Coming soon.

The Cairo Carnivale is in Glendale this year (same location as last year).

Cairo Carnivale is coming soon!

Coming soon

Cairo Carnivale is in June!

Sewing Tip: Lining Bra Cups

Take the fabric you plan on lining the bra cups with and rub it against your skin. If it is scratchy or stiff, pick something else. Some dancers like corduroy, saying it doesn't slide around and feels comfortable. Whatever you use should absorb sweat, and be washable. I like to use flannel. You may want to avoid slippery things like silk or satin, because you don't want the contents of your bra shifting around too much. I recommend something that is at least 50% cotton.

Sewing Tip: testing fabric washability

When you get your new fabric, before you do anything else, cut off a 8"x8" square and wash it and dry it in whatever way you are planning to wash and dry your costume. Check for shrinkage. Some rayons will disintegrate in the wash. One foil lame' print I tried washed just fine, but when I dried it, all the foil disappeared leaving an ugly blotchy gray on the black fabric. Unfortunately I didn't test it first; the skirt I made out of it was ruined.

Test for color fastness: Take a cup of hot water, dip the scrap ,trim, or beads into it, lay on white paper, and see if it bleeds color. Remember, most cottons from India are not color-fast. When you sweat, the dye can get on your skin and leave patches of color. My dance teacher once made a gorgeous costume of pink beads her mom had given her. She started to sweat and had long rivulets of pink running down her body and skirts. All those hours of work wasted too.

Cairo Carnivale Belly Dance Festival in June

If you are in S. California, here's your big chance to see great dancers, shop in luscious costume displays, and eat, drink and be merry. All the details are at http://www.mecda.org. They also have some activities for children. Read the details carefully...the workshops and evening shows require seperate purchases.