Sewing Tips for Carrie

Sewing is all about baby steps. If you have other friends that belly dance don't be afraid to ask them if you can look at the way their costumes are put together. Look at the inside. Check out the fasteners. You can learn a lot that way.

Find a good basic sewing reference book. Used bookstores often have them. In a pinch you can get one from the library. Before you cut into expensive fabric you can do a test garment out of old sheets, muslin, yard sale fabric or clothing you no longer want. Baste it all together and then when it fits right, carefully undo the basting and you'll have a pattern that fits you. Try to find a sewing buddy so you can measure and fit the tricky spots where you can't reach. Sewing is fun in small doses so you don't get frustrated. When you quit for the day, quit after you've had a successful bit of sewing. That way you'll look forward to getting back to it.

Making Tassels

It's a rainy day in southern California. I didn't really feel like weaving today. But then I remembered I also needed to make tassels for the woven hipband so I decided I was in the mood to do that.

Making tassels goes a lot quicker when you use 3 strands of yarn at a time. So if I wrap the yarn 25 times around the cardboard, that's actually 150 strands in one tassel. Because each wrap makes 2 strands. Two strands times 25 wraps times equals 50 ends. And each wrap has 3 kinds of yarn so that's 150.

Or to put it another way. One wrap around the cardboard equals 6 individual ends once you cut the tassel across the bottom. So 6x25=150. Sometimes doing things is easier than explaining them.

Woven Hipband

I had an epiphany this morning. I realized the weaving I'm doing on a 6' board loom would lend itself well to making belly dancing tribal hipbands. All I have to do after the weaving is done is hang some matching yarn tassles, coins, shells, or other doodads from the hipband and figure out a way to fasten it around my hips.
I haven't seen any woven hipbands though no doubt someone must have done this before, but it would be unique as far as what I've seen out there so far. Blogger is being impossible today with trying to post photos, but you can see some of the weaving in my other blog here: http://craftaday.blogspot.com/2009/01/weaving-books-and-hummingbirds.html

Genie Up-do

I gotta try this quick genie look up-do sometime.
Great for those impromptu belly dance moments when you unexpectedly get asked to dance. And also this scarf look has potential. Before those chiffon scarves always slid out of my hair but she shows a clever way to pin the scarf on.

Tribal Buns

Ever find a video that was exactly like a video you just wanted to make but never got around to? Here's how to make yarn hair falls and how to add them to the buns in your hair. I personally like the Homespun yarn for this but there are many exciting yarns that will work to make your hair look opulent and exotic. I just wish the internet would have been around when I was 22. Not so sure people want to see a fat old lady on youtube videos but I haven't let that stop me so far. Anyway, here is the ever so beautiful dancer from the gypsykiss site showing how to make and wear hair falls. Happy dancing.