Thread: Double Veil Question

I really like this video, and am wondering what type of veils she's using. I'm guessing a heavier fabric like chiffon?

YouTube - Shahdana Presentacion en Espacio Colette 2007

I have a double veil pair from Akai, beautiful but they're big and very lightweight silk. They seem a little hard to work with.

So what material do those of you who perform with double veils prefer?

Originally Posted by mathkitty

I really like this video, and am wondering what type of veils she's using. I'm guessing a heavier fabric like chiffon?

YouTube - Shahdana Presentacion en Espacio Colette 2007

I have a double veil pair from Akai, beautiful but they're big and very lightweight silk. They seem a little hard to work with.

So what material do those of you who perform with double veils prefer?

Tissue Lame' if you're just starting out.

I use A'Kai silk for DV pretty much exclusively (now), but I wouldn't recommend them unless you're experienced with DV with Lame' - you're quite right, the silk isn't the easiest thing to dance DV with!

Choosing A Veil

It does look like the dancer in the video is using some kind of Chiffon. Beautiful performance!

22 years at it and I'm sticking with my tissue lamé.

Beautiful picture there, Azhia.

Azhia, that tissue lame does not look like the tissue lame we get around here. What we have around her is stiff and crinkly. That looks soft and flowing. Is it a trick of the photo?

Originally Posted by tigerb

Azhia, that tissue lame does not look like the tissue lame we get around here. What we have around her is stiff and crinkly. That looks soft and flowing. Is it a trick of the photo?

Nope, it's the same stiff, crinkly stuff! Just a bit more translucent.

P.S. Thanks, Zorba.

that's a gorgeous photo Azhia

if you want to try double veils in silk you might consider charmeuse silk veils in the regular instead of large size..they are smaller and a bit heavier. I agree that tissue lame is a great way to start but if you delve into silk, the charmeuse ones are pretty neat.

I make them akaisilksinfo@yahoo.com

they are usually special request only
they are made from the same fabric as the charmeuse silk skirts, I'll have a few of those available in about a week

Ditto on the tissue lame', especially when just learning.

Sometimes Joanne fabrics gets the softer tissue lame' (I think it was about $5.00-$7.00).

The lame' you find at Wal-mart is usually stiff.

I also like the micro-dot chiffon (not the foil, but the ones that actually look like sequins, about $10.00 - $12.00).

Sign up for Joanne fabrics mailer, and they usually send 40% off regular price coupons, and sometimes they have 50%
off in their magazine (worth the cost of the magazine for the 50% off).

Would a rolled hem help you work the silk veil better?

Originally Posted by gothique

Would a rolled hem help you work the silk veil better?

I would almost bet my life on this. I attempted double and triple veil with silk and I could NOT do it. Too slippery, too difficult to discern each veil. But perhaps a rolled hem would help keep them somewhat separated.

Originally Posted by Azhia

I would almost bet my life on this. I attempted double and triple veil with silk and I could NOT do it. Too slippery, too difficult to discern each veil. But perhaps a rolled hem would help keep them somewhat separated.

[I love your new icon pic too! Honestly, I had to go to your gallery to see it all, (eyes are a bit fuzzy from allergies) so glad you are dancing again! Loved the Blog!]

(Back to Topic)

Yeah, I tried silk rectangles, and it was hard finding my place (even with lame'), until I put a rolled hem on the edges.
A single line of sequin trim helps too!
:-)

Originally Posted by Azhia

I would almost bet my life on this. I attempted double and triple veil with silk and I could NOT do it. Too slippery, too difficult to discern each veil. But perhaps a rolled hem would help keep them somewhat separated.

When I was in my veil dancing prime I could dance with four silk veils..no hems but they were dyed different colors and I trained myself to look for the colors. I needed a big room though. And had it been on a big stage I surely would have landed on my ass (and it's fine if you laugh)

Originally Posted by jesennia

When I was in my veil dancing prime I could dance with four silk veils..no hems but they were dyed different colors and I trained myself to look for the colors. I needed a big room though. And had it been on a big stage I surely would have landed on my ass (and it's fine if you laugh)

Day Um!!!!

Wish I could have seen that!
:-)

(Seriously so much talent that is only recorded in memory!)

Azhia, that picture is stunning!

I do double veil all the time and there are different weight silks. I don't like the really light ones. But some are almost too heavy. I've heard washing them can help, Jes, is this true?
I don't do a veil wrap, so separating is no issue.
I pretty much use Akai and Shibori Borealis exclusively in the large sizes. LOVE, LOVE them both!
These three sets are all Akai.
Photos and Video Clips

Here's a Shibori Borealis
Samira Shuruk | Facebook

Originally Posted by Azhia

I would almost bet my life on this. I attempted double and triple veil with silk and I could NOT do it. Too slippery, too difficult to discern each veil. But perhaps a rolled hem would help keep them somewhat separated.

YES!
:soapbox:
Hem it, trim it, serge it, do something with it. Most makers of half circle veils don't hem/serge/whatever the straight edge. Which makes that chore the very FIRST thing I do when I get a new veil - half circle, straight, triangular (..l;,), whatever.

My awestruck admiration for those who can do all kinds of incredible veilwork with un-hemmed veils - but I want mine hemmed!

That being said, the tissue lamé must remain unhemmed. ,r:;

i really think she's using georgette - it looks like chiffon, but just a bit thicker and a little heavier. I have a georgette veil that I use often, it was just by chance, because I couldn't find red chiffon. It's my fave now, because I can do nice things with it.
It would be great for double veil, although harder than tissue lame.

The fabric that looks like a "fluid" lame is called liquid lame, and is beautiful. It costs the same as tissue lame, and there are a lot of colors to choose from.


If you don't hem tissue it comes apart! At least mine did.

I vote for silk in the example video, because of the way it is draping and moving and because of the focused (and smooth) arm strength that she is using to make it move. The veils are not rectangular - they have rounded edges, probably as close to half circles as needed length (maybe on the shy side of 3 yds?) and the silk width will allow, and they may very well have a heavier hem on the edges to give them some inertia. But the dancer has good skills, and if so she wouldn't need a heavier hem. One of veils may very well be lighter (5-6mm) and the other (bright red ) 8-10 mm.

My daughter dances with 2 - 4 rectangular silk 5 mm veils (NO raw edges, normal hemmed edges) so it can be done if you have the knack and the arm strength. But when her troupe does double veil, I have to make veils with rounded edges and a bit of weight (usually a hem with a 1/8" or 1/4" ribbon of metallic trim) or they won't stay in the air. So if you can bear to cut into your Akai veils, that might be one way to go. Hm, jesennia's post, below, has reminded me: I also dye the edges of the troupe veils a different or a darker color so that the less experienced dancers don't panic on stage :)

metallic hems are awesome..even a cave man can do it

check out PJ she uses a combo of metallic trim chiffon veils (the green ones) and then picks up two silks ones ( akai silks..I made the blue ones for her)

she specifically asked me to dye the blue ones with a tiny bit of white on the edge..I think if I remember right she told me it helps her visually see where they are

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLWcNaUH3gc&feature=related]YouTube - Bellydance Superstars: 3/3/06 [Video #5][/ame]

Thanks for all the helpful tips!

I don't know that I'm going to hem/add an edge to the set I have (I use them as singles really often), but I may look into either getting started with some lame or trying a heavier, hemmed silk or chiffon veils.

Originally Posted by mathkitty

Thanks for all the helpful tips!

I don't know that I'm going to hem/add an edge to the set I have (I use them as singles really often), but I may look into either getting started with some lame or trying a heavier, hemmed silk or chiffon veils.

If you do decide to add an edge/rolled hem; you only need to do on the straight edge, not the half circle.
:-)