Category: General

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Costuming DIY General

Sleeve Pattern Adjustment for Full Upper Arms

Just wanted to take a moment to answer a quick question regarding adjusting my belly dance sleeve pattern. “How do you expand the sleeve to make the bicep bigger?”  In my experience, (and after making hundreds of pairs of these sleeves,)  the quickest approach is to use a simple slash-and-spread technique.

Cut out the pattern piece you plan on altering.  I recommend cutting just outside the black pattern line.

Draw a long line from the sleeve point to the middle of the upper edge.  See the top diagram for the position.

Slash or cut along the dotted line in the upper image, to – but not through – the point at the end of the pattern. You want your two pattern pieces to remain stuck together at the point.

Spread the pattern open to the desired width and tape in place on supporting paper.  I always use a scrap of the pattern paper.

How much should you spread?  That really depends on how much your fabric stretches.  My rule of thumb is to take your bicep measurement and subtract an inch.  Spread the sleeve pattern to your your new length, bicep – 1″ and then tape the pieces down.  It should look similar to the lower illustration.  If you can, sew a test sample out of similar fabric.

Original Post about Belly Dance Sleeves.

I suppose I could have redrawn it more formally, I just noticed I didn’t even cross my T’s in the word “pattern.”  If learning about fitting commercial patterns is on your agenda, I’m going to recommend investing in a good fitting book.  There are many on the market today, but there are two that I have found useful to have in my sewing reference library.

Reference Books on Pattern Adjustments

Pattern Fitting by Nancy Zieman – Nancy Zieman has an entire line of sewing books, and I find this one pretty stinking good!  Her methods are sound and her technique really works.  She presents a way of thinking and problem solving that will really help you make your garments fit beautifully.    It’s available as a book and in Kindle form.

Fast Fit: Easy Pattern Alterations for Every Figure by Sandra Betzina – Another iconic author in the sewing world, Sandra Betzina, has a slightly different approach to the same material.  I really enjoy her writing voice, and her method is easy to understand and really works.   Her title is available in hardcover and paperback.

 

These two books are my favorites, and they are both equally good. That said, you don’t need both!  You only need one fitting reference book to have on hand so pick the one that is most appealing to you. While I included links above for your convenience, I always recommend shopping for sewing reference books at your favorite used bookstore. These have been on the market a long time and so finding them second hand is good for both the environment and your pocketbook!

Now I want to spend the rest of the day flipping through my sewing books.  But no – time to hit the sewing machine and make some costumes!

Have a great day!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
November 6, 2017

Categories
General

Easy and Affordable Thread Storage

Three Drawer Thread Storage - far right | Studio Davina

Sewing room storage is an endless struggle for me and for most of my crafting, sewing, creating friends. Many years ago, I decided to “control” the amount of thread I own by keeping my ENTIRE collection in one small three-drawer organizer. I purchased a super-affordable three drawer unit at Target so many years ago, the white has turned yellow!   You can see it in this photo on the right, watched over by a camel and supporting my slightly out of control baggy collection.

The Color Wheel is my Guide

Warm and Cool Colors | Studio Davina

I divide my thread into three categories based on color.  I have one drawer for warm, one drawer for cool and the third for neutral.  Dividing the drawers up in this manner means that I can quickly grab a color to sew with. Since I work primarily on commission on garments, I include the cost of thread as part of a fixed studio fee. My customers get to choose if they want to keep the thread or leave it behind.  I always encourage my clients to take the thread with them for future alterations, repairs, and adjustments.

A Peek Inside my Thread Drawers

I roughly use this division to help guide my storage choices, though there is some “play” to the rules.  For instance, all the “greens” go in the cool drawer, even the ones with more yellow.  I also divide between purples (cool) and magenta tones (warm.)   And sometimes, I wind up with colors jumping into the wrong drawer like that rogue pink among the blues and greens.  Although that is a more “cool” toned pink, I generally look for pink in the warm drawer.

"Warm" thread drawer | Studio Davina "Cool" Thread Drawer | Studio Davina "Neutrals" Thread Drawer | Studio Davina

Theater Trick – Use Grey

One of the tricks I picked up during my years at the La Jolla Playhouse was the grey thread trick.  If I don’t have the perfect color, I match the value of the cloth with a shade of grey.  While I wouldn’t use this trick for top-stitching, I’ve machine sewn hundreds of garments with the appropriate shade of grey, and then only purchased the smallest spool of the closest coordinating color for any visible finishing work. This saves me a lot of time because I keep a complete complement of full grey bobbins beside my machine and ready to sew at a moment’s notice.

How do you store your thread?  I’m host to a FaceBook sewing group called “Studio Davina: Behind the Scenes.”  Come join us there for our ongoing conversations about sewing, patternmaking, costuming, and supply storage.

And now, I’m going to take a moment and admire my clean drawers.  As you can see in the photo at the beginning of this blog, I just chuck the thread in.  Every year I pull them out and sort them out.  Of the course of time and working on costumes, they will eventually be a mess again, but today they are looking beautiful!

Happy Costuming!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
November 5, 2017

PS. Thank you for sharing this on Pinterest!

Categories
General Publications

Top Business Reads: Part 1

Running a tiny, but profitable, business takes a lot of work. For me, it’s all about good time management, and having a pretty good understanding of all the different aspects of effectively running a business. When you’re an independent business person, you wind up, to use an old adage, “Wear all the hats.”

I frequently find myself talking to my fellow entrepreneurs and recommending a small collection of books that have really helped me keep my business profitable and on target. These are part of my essential reference collection that I keep on hand to reread when I need the info. 

Note: I’ve included links to these books in both print and Kindle form.  If you use these click-through links, I get a tiny commission from Amazon that supports this website.  However, many of these books are business mainstays are widely available on the used book market so be sure to check out your local used bookstores.

Essential Reads (for every independent business owner)

Getting Things Done by David Allen

This book has been in my collection so long, that I just purchased the Kindle version update to give it a re-read and see if there are new tips and techniques for the new technologies. I’m not going to kid ya, this book is a bit dry. But for the patient, it has so many excellent ideas about mental organizations and productivity techniques that I consider this an essential read for everyone!  Available as Book & Kindle

 

Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World by Michael Hyatt

Although this book is starting to feel slightly dated in this era of social media changes, the concepts included in this book are fundamental. I find myself quoting this book frequently in conversations about digital marketing. For me the key takeaway was thinking of your website as your personal domain or “country,” and each social media outlet as an “embassy.” At any moment, a social media platform could fold, like an insolvent country and there will be no one there to airlift you out! (Note: He’s a religious man and references his Christianity, and that might bug some folks.)  Available as Book & Kindle

Book Design and Layout

Of course, one of the major components of my business is creating books, magazines, and printable .pdf publications. Although I’m using an ancient version of InDesign for my document layout program, I’m always looking for inspirations for new page designs. For inspiration, I frequently flip through the hundreds of free magazines on the issuu.com website, where I’m housing my new magazine, Amabella. But there are times when I just want to go back to basics and I refer to these two books.

Editing by Design by Jan V. White

This book is a CLASSIC! I think I used the second edition when I was in college, and the copy I currently own is the third edition. This was the single most important book on page layout and design that I ever used. Now you can get it on Kindle and there are numerous used copies online and probably in your favorite local used bookstore. Available as Book & Kindle 

Best Practices for Graphic Designers, Grids, and Page Layouts: An Essential Guide for Understanding and Applying Page Design Principles by Amy Graver & Ben Jura

I consider this the modern sister of my Editing by Design book. The information, quite frankly, is similar, but this book is simply smaller and doesn’t have the depth and breadth. That said, this book uses images and examples that reflect our modern design aesthetic. It’s a good read, and I seem to be in the habit of flipping through it casually before each publication design session.  Available as a Book

VIDEO Production

The latest news in the world of marketing is the rallying cry, “Use More Video.” In our brave new world of video everything, there are literally dozens of places to put videos. From Instagram and Facebook to Vimeo and YouTube, the ability to make a video is essential in our modern age.

Vlog Like a Boss by Amy Schmittauer

This book has an upbeat infectious optimism and “you can do it” attitude! It’s filled with tips on all facets of video making. Although it says “Vlog” like boss, don’t let the title fool you. Much of the information would be useful for folks making any kind of video content from DIY’s and tutorials, to behind the scenes “day in the life” style vlogs. Available as Book & Kindle

IMovie: The Missing Manual by David Pogue & Aaron Miller

As a business person, who uses a Mac, I have turned to the free software, iMovie to edit my video content. This is the software I used when I made the Kickstarter Pitch video for my collaborative book release, “Becoming a Belly Dancer: From Student to Stage.” Reading online manuals are not always the most time effective method for me. I like having a book sitting open beside me as I work, that I can turn to and quickly flip to the information I need without leaving the iMovie software to look up YouTube tutorials or to read the online manual.  Available as Book & Kindle 

This small collection of resources will get you started.  I’ll be sharing another batch of my most essential business books in the coming weeks. And now, I’m off to spend some quality time on my couch reading the updated edition of Getting Things Done!

Best of luck in your business!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
November 4, 2017

Categories
General

Belly Dance Sleeves

One of my favorite costume accessories here at Studio Davina is a pair of dance sleeves or gauntlets.  During the summer, I made this rhinestone encrusted candy-pink bedlah set with a matching skirt and set of sleeves.

Left: San Francisco/Bay Area dancer Shalimar in custom bedlah set, skirt, and sleeves from Studio Davina.

Sleeves are a super easy sewing project that can be completed in about two hours from start to finish.  They work best with 4-way stretch fabric, but you can make them from the 2-way stretch as long as you lay the direction of the greatest stretch across the sleeve so it stretches around the wrist and biceps.

Although I custom-made the pattern for this Goblet skirt, to speed up the production I pulled out my Glove and Gauntlet pattern for the sleeves. When I purchased the fabric for this skirt, I simply added 3/4 of a yard to have enough fabric to make the full-length sleeves.

Making the Sleeves

I use my standard sewing machine, using a medium stitch length with a narrow zig-zag.  Although using a serger is nice, and will give you the best finish inside the garment.

These sleeves are designed to visually lengthen the arm by coming down to a point over the back of the hand.  The tip is held down with a loop of elastic that wraps around the middle finger of the hand to hold them in place. The upper edge has a narrow casing for 1/4″ elastic.  I run the elastic through the casing and safety pin them until fitting.  Once the size is perfect, I stitch the elastic together, forming a ring, and then seal the casing.

Custom Color Your Elastic with Sharpie

One of my tricks is to use a permanent marker to “color match” the finger loop.  I keep this narrow, 1/16″ elastic cord on hand in basic white and black. The white can be easily “colored in” with a marker.  I keep a set of fine-tipped Sharpie brand marker set on hand so I can pick a fairly close match.  I also keep a set of Tombo marker portrait set to turn the white into a flesh color.

Once I have customized the color of the elastic, I use my sewing machine to stitch the elastic on.  This is the place in the sleeves that have the greatest amount of strain and tension on it so I make sure to really nail the elastic down.

Gloves and Gauntlets Sewing Pattern

So if you’re interested in making a set of sleeves – give it a go.  If you would like to pick up a copy of my pattern, it’s available on my Etsy store for $5. It can be the accessory that you make to freshen up an old ensemble, or to add that over-the-top drama for a new look your making or buying for yourself.

Now it’s time to hit the sewing table and make a bedlah set!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
Nov. 3, 2017

PS:  Shalimar loves these sleeves so much, even when she’s wearing different skirts, she will pop them on.  I recently caught her pairing them with a white two-tier skirt.

Categories
General

Who’s that Girl in Assiut? Vilma Banky

One of my favorite hobbies is collecting vintage ephemera. I focus on vintage images of that glorious cloth I’m obsessed with: assiut.  Recently, I landed a beautiful postcard of silent screen star Vilma Banky. Originally from Hungary, she took the name of her birth city, Vilma.  She began making films in Europe but was “discovered” in Austria in 1925.  She moved to the US and became a star in Hollywood.  Her natural beauty, luminous eyes, and a mobile, expressive face made her stand out during the silent picture era.

Vilma’s most famous role was opposite Rodolph Valentino in the film “Son of the Shiek.”  Although many of her 28 feature films have disappeared, you can watch “Son of the Shiek” on places like YouTube. (Right: still from “Son of the Shiek”)

Vilma Banky Postcards 

As a star, Vilma was professionally photographed by her studio for use as publicity stills for movie magazines, posters, and postcards.  During the 1920’s, postcards were sold at movie theaters at kiosks and out of vending machines.  The style of the moment was to shoot actresses in alluring poses with beautiful garments.  Often, you will find multiple photos from the same photo shoot used to create collections of postcards to catch different moods and views to appeal to different viewers.

In this series of postcards, Vilma wears a very fashionable assiut shawl tied as a turban around her head. This glamourous allusion to her fantasy, Orientalist films, without being a costume for a particular role, would lend itself to being used over and over through her film career.

Recently, I was thrilled to pick up another view from the photoshoot with the assiut turban.  (See image below)  The card is in fantastic shape!  Vilma was shot in Austria by photographer Halasz, Budapest/Fanamet-Film and distributed by publisher Iris Verlag who was a major supplier of film star postcards.  Although undated, it’s likely that these postcards were produced before Vilma headed to Hollywood in 1925.

I’m looking forward to including these postcards in my next book on Assiut, “Assiut Belly Dance Costume” which we have begun work on and should be out late 2018 early 2019. Sign up for my newsletter to get updates about this and other projects.

I think it might be time to put on an assiut turban!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
Nov. 2, 2017

PS – Check out the blog posts here and here for more of my “Who’s that Girl in Assiut” series.