Category: Costuming DIY

he In the last post, I stepped through the construction of the structural parts of a belly dance bedlah set that I’ve entitled “Lavender Garden.”  (If you arrived here first, you might want to check out Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.)  In this post, we’re going to embellish the bra and belt.  For this project, I’m using a “Project Bag” that I had in my design files.  As time passes, I gather supplies that I think would really “go together” well to create a full ensemble.  In this case, the fabric lead to gathering coordinating flat-backed lavender rhinestones.  The appliques were left-overs from the costume I made for the cover of my book, Embellished Bras, and they were added to that project bag.

Start with the Focal Points

Because I was using existing materials gathered over time, I knew I needed to be strategic when placing the design elements.  I picked the most important area and planned that first and then worked outwards from that spot.  Since I knew I was taking a scattered approach to the placement, the center of the bra front was my starting point.  I started with the marrying of a tear-dropped shaped lavender stone, with an earring drop as a frame.  I had 3 pairs of matching rhinestone earrings, so six of these motifs.  I then started moving out from the center in a visually pleasing way that was symmetrically well balanced.

Pin and sew the bra motifs in clusters

One of my best tips for putting together this kind of belly dance costume bra, is to pin a pair of appliques on, then sew them down.  Then pin the next “unit” and sew them down.  This reduces the number of pins your thread can get wrapped around when you work.  In the picture above, you can see that I stitched down the center front and the first pair of appliques before working up the main visual line along the upper edge of the cup.  What isn’t shown is a photo of all the design elements laid out in the pattern I was applying to the cups.  I really got on a roll and plowed through!

Layout the entire belt

Belts, however, are another story.  Because they are flat, I generally lay everything out and pin it down.   For components that aren’t easy to pin, like the flower-shaped jewelry motifs, I use a little double-sided tape to hold them in place while I’m manipulating the design.  Scotch Double Sided Tape does the trick. Just remember to pull it off the backs of the motifs before you sew them down.  As a back-up, just in case the pins and tape didn’t hold it together, I take pre-sewing photos to document the design.  If all the jewelry components slide off, I know how I had planned it out, and don’t have to redesign.

Prep Egyptian fringe with glue

I had an 18″ strip of leftover Egyptian glass fringe.  To make this relatively small length of fringe to embellish both the belt and bra, I cut it into small sections that I positioned below the main appliques.  However, to prevent the fringe from melting away, I prepped it ahead of time, using glue to reinforce the top row.  For this project, I used Aleene’s Fabric Fusion Glue.  I ran a bead of glue along the upper edge, adding extra glue at the places where I planned to cut.

Line the costume

Before I send a bedlah set out into the world to take on the bright lights, I make sure to finish the project with lining.  Linings perform a lot of important jobs.  First, they protect all your stitches from abrasion.  As the performer moves, stretches and dances, the costume will shift and flex against her body.  If there is no lining, the knots and stitches will slide against the dancer’s body and other costume pieces which will add unnecessary strain to your work.  Second, I want to hide all the ragged edges and wacky stitching so that my client, and anyone she shows it to, will see a complete and finished work.  During festivals and large events, dancers often change in communal dressing rooms, and I want my bedlah set to be beautifully finished inside and out.  For this costume, I used basic 100% cotton solid-colored quilting fabric in a coordinating purple.

Voila! It’s finished!

After lining the bra and belt, I adjusted the straps, stitched down any places I had missed, and added the final hooks and eyes and voila!  The costume is feminine and lovely, perfect for springtime performances.  San Francisco/Bay Area belly dancer Shalimar hit the stage at Al Masri nightclub in SF for the costume’s debut.  Although I couldn’t be there, she sent me this great pre-show selfie from backstage.

I am so pleased with the way the ensemble turned out.  In addition to this bedlah set, I’ve made a matching lavender skirt, and soon I will be making a deep purple chiffon skirt that will tie in with the deepest colored sequins. I hope you find this ensemble inspiring and this demo informative!  Good luck on your next costuming adventure.

Happy Costuming & Delightful Dance
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
May 11, 2017

Designing a Lavender Belly Dance Bedlah Series
Step 1 – Lavender Belly Dance Bedlah – Planning the Design
Step 2 – Lavender Belly Dance Bedlah – Bra Bands and Straps
Step 3 – Lavender Belly Dance Bedlah – Belt Base and Bra Covering
Step 4 – Lavender Belly Dance Bedlah – You’re here!

Hello Gang!

This is the second installment on the design and construction process for a classic two piece bedlah sets with matching skirts and a dress.  In part 1, I showed you my digital mood board, initial rough sketch, and the “kit” of materials had gathered together over the years.  My client loved them and we decided to press forward into the serious design phase of the costume.

Taking Measurements and Gathering Info

Before I can start work for myself or for a client, I begin by collecting contact information, style data, and take body measurements. Bodies change for a wide variety of reasons from major life events, such as having a baby, to intentional weight loss or gain, changes in muscle definition due to workouts and fitness programs, and simply through the passage of time.  To facilitate capturing and storing this data, I use a series of forms that I’ve honed to meet the needs of my costume and design business.  I offer this set of downloadable printable forms on my Etsy store. Sewing Log & Project Journal pages are available for sale on Etsy.

Lingerie Bra as Belly Dance Bra Base

Part of my mission as a designer is to make costume pieces that my costumers feel happy and powerful, joyful and athletic, but especially covered and secure. So when I am working with a client, I ask them to bring me a perfectly fitting lingerie bra to use as a base for creating a beautiful, and well fitting belly dance costume design. Every body is different, and everybody prefers a different fit, amount of cleavage and coverage.  Proportions vary radically, and so I have my client try on their lingerie bra and we talk about strap and band size and placement and I make notes in my studio log book.

Making a Pattern for the Belly Dance Bra Band

Once I know that the bra fits and has all the features necessary for the project, I begin working on the costume.  My first step is to remove the bra band and straps of the lingerie bra base.  Because dancing is a vigorous activity, I try to always remove flimsy components and stretchy lingerie bands and straps. Lingerie bras are, are often designed to accomplish the lift and shaping a belly dancer craves, but using comfortable materials that allow women to move with ease. Dancers have more intense structural requirements.  I add firm bra bands and straps to keep the bust line under control, completely covered, and securely strapped down.  When making the new pattern for a bra band, I like to use a manila folder for the job, tracing the outer C shape of the cup.  I like to make the bands 2-4” longer than a dancer needs to allow for overlap and potential future expansion.

Simple Straps

Perhaps the easiest part of the bra is constructing the straps.  I like to use a double thickness of Grosgrain ribbons machine stitched together.  I then wrap it like a package in the fashion fabric and proceed with embellishments.  Because my client is a restaurant performer, and wants to achieve maximum lift and shaping of the bust-line, she has chosen a halter style strap. If you have a larger or heavier bust-line, you may find halters are uncomfortable and a traditional strap placement, a V shape in the back, or even an X-back will take the pressure off your neck.  I prefer to hand sew the straps, wrapping them with the fashion fabric, folding the raw edge under and slip stitching with sturdy thread.

Machine Sewing the Belly Dance Bra Bands

For the structure of the band base, I like to use four layers of materials.  I begin with buckram as the inner core.  I use two layers of fusible heavy-duty pellon, which I iron onto both sides of the buckram to add strength and stability with a minimum amount of thickness.  I then reinforce the edges that might stretch with a row of grosgrain ribbon machine sewn onto the bands. Once the inner structure is completed, I wrap the fashion fabric around the base and hand sew into place.  Use whatever sewing stitch you find quick and sturdy for this location.  Once we completely line the project this area will not be seen.  In the image above you can see both bands at different stages of construction.  The bra band on the left is ready for covering with fashion fabric.  The bra band on the right is ready for hand sewing.

RULE OF THUMB – Keep your costume as “flat” as possible for as long as possible.  I like the ease of fitting and alteration that comes with having separate bands.  However, sometimes you will want to cover your bra and band at the same time to avoid a side-seam line.  In that situation, you would sew the band onto your cups and have a fitting to ensure the proper angle and length, and then sew the band onto the cup.  While this style makes for stylish, seamless construction, having the extra length can make embellishing the cups and band more cumbersome.

Because I find bras more exciting to make then belts, I like to set the bands aside and work on the belt bases next.  I’ll pick up with that process in the next post.

Happy Costuming & Delightful Dance
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
March 21, 2017

Designing a Lavender Belly Dance Bedlah Series
Step 1 – Lavender Belly Dance Bedlah – Planning the Design
Step 2 – Lavender Belly Dance Bedlah – Bra Bands and Straps – You’re Here!
Step 3 – Lavender Belly Dance Bedlah – Belt Base and Bra Covering