Category: General

Categories
Costuming DIY General

Self-Care Tips for Sewing Hands

I’ve been a professional costume maker for more than 30 years.  My hands have logged many hours at the sewing machine, wielding an iron, or pulling a needle. In order to maintain and sustain my hands for another 20 years of sewing, I’ve been implementing a variety of strategies to keep my hands in good condition. So today I’m sharing my top six tips for keeping your sewing hands in tip-top shape!

Pre-Game Routine

Trim and Smooth Nails

Before I do any sewing, I give myself a mini-manicure.  My goal is to make sure that my nails are smooth to avoid catching on thread or fabric. Once the nails are in decent shape, I take a moment to lotion my hands up.  Not only will this process soften my skin, but I’m also giving myself a mini-massage.  It’s just nice to give these hard-working muscles a little TLC before I abuse them.

Warm up your hands

Taking a moment to stretch your hands before you dive into a long sewing session.  Because I’m a belly dancer, I start with a slow piece of dance music and work on smooth flowing wrist, hand, and finger moves.  Hand waves, finger ripples, wrist circles, and finger taps. Then when my warmup song is over, I give myself a little stretch.  Over the past few weeks, I’ve been warming up to the song “Yearning” by Raul Ferrando.  Listen here on YouTube.  Of course, any slow music you enjoy will work. The goal is to keep your hands moving for 3-4 minutes.

During Sewing Sessions

Take Frequent Breaks

Over the years, I’ve learned that I’m more productive if I take regular breaks rather than sewing for long unbroken stretches. I like to use the Pomodoro method to manage my time.  In a nutshell, a Pomodoro is a 20 minute time interval.  For me, I sew for 20 minutes and then take a short 10 min break. After working for 4, 20-minute segments, I take a longer 30-minute break. I always have my phone nearby, so I use the built-in timer with a “gentle” alert sound. When I hear the sound, it reminds me to give my body a break.  I stand up, I stretch, I put on some music and have a wiggle.

Pause to Hold Something Warm

When I’m taking my 10-minute breaks, I like to spend some of that time warming up my hands.  Preparing a hot beverage and spending some quality time cuddling your mug.  When I’m spending a lot of time sewing, I will use a rice-sock to warm up my hands.  I filled a crew sock with three cups of rice and tied the sock in a knot.  I toss it into my microwave oven for about a minute, or a minute and a half.  Then I old the sock in my hands during my break. 

Sometimes when I’m ready to get back to work I’ll lay the sock over my shoulder or tuck it between my back and the chair.  Of course, petting a warm cuddly kitty or pup is another great way to warm the hands!  At right, my studio assistant Stormy reminds me that the timer sounded and it’s break time!

Invest in Comfortable Tools

Over time, I’ve learned that I can work longer and have more control over my tools if they are designed ergonomically with chubbier handles.  I’ve also lightened the load, replacing all metal shears with lighter-weight versions with plastic handles. Switching from tiny or skinnier handled tools to easier to handle larger versions will help you get a better grip!   You can even find spring loaded scissors that will assist in the cutting process. While sewing tools can be quite expensive, replacing over time.

Ergonomic Handle Seam Ripper

Last December, I commissioned a custom “chubby” seam ripper from my wood-working brother.  He created two for me, one in wood and one out of acrylic.  He dubbed it his creation “Jax, the Seam Ripper” and he’s now got them for sale on Etsy.  This tool has been the best change I’ve made lately.  Seam ripping is always a pain, but having a better tool means that it only hurts my ego not my hands!  Check out his store and if you decide to pick one up, tell him I sent you!

Use Thimbles and Needle Pullers

When hand sewing, I find it essential to wear a thimble to aid in pushing the needle, and a silicon thread puller to help me grab the needle and pull it through.  I keep a selection of different styles of thimbles, (my favorite metal thimble) which I choose depending on my project.   My goal is also to reduce the amount of thread drag, so I always prep with beeswax.  When I’m settling in to do a lot of hand sewing, I will pre-prep several needles with thread, wax them, then hit them with an iron to melt the beeswax.  Having them ready to grab at a moment means keeping my sewing flow going.

Practice Hand After Care

Once I’ve completed my sewing time, I like to give my hands a little TLC.  Fabric can pull the natural oils from your skin. Other fabrics can scratch the surface of your skin, specifically fabrics covered with sequins, metallic ribbon, and rhinestones.   I have a three-step hand care routine that I use after each major sewing session.

First, I like to wash my hands in warm soapy water to remove any crocked dye and dust.  Sewing can make your hands very dirty.  Next, I take a moment to treat my cuticles and check my nails for breaks. Then I finish up by using the hand cream du-jour.  If you are like me, you might have a collection of hand lotions to choose from. Personally, I  love mixing up what I use so I keep a tray of lotion and hand care tools near my workstation. 

If you aren’t stocked up, I recommend picking up a lotion that has a texture that works with your skin and a scent you love. The lotion that you reach for and use is the one that is best for you!   Currently on my desk is a Body Shop Satsuma Hand Cream,  a small travel-sized Caudalie Hand & Nail lotion, and some Aveeno Skin Strengthening hand cream.  (I’ve included links – but I buy my hand lotion on sale at my local TJ Maxx.)

The Ultimate Treat: Hot Wax

But if you want a SERIOUS treat for your hands, invest in a hot wax machine.  There is nothing that provides a such a deep and penetrating heat as a dip into hot wax.  On days when I have a lot of sewing on my schedule, I turn the unit on in the morning and then treat my tired hands to a dip when I’m done working. Here’s an affordable model over on Amazon but these are often available on the used market so check your local craigslist and thrift stores for even better deals.

This might sound like a lot of work, but these steps are part of a routine that really help me keep my hands in great shape for plenty more years of sewing!

Happy Costuming,
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
August 4, 2018

 

 

Categories
Assiut/Assuit Belly Dance General

Assiut Belly Dance Gig Dress

I often talk to dancers who are looking for that perfect gig dress.  The perfect garment to wear to shows, parties, and events. The Ideal dress has to fit loosely, without any compression at the waist. Ideally, it should be dressy, give a great first impression. Extra points if the dress is easy to get in and out of, resists wrinkles, and is washable.  However, the main goal is to appear glamorous, completely pulled together, and expensive.

Alisha and Shalimar wearing assiut garments to a belly dance show.

Above: Photographer Alisha Westerfeld on left wears an assiut cocoon coat.
Shalimar on right wears a swing dress made of modern assiut.
Photo snapped at the Marrakesh in San Francisco.

Turquoise Assiut Dress on stand | Studio Davina - www.davina.usMaking an Assiut Dress

While we had a great time at the belly dance show that night, the amber-hued lights of the restaurant have impacted the color of the dress. The photo on the left gives a better idea of what the dress looks like in daylight. The key to making an effective assiut dress is to keep the design lines simple and let the imported hand-crafted fabric be the star.

Buying Modern Assiut

Often, the most difficult step in making a dress is finding a nice assiut shawl to work with. Search for all the major keyword variations of assiut, assuit, and tulle bi telli.  There are many dealers to choose from, so pick the best deal for you.  I always recommend using a credit card with buyer protection should something in the transaction goes awry.  As you shop, pay careful attention to the length of your piece. in an ideal world, your shawl would be double your back neck to hem measurement.  For the dress above, the shawl was about 4″ too short.  Consequently, I had to piece the shoulder line in order to get the desired look.

Lining and Notions

In addition to the assiut shawl, I choose to use an aqua-hued swimsuit style material to line the garment. This bouncy, comfortable, and easy to wash fabric offers a stretchy lining that allows the assiut to give and move but unlike the assiut, the lining will snap back to shape.  In addition to the lining, I purchased to finish the garment was a package of single-fold bias tape and a spool of thread.

MacCalls Pattern #M7432

Pick a Pattern

While my design was made from a customized pattern, it’s a very common style that virtually every commercial and indy pattern company offers.  Look for very simple lines that are sized for stretch fabric.  Avoid patterns with complicated features such as collars, darts, and unusual necklines.  If I were going to buy a pattern to make another dress of this style, I would pick up the McCall’s M7432.  However, if you already have a collection of patterns, remember to shop your stash before you go shopping.

Finish the neckline and arm openings with bias tape. Step one: Machine stitch the bias tape.

Cutting and Sewing

I always make a sample dress before I cut the final fabric.  For this turquoise dress, I made the test sample out of the lining fabric and Shalimar tried it on to ensure that the pattern fit. Even when working with a commercial pattern, a sample and test fit will allow you to fine-tune the fit and make design adjustments.  If your assiut shawl is too short to make a dress, this is the time when you will make a plan to extend the garment.  For this dress, I needed to add assiut at the shoulder line in order to make the pattern match on the sides of the dress. Photo Left: Prepping the bias tape for machine stitching.

Finish the neckline and arm openings with bias tape. Step Two: Fold bias tape to the inside. Press and pin, then hand-stitch.

Using your favorite sewing machine and a regular straight stitch, sew the dress together.  I made all my fit adjustments on the lining and then stitched the pieces together at the shoulder.  To keep lining and dress correctly aligned, I stay-stitched around the neck and armhole.  I used bias tape and a warm iron to press a curve into the tape as I pinned it to the outside of the dress.  Next, I machine stitched the bias tape.  I folded it to the inside and hand stitched the bias tape to the lining.  Photo Right:  Bia tape prepped and ready to hand stitch to the garment. 

Black assiut cocktail dress by Dawn Devine | Studio Davina www.davina.us

Above:  This assiut dress has a slight cap sleeve and since
the assiut panel was wider, it has a fuller hem. The front is lined with
bathing suit fabric and the back of the dress is solid black.  

Finishing Tips

Once your dress is lined and the shoulder and neck seam finished all that’s left is the hem.  For the best result, I like to hem the lining slightly shorter than the assiut to reduce the risk of it showing when the wearer is standing still.  In the aqua dress at the top, I elected not to hem the assiut, but rather cut it even and left it to swing free.  On the black dress, I hemmed the assiut at the bottom edge of the triangular border design.  My preference is to hand-hem through assiut designs to minimize the appearance of my sewing.

Final Thoughts

I love making these swing assiut cocktail dresses. If you are looking for inspiration for making an easy and comfortable assiut dress, I recommend checking out my “Assiut Garments” Pinterest board. If you’re contemplating making a dress and have any questions, join the conversation in the Studio Davina – Behind the Scenes Facebook Group.

Best of luck in all your costuming adventures!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
July 25, 2018

Belly dancer Poppy Maya wears an assiut cocktail dress. | Studio Davina www.davina.us

Categories
General Publications

Studio Davina Updates – July 2018

Mid Year Business Review

Hello Gang!

It’s that time again, the mid-year business review.  In June/July and again in December, I make the time in my schedule to sit down and evaluate my business. I gather up all of my business documentation. This includes my journal, planner, sewing log book, and sales figures.  Basically, all the data related to my business.  Once I’ve assembled it all into a big, and quite daunting, pile, I go over it all.  I ask myself key questions.  How has the business done?  What projects have been accomplished? What goals need to be re-evaluated?  What’s working?  What isn’t?

This spring my personal life took a front seat.  May and June and set me back in my business goals.  I’m in that season of my life, where my elderly in-laws require hands-on help.  Needless to say, I had to put my business on hold for two months.  This has lead to some major changes in my plans and future goals.
Check out my Last Business Review: End of Year Review 2017 Part 1 & Part 2

Newsletter Reboot

I just want to thank everyone who is part of my mailing list!   We’ve rebooted our newsletter starting this month, and moving forward through 2018, we’re going to be sending out more newsletters.  I like to share links to blog posts, news articles, classes, and websites that are useful for belly dancers and costumers.  If you would like to check out the last newsletter, check it out here.  If you would like to get more delivered bimonthly to your email box subscribe in the box at the top of the bar.

I really enjoy getting curated content in my mailbox and look forward to dancers who send out interesting and informative information in their newsletters.  So the Costumer’s Notes Newsletter has been moved up on my priority list.

Workshops and Teaching

Over the spring, I’ve had the opportunity to teach a few in-person and digital workshops. I really enjoy the opportunity I get to spend with students sharing my passion for costume design, history, and construction.  I’ve really enjoyed being hosted in-person by local Bay Area instructors like Adriana or in my own home studio.  Moving forward I’m looking forward to teaching more online via one-time digital workshops and through online courses.

On Saturday, July 14, Mahin, the owner of One World Dance and Music Studio in Phoenix has developed a digital workshop series.  She hosts top leaders in the belly dance world in intensive workshops.  I was thrilled to talk about my favorite topic – belly dance costume history.

There are many ways to approach the subject of belly dance costume history.  For this workshop, I focussed in on the development of the bedlah set. The matched bra and belt set is the “uniform” of the professional belly dancer.

In this workshop, I focussed on how changes in technology and paradigm shifts in communication have impacted the evolution of the bedlah, or uniform of the belly dancer.  From the most famous early dancer “Little Egypt” and her appearances in books and newspapers, through the modern era of the internet and instant global access to visual information.

Take a free class: 5 Layers of Belly Dance Appearance on the Belly Dance Business Academy website.

Belly Dance Performances & Events

Over the past six months, I’ve had to cut back on attending and performing at events.  Moving forward in 2018, I’m hoping to either perform or attend a belly dance event each month through the end of the year.  I love belly dance, and I’m making it a priority to engage with my local community.  I’m fortunate to live in the greater San Francisco Bay Area where the opportunities to watch and perform are plentiful!

Asheq Collective Presents Ozgen – July 15, 2018

I recently was delighted to head north to San Francisco to catch a fantastic belly dance show featuring touring celebrity dancer Ozgen of Turkey via London.  The Asheq Collective, a troupe of award-winning professional dancers hosted Ozgen in a series of workshops.  This event showcased some of the most talented local professional performers and dance instructors.

Info on Asheq Collective
Info on Ozgen

The Marrakesh is a classic Moroccan style restaurant in the heart of San Francisco. They have belly dance performances every day of the week.  The food is tasty if a bit expensive, but they were happy to accommodate the unique dietary needs of all the ladies at our table. They were busy and hopping, but the took care of us and even split the check at the end of the night.

When the belly dance community turns out to enjoy a touring celebrity, the audience is almost as sparkly as the dancers.  I spotted two of my own designs in the wild on Zemira wearing an assiut cocoon coat and Shalimar in an assiut swing dress.

Because I’m obsessed with assiut, it was thrilling to see Malia perform in an assiut skirt.  If you would like to see a clip from that performance, I’ve posted it on both Instagram and Facebook.

Writing

We are hard at work completing the manuscript for our upcoming book, Pose: A Dancer’s Guide to Making the Most of their Photos.  After several author meetings this spring, we’ve made some great progress on this upcoming publication.

I’ve created a page here on my website where I can share updates, images, and information about the development of our next book.  Two of our chapters got a little “big” so we’re doing a modest re-organization of the content at the moment to create better flow as you move through the book.

In addition to working on Pose, I’m working on illustrations for an upcoming coloring/history book about the history of bedlah. So far, I don’t have a fixed title, but I do have the subject planned!  I have to admit,  It’s nice to be back at work sketching and drawing, but it’s going to take a few weeks for me to get nice and loosened up.   As soon as I know more about this project, I’ll be sure to let you all know!

Moving Forward

So over the next few months, I’m going to be a busy bee!   I look forward to sewing more, writing more, and sharing these projects with you in future blog posts. Now it’s time for a coffee break and an afternoon of sewing!

I hope you are enjoying your summer!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
July 18, 2018

 

 

 

 

Categories
Assiut/Assuit Belly Dance Costuming DIY General

Mixing Faux and Modern Assiut

Swirl is my informal performance group composed of my proteges and myself.  For our spring performance at HaflAdira in Willow Glen, CA, we put together a set of coordinating costumes using a combination of existing costume pieces, faux assiut, and modern assiut.  Here’s how these costumes came together.

Pulling From the Closet

Before we started costuming, we decided to do individual costume inventories.  Zemira had this gorgeous black “Bessie” skirt from the Fat Chance Bellydance studio. in her collection and this was the perfect opportunity to integrate into our trio.  Vakasha owned a Melodia “Mythica” skirt in the black and silver colorway.  I have a Melodia skirt in the same fabric but in the “Cleopatra” cut.  Since these three skirts coordinated beautifully, we decided to use these as our starting out point saving us time and money!

To make a complete a head to toe costume, we decided to unify the look by using matching body stockings.  Zemira and I already had these in our wardrobe and Vakasha picked up hers from Dahlal International.

Faux Assiut from Melodia Designs

It became clear that we were going to have to craft a trio of bras to out of the glorious Melodia faux assiut fabric.  As a team, we invested in an Infinity Scarf to be our sacrificial garment.  I took this tube and cut it apart.  There was enough fabric to create all three bras with a significant amount of cloth left over.

Zemira also bought an Infinity scarf to wear as a hip treatment over her solid black skirt. Since her scarf didn’t have fringe, I elected to use a similarly shaped piece of modern assiut to echo the shape.  Vakasha used a pair of V-shaped assiut triangles for her hip treatment, and when viewed together, they worked in visual harmony.

Custom Bras to Coordinate

To craft our faux assiut bras, we began with underwire and padded bras either from our wardrobes or new from the store.  I really feel that it’s important to get the bra that really works not only for your size and shape, but also to give you the coverage and support that you are happy with.  No two commercially made bras are the same, and the only way to find one that works for you is to go shopping and try on a lot of bras.

Once the bras were in my workbench, I pieced the faux assiut fabric onto the cups, to create three different styles.  Each bra is laid out symmetrically, from different parts of the assiut pattern.  Before I sew, I pin both cups into place to ensure that they match as closely as possible.  Then I hand sew the fabric into place.

Embellishing with Saroyan Coins

Once the faux assiut was appliqued onto the bra bases, we decided to pull some silver coins from our collections.  Vakasha had some leftover Saroyan silver “Nefertiti” coins left over from a previous project. I had some “Venus” coins and together we pooled our resources and used what we had to embellish all three bras. These coins are currently discontinued, but there’s a small quantity left on the Saroyan website.  If they spark your interest, be sure to head over there soon before they are completely gone.

These costumes are comfortable, stylish, and were actually quite affordable.  I was so happy that we shopped our wardrobes and worked together as a team to create these ensembles that we can wear together or alone.  I feel like I have a new capsule wardrobe that I can use as a base to create a variety of different looks.  I’m excited to experiment with different options in the future.

Do you like these costumes?  Check them out in action below.  And remember, if you go to YouTube, be sure to like it if you like it!

Now, I’ve gotta get back to the studio to make another costume!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
Monday, June 11, 2018

Watch Our Performance

Categories
Belly Dance Costuming DIY General Publications

120 Years of Belly Dance Costume

Mahin and One World Dance & Music Studio Present

120 Years of Belly Dance Costume Design

Digital workshop with Dawn Devine ~ Davina

SATURDAY, JULY 14th  2:00 PM PST

Early Registration for Online or In-Studio Viewing: $15   After July 1st: $20
Reserve your ticket today!

120 Years of Belly Dance Costume Design is one of my favorite workshops to present. For the first time, I’m presenting this workshop to a worldwide audience! If you are interested in belly dance costume history, join me.  Grab a beverage and a snack and attend this workshop from the comfort of your own home.  I hope to see you there!

Workshop Description: 

This workshop will trace the evolution of belly dance costume over the past 120 years.  We’ll use the Chicago’s Columbian Exhibition of 1893 as our starting point.  That year, the US term Belly Dance was coined and a flood of performers arrived from the Middle East and North Africa to perform in the midways shows.

From this starting point, we will move forward in time. Discussing changes beyond the dance arts impacting the evolution of belly dance costume.  From technological advances in textiles, changes in entertainment venues, advertising methods, along paradigm shifts in the greater entertainment industry, we will trace this evolution in images and video.

This 90-minute workshop includes a digital handout. 
Sign up before July 1 for the best price.

Event Q & A:

As questions come via email, I’m sharing the questions and answers below.

Q:  I’m going to miss the lecture, can I watch a replay?

A:  Yes – but only if you buy your ticket before the lecture.  A replay will be available for all ticket holders for a month after the presentation for you to watch or rewatch.

Q:  How is this class being held?

A: This class is being shared via Zoom on the day of the event.  When you buy your ticket, you will receive an email with details on how to join the talk on the day of the event.
Hot Tip:  Download and install the Zoom conference software before the event.  It’s available for desktops, laptops, tablets, and phones.  Visit their website and follow the directions for your device.  

Q: How do I view the event replay?

A: Once the talk is over, Mahin will place the location in a private place and send you a link to view the presentation.  The link will be available for view for 30 days after the event.

Q: How do I buy a ticket?

A: This workshop is sponsored by my hostess Mahin of One World Dance and Music in Phoenix, AZ – You can follow this link and buy a ticket on the studio website.

If you have additional questions about this workshop,
feel free to email me and put “RE: Workshop Question” in the subject line!

This workshop is jam-packed with information for the belly dance costume enthusiast.  This is my passion and my life’s work and I’m so excited to be sharing it with you!

I look forward to seeing you at the talk!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
Friday, June 8