sparkly and dangly (and I think it works after all).

I'm impatient to finish the other bra embroidery strip because I really want to get to the belt design...bigger and better...

This time my progress is not as dramatic - probably because a lot of the work is re-beading.
So things look a lot in the end as they did before...
But I was running out of sequins and pearls, so I sacrificed the last square on each bra strap. It's just straight there now.

There will now be 3 instead of 4 squares draped around each bra cup to give me more length for the straps.

I finished my arm bands (with an elastic) and hair band. There are only four squares around the head, but the rest will be covered by hair anyway.

Not too much work left. When I am done beading I just need to stuff the bra and sew in the lining. I have a gig on the 18th and I want to wear this then!

MEISSOUN

Working on costumes for my troupe! Made the second bra, not finished yet because I'm still waiting on the crystals to make appliques to add between the cups and where the straps meet the cups, and still needs lining and hooks, but happy with the result so far....I was afraid of covering the bras but that worked out well! We're having skirts made by bhuzzer Seija, can't wait to see the result LOL

(sorry 'bout the boob picture)

My first mermaid skirt. I used some odd pink fabric I had lying around so as to not waste good stuff. It actually turned out okay after lots of adkustments.Pity I don't have anything that matches it... :)

Originally Posted by leilahdancer

My first mermaid skirt. I used some odd pink fabric I had lying around so as to not waste good stuff. It actually turned out okay after lots of adkustments.Pity I don't have anything that matches it... :)

...It looks like it would go really well with the top liesbeth posted, actually...next project inspiration?

Dear sewing friends, I want you opinion!
I'm not sure how to attach the bra straps to my bra.

The method on the left (to the center) seems more logical with the belt design. But I think the method on the right (outside) makes the cups look bigger and my ribcage broader. Which I need because I have a small upper body.
(Oh yes, and there will be WAY more padding for sure!)

What do you think?

MEISSOUN

Originally Posted by meissoun

Dear sewing friends, I want you opinion!
I'm not sure how to attach the bra straps to my bra.

The method on the left (to the center) seems more logical with the belt design. But I think the method on the right (outside) makes the cups look bigger and my ribcage broader. Which I need because I have a small upper body.
(Oh yes, and there will be WAY more padding for sure!)

What do you think?

MEISSOUN

Hmm, I'm not so sure that attaching them on the outside really does make the ribcage look broader. Having the trim going down the center has more visual punch and makes the top look bigger to my eye. It is a little hard to tell by only seeing one side, but with the trim going down to the outside, it disappears a bit, at least from the front view.

I guess in theory you bring the shiny stuff to the center of the body to visually draw the eye there, minimizing things like too wide torso or something, is that the idea? But in this case I think I like the center way better on you. Just my 2 cents, can't wait to hear what others see in it.

My vote is to the center, for the same reasons Dunyah prefers it. It just looks better, and I think you will find it draws the eye where you want it drawn just as much, if not more.

I prefer the center version, it seems more harmonious to the eye.

Originally Posted by liesbeth

Working on costumes for my troupe! Made the second bra, not finished yet because I'm still waiting on the crystals to make appliques to add between the cups and where the straps meet the cups, and still needs lining and hooks, but happy with the result so far....I was afraid of covering the bras but that worked out well! We're having skirts made by bhuzzer Seija, can't wait to see the result LOL

(sorry 'bout the boob picture)

I'm craving for Skitles now!

@ Meissoun
I think what makes the centre-version look better on your body type is that the line(s) the straps create are wider at the shoulders (like a V). The outside-version has a similar effect of the halter style (like an A).

Meissoun, if it's at all helpful and not weird that I did this, I put it into Photoshop and mirrored it to show what it will look like (approximately) both ways.

Looking at this, I'm definitely thinking put them in the center.

Yup, seeing the above 'shop job (I'm so jealous! I don't comprehend Photoshop at all), I'm convinced - centre is the way to go!

I like the "outside" best designwise, but I actually think that the center version suits you best.


My new project is enlarging the cups on a gold great loop. I bought one from the swap meet and the belt is perfect, but the bra is too small. I paid too much in customs to want to give it up and resell it. I would never be able to get all the money back, so I'm giving this a try.

Hi Meissoun!

I would prefer the outside-version for you, but would put the strap-thingies to the front-bottom of the bra - not to the back-bottom as you did and add some sparkly thing like a big rhinestone-applique in the middle. Hope, you understand what I mean...

Love, Sahira.

Originally Posted by Tiziri

Meissoun, if it's at all helpful and not weird that I did this, I put it into Photoshop and mirrored it to show what it will look like (approximately) both ways.

Looking at this, I'm definitely thinking put them in the center.

I think in the centre is the most flattering line :)

This is a quickie I just finished. The dress was made for me by a friend and I edged in gold braid and added some snakey appliques.

Next I wanted to wear my royal blue bra with it but the belt for it is attached to a skirt so I had to improvise. I used a combo of appliques and big stones on a cheap hip scarf.

I'll be back in here soon looking for some advice on beaded swags on a new project