Phoebedances

I am going to meet some friends in October who I haven't seen for over a year. Last year the subject of bellydancing came up and they asked me to dance for them when I came to see them this year. To me... perfect opportunity to make a costume. Yes, I have a few costumes, but nothing that fits the music I have in mind - which is a bit darker than the happy Eqyptian pop I've used in the past.

I want to make a costume with black/silver assuit. I'd like to perhaps do a more covered look on the top since I'm not appreciating my arms at the moment - still loosing weight and firming up - so I was thinking a a top with sleeves of some type. How hard is it to sew assuit like this? I was considering fuller sleeves, perhaps even putting a red lining under the assuit and matching an underskirt of the same color on the bottom.

Would it be best to make a bra, covered in assuit, then make the sleeves and attach them? I wouldn't mind a gypsy/choli style, but I definitely want the cups an integral part of the top, not a seperate bra underneath.

Would the red show through the netting of the assuit?

Has anyone used the Assuit scarves from Pure Egypt Imports?
Assuit Dress black assuit shawl from Egypt I'm just wondering at this price if they would be scratchy? I'm also looking at Dahlal (sp?) but I do like the designs on the scarves here.

I was thinking of doing the skirt in assuit panels over a red underskirt.. what material would be best to pair with the assuit? Will it pick something like silk? Would I be better off with a velvet or something like cotton?

I think I'll have lots of questions as I go along in this. This isn't my first costume to make, but I've never done anything with Assuit before.

Aisha Azar

Dear Phoebe,
Assuit , or tulle bi telli is very easy to sew. The metal is soft and does not hurt your machine at all if you happen to sew through it. Often new tulle is pretty stiff when you first get it. I always wash mine in a lingerie bag with too much fabric softener and then hang it to dry and this helps immensely.
Regards,
A'isha

Shanazel

If you make detachable sleeves for the top, you can make several sleeve styles and extend the usefulness of the bra. There are a number of ways to attach these interchangeable sleeves ranging from narrow velcro (which I don't much like) to hooks or ribbon ties.

I always prefer my underskirts to be made of something washable if at all possible.

Aisha Azar

Dear Phoebe,
If you send me your private address, I will try to send you a photo of Liza Laziza of in a tulle costume designed and built by Hallah Moustafa, which is quite attractive. It allows for the tulle to be the main attraction in the costume, yet uses color and other textures effectively.
Regards,
A'isha

Phoebedances

Thank you, Aisha, for the advice. I had wondered about washing it, if it would cause the silver to tarnish. After wearing it though, should you wipe the silver parts with a soft cloth to keep them shiny longer?

Thank you! I will do that.


I did want something washable, but I was thinking of a bad experience I had a few years ago with layering a crushed velveteen straight skirt with side slits with a very long and heavily beaded hip wrap. I hadn't tested it very well and during my solo the velveteen underskirt began to creep up under the hip wrap, getting held in place. By the end of my solo I had a knee length skirt!!! Was a little embarrassing - not so much as if I'd lost my bra or the wrap fell off, but still...

Also, I just wondered if the foil would pick something like a sateen?

Shanazel

By "pick" do you mean "snag"? I'm sorry that I am not familiar with the term, but if you do mean snag... When I have a question about how well a fabric will wear, I take a sample about 4" by 4" and abuse it thoroughly: I wash it to see how much it shrinks and how the texture and hand of the fabric are affected, I run my nails and an emery board on it to see how it takes wear, I twist it into a tight little tube and wring it for a few seconds to see how badly it wrinkles, and I put the wet fabric down on a piece of white toweling to see if the colors run. That sounds like more trouble than it is worth, but fabric is expensive and the time and energy that go into making a costume are wasted if the fabric turns out to be a pain in someway.

Phoebedances

Thanks, yes, I did mean snag. I'll have to do some tests then.