Category: General

Throughout my writing career, I’ve shared information on my self-published magazine, “Davina’s Costumer’s Notes.”  As I work on the rewrite of my first book “Costuming From the Hip,” I’m digging material out of my archive and rediscovering my passion for magazines.

My love affair with magazines began as a young girl. I would treasure my favorite issues, re-reading them until they fell apart. If I could lay my hands on something less beloved, I would cut them apart for crafting as decoupage, collage, and fodder to make versions of new made-up magazines.

Click through to read
“Davina’s Costumer’s Notes”
Rakkasah 2009 Edition .pdf

“Line: Costume/Fashion” 

I began participating in the world of ‘zines in the ’80s, writing about costume history, fashion design, and illustration. I even started my own ‘zine called “Line: Costume/Fashion.”  After four copies, I switched gears to work on a full-fledged book published in 1993 as “Costuming From the Hip.”

“Line: Costume/Fashion” focussed on integrating historical influence into costume and fashion design. My target market was the sci-fi world and I was attending conventions throughout the greater Southern California region. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find a long-lost copy, but I am ever hopeful that one will turn up.

Article Writer

As my focus turned to belly dancing, and after the wild success of “Costuming from the Hip,” I dove into the world of writing for belly dance magazines.

Between 1993 and today, I’ve published thousands of articles in magazines, newsletters, blogs, and digital archives and publications. I’m still writing quite a bit as a freelancer.  You can find some of my work in “Fanoos Magazine.”

Costumer’s Notes Magazine

I dipped back into making my own magazines in the early 2000s.  “Davina’s Costumer’s Notes”  began as a ‘zine printed at the local copy shops before big events like Rakkasah in the San Francisco/Bay Area, Cairo Carnival in Los Angeles, and Bedouin Bazaar in San Diego.

“Costumer’s Notes” eventually expanded into a bi-monthly magazine on its own website.  When I began working on my seminal book “The Cloth of Egypt, All About Assiut,” I switched to an email version of “Studio Davina Mini-Magazine.”

Sign Up for our bi-monthly Mini-Magazine

Costuming From the Hip: 30th Anniversary

The rewrite and expansion of “Costuming From the Hip” is underway.  As I dig, I’m unearthing past projects, published articles, out-of-print books, and unpublished research.  Watch for more tidbits to emerge.

I hope you enjoyed this walk down memory lane,
Happy Dance and Costuming
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
Aug. 2024

I wanted to take a quick moment to share the news about Heather D. Ward aka Nisaa’s new book “Raqs in the City: The Belly Dance Landscape of Cairo” is now out.

If you’re interested in belly dance history, Nisaa’s books are a “Must Read.” I picked up mine on Kindle to save space, but it is also available in print.

I highly recommend Heather’s first book too.  Visit her website for more details about her current and upcoming projects https://www.bellydancewithnisaa.com/

Enjoy!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
Aug. 2024

Al-Tally: A History of Assiut in Pictures

I’m excited to share my latest article about Assiut Al-Tally in Fanoos Magazine. This is one of my current favorite belly dance publications. Each quarter, subscribers receive a free “blog-o-zine” style publication directly to their inbox.

The theme for the summer edition is “Folkloric & Traditional Dance.”  My focus on costume history paired beautifully with this issue’s theme.  Egyptian folkloric dancers frequently wear the iconic assiut robe when performing.  And thus, an article idea was born.

I strategically selected 10 intriguing images that illustrate the history of assiut. My goal was to find a selection of images that hadn’t appeared in the book, or even on this website.

If you love assiut, visit Fanoos Magazine and check out my article in this issue of the magazine.

What is in a name?
Al-Tally vs Assiut

Fabrics and their fabrication are frequently named after their location of origin.  Some well-known examples include gauze, named after Gaza, and damask weaves after Damascus.

Assiut shawls entered English in the mid-19th century.  These shawls were named after the key city where you could buy these beautiful hand-made textiles.

I use the spelling Assiut in my work. This is how the city appears on official US maps. In other countries, the city name is transliterated into different spellings with different pronunciations. Depending on the author’s language and nationality, the spelling of the same city will vary wildly.

Today, I’m consciously integrating the Egyptian term for the technique, Al Tally.  With luck and good fortune, we can make a lasting impact on changing the language we use to discuss how Assiut/Al Tally is discussed.

To learn more about the history of this single-stitch metal embroidery technique check out my book. “The Cloth of Egypt” traces its origins in Europe, through its migration throughout the Turkish empire to the beloved embroidery technique of Upper Egypt.

• Read the Article: “Al Tally: A History of Assiut in Pictures,” Fanoos, Summer 2024. Read Here
• Check out the Book: “The Cloth of Egypt” on Amazon
• On the Blog: “Shopping for Assiut on a Budget.” Read Here
• Join the Conversation on Facebook: Assiut Group

Stay cool out there!
~ Dawn Devine ~ Davina
July, 2024

 

 

 

Consumable Sewing Supplies Restock

I was thrilled to finish the retro-fabulous ensemble for my client Azura.  This vintage Costless coin bra and belt set spent many years in a box in her closet.  In 2023, we began reworking the parts and pieces to breathe new life into the costume.

After months of working on this ensemble, I realized I needed to do a big restock of consumable sewing supplies.  Once I sent the costume off to take the stage at Hot Raqs in June, I embarked on a reset, restock, and general cleanup of Studio Davina.

 “Loose Inventory”

While I probably need a full inventory of all the sewing tools, materials, and supplies, who’s got time for that?  Instead, I’m just assessing the consumable studio supplies.  This “Loose Inventory” will cover the essentials I use in virtually every costuming project.

Consumable Sewing Supplies

Rather than opening every box, bin, and drawer, this loose inventory is going to zero in on consumable sewing supplies.

• Notions: These are the supplies I keep on hand, and use up while building costumes. Thread, ribbons, hooks & eyes, and even glue all fit in this category.
• Pattern-Making supplies: This category includes the supplies used while making custom sewing patterns. This includes paper, pencils, and magic tape.
• Small things that break: This group includes small tools that need frequent replacements, but don’t become part of a garment.  Consider your pins, needles, chalk, and marking pens.
• Items that dull: Although it might take longer to wear out, cutting tools like scissors, snips, knives, rotary cutters, and essentially, anything with a blade or that cuts do wear out.
• Things that stretch out: Measuring tapes wear out over time and need to regular replacement. Check your measuring tapes against your best ruler to ensure you are still taking the same measurements.
• Glues and Adhesives:  I always check for empty or dried-out containers of adhesives.  Before I repurchase I always if I need a fresh bottle, or if I should buy it right before the next project.

Summer Restock

Although my business is pivoting away from custom clothing to ready-made accessories, I’m restocking many of the same basics to cover my “consumables” needs over the next year.  Thankfully, it’s a short list:

• Marking Tools:  https://amzn.to/4eRM5Xx
• Pins:  https://amzn.to/4cocoTv
• Stretch Sewing Machine Needles:  https://amzn.to/3Lhl7ek
• Upholstery Thread – Black: https://amzn.to/4eMKp1k
• Milliners Needles: https://amzn.to/3VYQLlw
• Tapestry Needles: https://amzn.to/3VPS5au

Thank you!  If you’ve clicked through and used any of the Amazon affiliate links on my website, you’ve contributed to the upkeep of this website.

Now it’s time to place those orders and resume my mid-year sewing studio tidy.  And then make plans for upcoming sewing demos and projects.

Happy Costuming and Dance,
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
July 2024

PS: Are you looking for more product recommendations? Why not check out my Amazon Store Front?