Amigurumi Naima and Husband Person

I do not normally like to show off the gifts that I get but we received these sweet little amigurumi likenesses of me and the Husband Person from my sister. This is the only time you will see me taller and with better hair than the Husband Person. =)

I wish you all a wonderful holiday season!

Finger Cymbals!

~N

Alterations for Naia in Red

 Original hem.

Here are a few pictures of the 4-5 inches I added to the bottom of Naia's new red costume. The pictures are a bit blurry and dingy, no thanks to my old yellowed cutting board that's been around since I was a kid. The new red hem actually matches much better than it looks. It makes the dark red sequins really pop.

 Tape added to protect beading when cut.

Snip

Beaded trim removed to be sew back on to new hemline.

Shiney red fabric added, bead trim reattached, additional beaded "leaves" added to extend the design.

New beadwork. Sequins and beads are different sizes from original but close enough to fool the eye.

Alterations for Maharet

There is no way to show how gorgeous the craftsmanship and bead quality is on this bra without actually holding it in your hands. Variegated fringe, stones the size of quarters, rhinestone chain trim everywhere. My photos don't do it justice. Normally I wouldn't gush so much over a simple strap alteration but this costume is just too pretty. I felt a little naughty when I started to cut into it.

Maharet needed to have the back straps extended about 5 inches. I scraped the necklace for matching beads and sequins. I had intended making and beading a new strap. After some study, I realized I could just use the already beaded edges of the necklace with minimal re-beading at the join between the new and old pieces.

~N

The whole picture. 

Heavily detailed bead work. 

A beaded applique design that is repeated throughout the rest of the skirt, headband, and armbands.

 Matching necklace used for parts.

The necklace was lined with the same stretch velvet from the skirt with wrong side of fabric facing out, velvet facing in.

Straps have been cut off the necklace, raw edges taped to prevent bead work from unraveling, silver bead work removed from center of strap.

"New" strap cut down the middle so it can be shortened to match the bra strap width.

New strap sandwiched together with some sturdy whip stitching (on underside,) to match bra strap at top of photo.

New extensions sewn onto ends of side straps. Bead work has been replaced on strap (top of photo,) with lining partially added. Strap at bottom is waiting its turn.

Hooks and lining added.

 The join between the original strap and the extension is practically seamless. I'm feeling a little smug about it.

Sa'dia's Pink Alterations Oct. 2012

 Chunky pink and yellow beads added to fill in gaps.

I recently finished up another alteration project for Sa'dia. She purchased this budget costume online. These imported budget costumes look really pretty but they aren't manufactured in a way that a professional dancer needs. For instance, all of the bead work, fringe included, is done with simple sewing thread. I did not replace it but I am not willing to bet on how long it will last or how easily it will break. The bra straps were thin chiffon ties, like a hip wrap. The bra tied on like a string bikini. I cut them off and used the fabric to make actual straps with hook closures. I did the same for the belt. I also had to add a lining to the bra and the belt. Lastly, the bra cup sizing runs small so I removed the bra's upper edge decoration, extended it, and then filled the gap with additional beads that Sa'dia purchased. The skirt is just as beautiful as in the original photo below. It floats when you move instead of just swaying. However, the fabric is very fine and easily snags. I look forward to her trying it on now the alterations are complete.

~N

 The pink beads I added were so chunky that I covered the visible thread with silver rocaille beads.

 New side strap covered with original fabric and flower details being added.

I added a belt lining to cover the exposed metal.

I created an applique from tie scraps to match the belt design and create a hook closure.

I decided to add some more yellow fringe after I took this picture.

New bra lining.

The new belt closure with the chiffon ties still attached. Those thin ties were all that was originally holding the bra and belt together.

The color is washed out by the flash in this photo.

The original store photo. Notice, you cannot tell that the straps were chiffon ties.

Tar Berries Are Finally Ripe!

Tar Berries made it to the Ava Flemming workshp/show finished! Lined, trimmed, completed. All of it! I used my removable halter chain on the back straps. I like it haltered enough that I think I'm going to make a permanent one. There is one palette on the bra that pokes me in the arm pit and leaves big red marks that has got to go. 

~N

 The skirt isn't as long as it appears in this picture. I am standing over my cover-up.

pic by S. Bowers.

 pic by S. Bowers

Backtracking

Zill maintenance

 

Time has been moving forward, although I feel as I've accomplished nothing of late. No progress. Just backtracking. It has been abundantly clear in my dance. At least it feels that way. I noticed this past month that my shimmies seem to be regressing in endurance and strength. I get flashes from my beginner days when shimmies where a challenge and I had to practice them often. I haven't spent much time on them in a while. And I'm noticing. They feel, well a little sad really. Which means they've probably been petering out for a while before the thought crossed my mind.

I started drilling shimmies on top of my zill drills in order to maximize my dance time. I find this terribly boring, stripping my dance down to nothing but exercise, killing the fun. I know it's part of being a dancer and maintaining your technique, etc. I'm just put out by the fact I'm having to backtrack and the cause is my own doing.

Which leads to the unpleasant matter of a recent injury to my neck/shoulder area. Doing head slides of all things. I was doing one of my zill + shimmy drills, incorporating a head-to-hip combo on top of it all. Trying to really challenge myself. Get my brain firing. I've never had an issue with head slides as a quick accent here and there or as part of a warm-up. But apparently, my zealous overconfidence of layering a combo and shimmies and zills was too much. Head slides, over and over, through 2-3 songs of the same drill broke the camel's back. Pun intended. Not sure which is more bruised. My ego or my neck.

The first 2 weeks after straining my neck/shoulder upper body drills where out of the question. I also slept like crap using my horseshoe shaped neck pillow flat on my back at night. After almost 4 weeks it is still stiff but I can at least do warm-ups and stretching in that area to some benefit.

The beginnings of another belt.

Now we come to costuming.

Ah, costuming. The reason why my shimmies are suffering and why MAKING costumes are the reason why no costumes are getting MADE.

To state the obvious, making dance costumes take a long time. It's no wonder why halfway though (aka 6 months into) a project I get side tracked with new ideas. I had 3 costumes in the works when I decided to make a new silver and gold bedlah just because I want another one. I have 3 of Sa'dia's costumes for alterations.  I also made it my business to help a new dancer expand his costume options and began experimenting with a fusion style silver fringe belt. And not 2 days ago I decided I wanted to make a Saidi dress. I don't even need a Saidi dress. Meanwhile, I have been working on a costuming class idea as requested by some my local dance friends.

I finally decided NO MORE NEW PROJECTS! I went back to work on "Tar Berries" and tried to grind my way over the hump and get it done. It could have been done, soonish. Then I decided to add a long row of bead work along the skirt. That decision has probably set me back another 2 months.

Belt detail.

Silver fringe belt experiment.

Awesome texture.

Soaping out the design along the bottom of the Tar Berries skirt.

Lime (or lemon) juice + salt = chemical free zill bath.

I decided this evening I could at least clean my zills. Maintain them before they turn into a mess like my shimmies. That is at least some progress against the constant feel of backtracking. I figured I could also post a real post. Not just re-post some dance video or a generic, "Hey I'm still here! Look at my blog!" post.

On a side note, my zill playing is improving, in tiny tiny baby steps. And I'm ok with that. I finally resigned myself to the fact it wasn't easy. It never was going to be easy. And while I'd hate doing the work I would have to put into learning, the end result will be quite gratifying.

This is my 661st post and the 12th year, 5th month of bellydance in my life. Guess that's a little bit of progress after all.

~N

Tar Berries Update April 2012

I realized I had not taken any new pictures of the costume in quite a while. Almost a whole year actually. I wish you could see just how vibrant the pinks and greens really are. I ended up completely striping material off of the bra and starting completely over on a new bra. I didn't like how the original was fitting and I decided to change which cup the palettes where on.

I had also stitched the black palettes to the skirt first intending for the pink/green ones to go on top. I decided it was too garish and took away from the dark liquidy look of the fabric. So I very tediously stitched the pink/green ones underneath the black. It took forever. Everything kept getting tangled. But it's done now and I can move on to the bead work.

Imagine how the colors on this are going to pop once on my super white skin. EPIC!

 I love how the black sequin and silver bead is turning out.

 Hey is there a black palette missing? I never noticed that before.

I will continue the swirling design from the bra down the length of the skirt. You can see the white outline of my stencil in this picture.

 

Black sequin and silver bead trim is slowly making its way around the waist and down the skirt.

Bonus pic: Boober napping in the window.

~N