Why Vlogs?

If you’ve been following for a while, you know that I’ve been posting sporadically to YouTube for many years.  I started my current channel just before my birthday in 2011.  My mission back then was to have a place to put up dance clips and performances of my friends, my troupe, and myself.  I had dreamed of putting up content, but I never really had that one “great idea” that I could really sink my teeth into.  Until now!

Making My Own Challenge

Between 2014 and 2018 I joined a few makeup challenges and had a blast sharing the craziness.  These were month-long topic-driven events with a list of prompts to drive the project. Didn’t know what to do for a day?  Look at the prompt!  I found it very gratifying to throw myself into the process of completing the challenge but was also grateful when it was over.   Here’s a playlist of my submissions for the the 2017 belly dance makeup challenge.

Sustainability, Interest, and Motivation

Makeup is one of the key elements of my “5 Layers” of belly dance appearance.  But, during these challenges found that I would run out of steam and energy, and sort of let the challenges just drift off.  In 2017 I learned a critical lesson, I’m not a makeup artist, and I just couldn’t sustain the energy to come up with a month of different and unique looks.  And just so we are clear, I still love WATCHING makeup videos.  I still love buying cheap and cheerful products, and setting aside “makeup playtime.”  Makeup video creation was fun, but not a sustainable choice for me. 

What I needed was an angle to my topic of belly dance costuming that I would find interesting enough to make content regularly.  I also needed to find a video quality that was good enough to feel motivated to share.  And finally, I needed to hone in on a workflow that allowed my work on YouTube to be a sustainable process. Sort of like writing a book!   

And that’s when it came to me:
I needed to share content about being a costumer/author! 

Silver the Tabby, one of my Studio Assistants

2022 – The Year of ABCD

This year, I’ve created my own year-long challenge that involves me documenting and sharing the process of finishing up my book.  Moving forward from here, I’m going to be sharing the process of book creation starting with the raw materials for the costumes.  Then, I’ll share with you peeks into my world as I design and make “30 Looks” for this new book ABCD or “Assiut Belly Dance Costuming in Detail.”  There’s going to be a ton of things to see and do over the coming months, I hope you will join me. 

1K in 2022?  Subscribe to the Studio Davina Channel!

If you want to support my work, my first YouTube goal for 2022 is to reach the 1K subscriber mark!  I’m almost halfway there!  When a YouTube creator reaches 1K, their status changes behind the scenes, I have access to more data and tools, and I will rank higher in search. Thank you for your ongoing support.

I hope you are having a great day!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
February 7, 2022

Valentino as “The Young Raja”

Silent screen heartthrob Rudolph Valentino was the king of Hollywood when he made the movie, “The Young Raja” in 1922.  Although the film was considered lost for decades, parts have survived and been restored.  I was thrilled to find a video on YouTube that features stills presented sequentially, along with several lost clips. 

Surviving Film Clips of Assiut in Motion c. 1922

Fast forward to about the 12 min mark or Visit the TCM website for the best quality video of the scene “I am a Fatalist” to see this magnificent assiut jacket in motion.  Although the film is grainy and damaged, you can see the luxurious shine and the liquid metal drape of this cloth.  This jacket is even more magnificent in the promotional stills. 

Fitted Jacket in Assiut

These two images are my favorites that have survived.  In this profile image, you can see how the unknown costume designer has lined this jacket.  This not only gives the assiut textile support for this tailored style, but it also helps enhance the contrast and make the metal design pop. 

In the front-facing image below, you can really see the style lines and the way the designer placed each motif and geometric pattern to enhance the shape of Valentino’s physique.  The diamond patterns on the sleeves visually broaden his shoulders.  While the vertical placement of long style lines down the front of the jacket emphasizes his height.

Want some more vintage assiut?  Check installments of this series:

• Lina Murari 
• Dagny Servaes 
• Yvonne Gall
• Want more?  just type in “Who’s that Girl” in the search bar.

The design of this coat is absolutely inspiring. I will have to buy a large and glamorous modern assiut shawl to make one of these for myself!  To learn more about this Valentino film “The Young Raja” on IMDB and Wikipedia. 

Happy Dance and Costuming, 
Dawn Devine ~ Davina – January 30, 2022

Hello There!  

I’m finally back on my feet after a 3-week struggle with Covid.  One of my key goals for 2022 is to teach more online sewing classes.  Although this is quite short notice, tomorrow I’ll have not one, not two, but three live presentations!  If you’re interested in learning about assiut, sewing rhinestone chain, or using the “Line and Drop” formula for designing bras, check out the information below!

I want to thank all the folks who have supported me through my Patreon growing pains of the past two months. We’ve got the bugs worked out of our filming setup and we are ready to go with our sewing series!  Perhaps you would like to join us for these January presentations either live or in a replay.

January Coffee Chat – Tuesday, January 25, 1:00 pm PDT 
Join me live to talk about the quarterly planning, work on the upcoming new book, and I’ll be discussing the design process and sharing sketches for the first batch of assiut costumes.
Replay available on Jan. 27 and beyond:  $3 level on Patreon.

Costuming Demo: Sewing Rhinestone Chain – Tuesday, January 25, 3:00 pm PDT
These are tips, techniques, and supply recommendations for costume design and sewing rhinestone chains.
Replay available on Jan. 27 and beyond:  $7 level on Patreon

Costuming Demo: Line and Drop Formula for Embellished Bras – Tuesday, January 25, 4:15 pm PDT
This is a redo of the botched demo from December. This is one of the easiest to do, but there are some essential design strategies and methods for quick and stress-free sewing.
Replay available on Jan. 27 and beyond:  $7 level on Patreon

Thank you so very much for your continued support of my research and writing!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
January 23, 2022

Turkish Tel-Kirma Demo Video

Today I want to take a moment to share this lovely video that I found over on YouTube.  I found it fascinating to watch a master embroidery artist working through the Turkish tel kirma stitch. This is demo uses the same single-stitch embroidery technique as Assiut.

Turkish Embroiderers Use Embroidery Hoops

This demo clearly shows us how an embroidery hoop is one of the key tools of the Turkish tel kirma artist.  A wide variety of fabrics are used in Turkish tel kirma work, and the embroidery appears on clothing, embellishing home furnishings, and even integrated into textile arts for hanging on walls. Turkish embroiderers use a hoop to stabilize this wide variety of textiles.

In this video, notice the fineness and transparency of this polyester mesh.  Without this hoop, this fabric with its soft hand would drape and flop, making high-quality embroidery challenging.  Egyptian artists, who primarily use cotton tulle, simply work with the cloth in their hands. Hoops aren’t required to keep the heavier Egyptian cotton under control.

Ottoman Single-Stitch Embroidery

In the 19th century, the tel kirma stitch spread throughout the Ottoman world.  You can find variations on this stitch in countries spanning the entire Ottoman empire. Each area under Ottoman rule developed its own regional style. Egyptian embroidery artists narrowed down to working exclusively with tulle by the 1920s.  The Assiut stitch appeared on lightly woven linen, cotton, or blended fabrics prior to the turn of the 20th century. As the taste for practical and beautiful mesh ground cloth for shawls and robes gained favor, Egyptian artists almost entirely switched.  It’s rare to find al-tally embroidery stitches on woven cloth garments after the first quarter of the 20th century.

Want to Try Tel Kirma?

Tel kirma is part of a family of stitches used in Turkish metal embroidery. The largest supplier of books, metal plate, needles, and fabric is Goblen.com. 

I have ordered from Goblen in the past. They ship internationally, and their orders have come well packaged and in a timely manner.

Their needles work well for making assiut. Unfortunately, I found the Turkish wire plate narrower than the aluminum strips favored in Egypt. But shopping at Goblen is a reliable way to source supplies and try this embroidery technique.

Happy Costuming & Dance!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
Jan. 18, 2022