Author: Davina

Davina ~ Dawn Devine is a belly dance costume designer, dance instructor and author of more than a dozen publications on Middle Eastern dance.

Categories
Assiut/Assuit Belly Dance

Make Your Own Belly Dance Bras – Must Read Blogs & Vlogs!

Today I ran across a fabulous bra-making tutorial on the Assiut Group on Facebook.  I really enjoyed her tutorial, and I thought it would be great to make a list of a few other of my favorite bra tutorials from around the web.  If you are looking to create a masterpiece from Assiut, or if you are more sparkle and glam, there are many different styles to choose from in this collection.

Brick House Designs – Assiut Bra Resize

When I saw this blog post shared on the Facebook assiut group, I immediately went over to take a look!  Not only is this tribal bra full of crusty coin and chain goodness, it has some beautiful assiut base cloth.  Her mission was to take a larger cup size down to a smaller size is a fairly common alteration in my studio, and it’s nice to see how another designer tackles the project.

Jo has a great eye, not only for the design of this costume piece but also for the step-by-step photos that she shares in this post.  I particularly love that Jo has chosen to share how she’s pieced the design together from fountain motifs.  She really maximized the number of silver embroidery stitches would show beneath the rows of coins.  Be sure to watch her video on a portable device to get the full effect!

Jo, many thanks for the shout-out for my book too!  That made my day!

Joanna Dyndor – Tribal Belly Dance Bra out of Recycled Materials

Are you making a tribal fusion style of bra using recycled, upcycled, and repurposed materials?  Then this is a vlog for you!  This lovely costume piece is by Joanna Dyndor.  Her video follows her process of using a heavily embroidered ribbon scrap, a handful of beads, ruched fabric, and repurposed chain.  The result is a lovely performance bra in shades of brown, tan, and cream.

Hanaan Tribal – Tribal Bra Tutorial

This blog post steps through the process of taking making a halter style top with tie back. This assiut bra elegantly uses a basic silver-dotted fabric accentuated with coins and gilets.

One of the common problems for dancers looking for new costumes is the lack of options at larger bra sizes.  If you are a dancer who can’t find bras for bigger curvier women, this is a great example of how a lingerie bra can be transformed for more zaftig physiques.

Shushanna Designs – How to Cover a Bra

This illustrated costuming tutorial walks the reader through how to cover a basic belly dance bra using Shushanna’s technique.  Virtually every lingerie style bra needs to be covered before it’s embellished and this method really works.  If you learn best from step-by-step illustrations this blog is not to be missed!

Sparkly  Belly – Ultimate Bra Tutorial

Mao has created a great free resource for dancers interested in creating their own glam-style belly dance costume bras.  There are many more free and paid tutorials, demos and classes available on her site.  So if you are more sequins and stones, rather than coins and chain, than this website is a great resource.

Studio Davina – Bra Tutorials

Of course, over time I’ve put up a few bra demos/tutorials as well.  Here are a few featured here in past blog posts:

Student Grade Belly Dance Bra – Need a cheap and cheerful costume for a student performance?  Need the costume fast and affordable?  This is the style of bra I teach in classes for students who need a “one-shot” bra suitable for performance with a minimum investment.  The key?  Start with a lingerie bra the color you want and simply embellish the cups!  Read more details.

Designing a Lavender Bedlah Ensemble – Although this four-part tutorial is for a bra and belt set, the bulk of the images and directions are about the bra. There are a lot

I constructed this bedlah set using more hard-style professional techniques for the bra and belt.  This is a very different approach from the student grade costume in the post above.  It’s nice to have some different approaches to reach for that accommodate different budgets and timelines. Read more details.

Three Day Assiut Challenge – When I was working on the build for the book “The Cloth of Egypt” I made this costume for a last minute show.  I wanted to promote my upcoming book, and yet, I didn’t have an assiut costume that fit!  So I took my sewing kit with me on the trip and made the costume in the days leading up to the show.  While this wasn’t my first assiut bra, it was the first made for the book!  Read more details.

Embellished Bras – The book

Of course, If you want to read the book that accompanies my basic bra building class, it’s available on both Amazon and on Etsy (if you want a signed copy)

If you already own a copy of my Embellished Bras book, thank you very much for supporting my business!  But I really believe in the motto, “There’s more than ONE way to do it the RIGHT way!”  It’s always nice to explore the internet looking for new tips, tools, and techniques.  I’m always open to learning new methods, especially if they save time and/or money!

If you find any wonderful resources, be sure to let me know.  The best way to share costuming information is either by joining me in the Studio Davina Facebook group, or you can drop me a line via email – davina@davina.us.

Happy Costuming!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
April 16, 2018

 

 

Categories
Costuming DIY General

New supplies list page

Various Pins stored in recycled mint tins.

2018 is turning out to be a big busy year!  We’re three months into the year, with only eight more to go. Every three months, I take a little extra time to go over my notes for few months. Now, at the start of the second quarter of the year, I’m pausing to conduct my quarterly review.

As I move through my business life, I make sure to write down all the comments, critiques, and requests when I’m reading my email, meeting with clients and professional associates. In late January, I asked a bunch of friends and fans across social media, about what they would like to know. I received numerous ideas, suggestions, questions, and advice.  I have spent the last three weeks evaluating this information.

Supplies List

One of the most often asked questions I receive starts like this, “What do you use to  _____?”  From special tools and supplies to essential notions and accessories, it seems that folks want to know what I’m using in my studio today.

Rather than spend the next six months writing a slew different blogs, I thought I would be nice to conduct a studio inventory of my tools and supplies and consolidate it into one master list.

New Master Supplies List

Pinterest

Of course, there’s a lot of information gathered on my Pinterest Boards.  I enjoy collecting ideas, inspirations, and information from around the web.  If you are interested in links to even more tools, materials, and supplies I use in my business, check out some of these

Sewing and Fashion Design Board

Sewing Studio Organization Ideas

Assiut Pinterest Board

Facebook Group

If you would like to join the conversation, I’ve created a group board for costumers to share their projects, ask questions, and support each other as we explore our creativity in the world of design.  This is the place to find me and hundreds of other makers to chat at.

Studio Davina Facebook Group

I hope that your year is going well!  What are you making during the next quarter?  Come join our group and tell us about your upcoming designs.

Happy Costuming!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
April 9, 2018

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
General

Trick for Keeping Your Assiut Hip Sash in Place

A long time ago, in a town far far away, before the turn of the century, a little baby belly dancer named Dawn learned a costuming trick.  In order to keep a soft tie on style hip sash in place, use a belt!

Now, back when I was just starting out as a performing belly dancer, this kind of belt was easy to find at any mall store.  Without a doubt, it is not a popular style today!

Available in Many Sizes and Colors

But due to the wonders of the internet and the glory of Amazon.com, you can still get one of these extremely useful and versatile belts in a size to fit you.

These elastic belts come in a variety of colors.  There are also different widths and several different clasp configurations to choose from.  I prefer a 2″ or 3″ belt with a two or three prong clasp like the one top left.

If I’m wearing a hip wrap in a shawl style that is made of lace or net, I will choose a more simple style clasp like the one to the right.

Decorative Buckles

If your hip sash is smaller than your hips, this belt technique can work as an excellent extension for your soft sash.  Simply choose a belt style with a decorative buckle and tuck your hip sash around the elastic parts and let the buckle show.

I’ve got a stretchy belt similar to this one at right that I wear when I want to change up the look of my assiut costuming.  You can find them on Amazon around $10  or less.  This is a very affordable way to change up your look.

Choose the right size

Because I like to wear this belt at the fullest part of my hip, I use my hip size when referring to the size chart.  Measure your hips, and select the size that best matches your needs.  If you find you are at the edge between sizes, go one size down.  These belts stretch approximately 8″ – 12″ and you want them to fit much tighter around your hips than would be comfortable for your natural waistline.

Practice your Drapes and Shimmies

Once you have your assiut hip sashes and your elastic waistbands, stand in front of a mirror and practice tucking and draping.  When you have a style that you like, be sure to put it through a full dance set to make sure that it will stay in place no matter how vigorous your dancing gets.  If you are doing floor work, this is especially important.  If you are a floor-work master, you might require extra deep tucks in order to keep your sashes in place!

Want More Quick Costume Ideas?

If you are interested in other quick, easy, and affordable costume ideas, check out our three costuming chapters in the book, “Becoming a Belly Dancer, From Student to Stage.”  I was pleased to work with author/teacher Sara Shrapnell, photographer/dancer Alisha Westerfeld, and pro-dancer/model Poppy Maya.  The book is available on Amazon.com. But, if you would like a signed copy, I have a few my Etsy store!

Demo Video of the “Belt and Sash” Combo

If you are interested seeing how I put together my assiut “Double Triangle” hip treatment, check out the video above.  I wish you luck in all of your costuming adventures!  If you try this technique out, come and let us know over on my assiut FaceBook group.

Happy Spring!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
March 28, 2018

Categories
General

Ancient Egyptian Comb Motifs in Assiut

One of the most enduring cultural myths about assiut cloth is that it originated in ancient Egypt. What is assiut?  It’s single-stitch embroidery technique that uses factory-made cotton tulle and plate metal. Assiut cloth developed during the industrial revolution. The earliest examples dating to the third quarter of the 19th century.

However, the link with ancient Egypt dates back to the moment when assiut made the leap from cultural handicraft to tourist art.  Early dealers of assiut used the myth of “antiquity”  to sell the shawls to the throngs of European and North American tourists visiting Egypt. Shawl sellers, standing on the banks of the Nile would weave together stories about their shawl motifs.

Modern Assiut motif from the book The Cloth of Egypt: All About Assiut. Photo by Alisha Westerfeld.

Travelers could pick out identifiable motifs which would support this mythic link between the modern 19th-century craft and the arts of the ancients. To emphasize the connection, assiut shawls made for tourists included motifs inspired by objects and art found in the tombs of the pharaohs.

Photo: National Harness Review, January 1914, Page 32.

Comb Spotting

One of the most identifiable and popular motifs pulled from ancient art is the comb. Even today, modern assiut embroidery artists are still using the ancient Egyptian comb shape.  The classic New Kingdom era double-sided combs are now located in museums around the world including this example on the righ

This beautiful comb was excavated from the Memphis region of Saqqara. It dates to the 18th dynasty of the New Kingdom, c. 1550-1295 BCE. The simple geometry of the comb shape with it’s solid embellished center and double rows of teeth make it easy to identify when it appears in assiut cloth.  During the 1920’s, at the height of the Egyptomania craze, the flood of tourists preferred assiut shawls with easily identifiable pharaonic motifs.

New Kingdom Comb at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. View Source

Laylat Al-Hinna Celebration

Combs that appear in assiut shawls reference the shape and style of Ancient Egypt.  But though the shape is ancient, that is not the way an Egyptian of the day would “read” the motif. In both Islamic and Coptic traditions, the combs are symbolic of wedding traditions. Comb motifs represent the pre-wedding preparation of the bride at the traditional henna night party.  This traditional celebration, laylat al-hinna, (ليلة الحنا) or Henna Party.

The comb becomes a symbol of the henna party festivities. The motif integrated into the narrative structure of a figurative assiut shawl. Other motifs represent different parts of the wedding celebration.  Brides or dancing girls represent both the bride herself, but also the zeffa, or ceremonial wedding procession.  The camel represents the groom and early assiut shawls depict a man astride a camel.  Through the passage of time and stylistic evolutions, the groom motif has become more stylized.  Sometimes the groom is completed removed from the camel.  In other variations on the groom motif, he’s transformed into a floral or geometric form sitting on the camel’s back. 

Right: Vintage Assiut Shawl c. 1910’s.  Photo by Alisha Westerfeld

Vintage Assiut Shawl c. 1920's photo by Alisha WesterfeldThe Language of Wedding Shawls

Often the embroideress eliminates the groom motif completely. As a right of passage, the groom is less important than the celebration of the bride in her transition from girlhood to wife. In this shawl, a stylized bed motif represents the “state of marriage.”  This bed motif appears in a row directly beneath a field of stars. Stars are iconic of both beauty and eternity. When paired with the bed motif, they hint of the union of the man and woman and all of those unspoken of things that happen in the night.

Left: Rows of combs on a vintage assiut shawl from of book The Cloth of Egypt: All About Assiut. Photo by Alisha Westerfeld

Every vintage wedding shawl is slightly different, and each one tells it’s own story.  100 years ago, at the height of assiut production, a young girl would craft a shawl for herself that expressed her own desires.  In addition, assiut shawl offers a display her taste in design and talent for needlework.  Once a young girl’s wedding celebrations were over, she would save her wedding shawl to pull and wear to the weddings of her friends and families in her village.

If you would like to learn more about the iconography of the assiut shawl, there’s more information in my book, “The Cloth of Egypt: All About Assiut.”  It’s available on Amazon.com or you can pick up a signed copy from my Etsy store.

Now I’m off to make a tribal-style assiut bra!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
March 21, 2018

Categories
Costuming DIY General

Sewing Machine for My Mum

Last week I traveled to sunny San Diego to spend some quality time with my mum.  We had a big trip planned that included taking a hop-on-hop-off trolly, trips to the beach, a visit to Los Angeles, and much more!  However, I came down with a pretty miserable cold!  So as we lounged in front of the TV watching old movies like “Da Vinci Code” we started chatting about sewing machines.  Turns out her last sewing machine was kaput, and the only functional sewing machine in the house was very limited.

Vintage Pfaff 130

My brother owns a vintage Pfaff 130 sewing machine.  What a wonderful treat for me!  I spent some quality time cleaning this 1930’s vintage work-horse of a machine.  I found a manual for this model on the internet and gave it a good read.  (Digitized Pfaff 130 Manual)    It was a little more complicated to thread than a modern sewing machine, but we got it up and running.  We even stitched together some simple light-socks using this machine.  It was skipping the occasional stitch either due to a timing issue, or perhaps it had the wrong sized bobbin, but either way, it is now at the shop in the hands of a professional getting a good tune-up.

Choosing an Affordable Sewing Machine

My mum, however, doesn’t want to have to rely upon this antique to help her with her sewing projects!  I suggested she take what was left of her vacation budget and see if she could find a new machine. We started out going through this series of questions to help her identify the best machine for her current sewing needs.

What is your budget?  I believe that this is the single most important factor in choosing a sewing machine.  There are many companies to choose from, and there are many options within their lines. Much like cars, there are high-end, mid-range, and budget brands, and within each company, there’s a range of models. Once you establish your budget, you will know which brands are available in your range.

What features do you need? Honestly, I only use a fraction of the features that are on my bottom-of-the-line machine. Knowing what features are essential for your process will help you shop.  Consider the weight of the machine. If you have a dedicated sewing space, a heavy machine probably wouldn’t be a problem.  But if you are sharing space and have to put your machine away between rounds of sewing, you will want it to be lighter in weight for easy maneuverability.

Mechanical vs. Electronic? While this might not seem like an obvious question, it is one that I always encourage people to consider.  An all mechanical machine is less likely to have expensive problems with memory cards, screens, and electronics arriving damaged or developing issues. Mechanical machines are less expensive when purchased, and are also easier to maintain and repair.

What tools and accessories are included? Some machines are basic and just come with an assortment of ordinary feet, a few bobbins, and essential tools.  But sometimes, companies will put together bundles to suit different kinds of sewing. If you are a quilter or a dressmaker, look for combined offers that provide you with the special feet and accessories to suit your craft.  Bundles will save you money over purchasing individual items like feet.

Mum’s New Machine

Once we went down those list of questions, it was clear that what my mum wanted was a super-affordable, long-tabled machine with a walking foot to facilitate her quilting projects.  We went online to find the best deal. Because we were using the unspent “leftover” travel money, we had about $140 to spend.  However, we were happy to find this all mechanical machine from Brother that meets all her needs for much less.  At the time of writing, this was a steal at $113 on Amazon.

Three More Tips for Sewing Machine Shopping

While we went for a new machine purchased from Amazon and shipped to directly to my mum’s home, that might not be the right choice for everyone.  Here my top three recommendations for sewing machine shopping.

  1. Look for instructional classes – Sometimes a small sewing machine shop or sewing center will offer classes with the purchase of machines.  While you will pay more for a machine from these locations, if you feel like you will need help getting used to your new equipment, this might be a good choice for you.
  2. Consider a better quality, but used sewing machine – If you want a better brand, but are on a budget, consider buying your machine on the resale market.  You can find refurbished machines at sewing/vacuum repair stores, locally on Craig’s list and other resale sites, and on sales sites like eBay and even Etsy.  However, be prepared to take a new-to-you, but used sewing machine to a shop for a tune-up.
  3. Shop during the biggest sewing machine sales periods – Like all things, there are regular seasons that sewing machines go on sale.  Like most items, Christmas is a great time to invest in a new sewing machine.  But also consider shopping in the weeks leading up to Mother’s Day.  If you are shopping on the second-hand market.

The right machine for you is the one that fits your budget and has the features that will allow you to stitch up the projects that you want to make!  What do I use?  I’ve got a 20-year-old Bernina 1008. BOY – did I have sticker-shock when I looked up this model today! Back when we purchased it, it was much less expensive and we got it on sale.  I bought the lowest price model for a top-of-the-line brand.  Considering how many hours of sewing this machine has logged, it was totally worth the investment!

If you are sewing machine shopping, I wish you a lot of luck!  If you have questions about sewing machines, or would like to join our on-going conversation about crafts, costuming, and more, come join us on the Studio Davina Facebook Group.

Happy Sewing!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
March 7, 2018