Padding a belt

I know -- you ware wondering why on earth I have a picture of a stack of panty liners.

I am about to reveal one of the secrets of the belly dancing universe.  If you have had a child, like to eat, or are past “a certain age,” you have a “goddess belly.”  A belly that has  . . . shape.  Curve.  Dimension.  And, as a result, your belt sits under that cute little belly curve that you may not think is so cute, after all.  You have that thing that is jokingly diagnosed as “Dunlap’s disease” where the belly done lapped over the belt.

Hence, panty liners to the rescue!

A good friend taught me this method.  What you need to do is to thicken the belt where it falls under the belly.  This brings the visible edge of the belt forward so that the belly sticks out less, making the belly appear a bit nicer.  To do it, take out a handful of panty liners near a surface like a table or counter.  Start with two as your base layer, but do not peel the backing off, yet.  Arrange them so that the narrow ends are touching, as if you needed a double-long liner.  Now, take one pad, peel the backing off, and lay it on top so that it covers the area where the bottom two meet.  Keep building up in a 2-1-2 pattern, until the entirety is the thickness you need.  I need about 5/8 inch, or 9 pads total.  To check thickness, put on the belt that you are working with and slide in the liner stack (centered under the belly button), look in the mirror, and see if it is enough.  When you are happy, open up the lining of your belt where you want to place the pads and THEN you can peel the backing off of the base liners to expose the sticky part.  Use that sticky part to help position the liners, then sew the belt lining fabric back into place.  Replace pads when your body shape changes or you replace the lining.  And hey, they do help absorb sweat, protecting your hard sewing work!

AND, this method can be used for belts you purchase, too!

(PS: I have also cut them up to use as bra padding, too!)

Here is a view of the finished belt, showing you the thickness added by padding.

Using Draping Fluid to stiffen a Dance Bra

The (is it infamous yet?) “300 Eyed Chemical Monster Bedlah” needed some stiffness to work.  Let’s see if this makes sense:  I was going to cover the entire thing in wiggly eyes.  If the fabric flexed too much, they would pop off (having this issue with the belt after 1 wearing, folks!) and the more rigid the surface, the more my movement would transfer to the eyes.  Draping fluid was in order.

I can’t remember if I first heard about draping fluid from Ozma or from bellydanceforums.net; but, it is basically a very thick glue used to stiffen fabric, as when making bows, little lace hats for dolls, or those lovely little snowflake Christmas ornaments my Mom made when I was a kid.  The directions say to wear gloves, and you should.  I have a box of the simple (almost plastic wrap like) food service gloves I keep on hand for messy projects, and I highly recommend having a box on hand.  The instructions also say to put the fluid in a bowl to work it into the item; but, I have watched enough Good Eats episodes to know that a zip bag will come in handy.  The directions go in to say to cover your mold in plastic wrap, which you REALLY should do, and I also completely lined the baking pan that housed this mess in plastic wrap as well.

The directions do advise that you can thin up to (25, 50%?) – which I may well do next time; and, they say to work it in thoroughly into the fabric.  Bag and gloves did this nicely.  Put garment and fluid in a zip bag.  Prep molding surface with plastic wrap.  While wearing gloves, massage fluid in.  Massage some more.  And more.  Carefully open bag (with gloves on), remove item, and shape onto mold.  Pull gloves off by turning them inside out, toss in messy plastic bag, dispose of mess, and thank yourself for wearing gloves.  Resist temptation to rearrange mold.  Wait until dry, about 24 hours.

The bra came out so hard, you can literally knock on it with your knuckles.  For the first time in my life, I have KNOCKERS!  Literally!

Granted, I could also see where the fluid didn’t work all the way in, giving the fabric an odd translucency.  IF you go full strength when you use this stuff, do consider leaving an edge without the stuff where you will sew.  Because sewing on dried draping fluid is about like sewing DRYWALL.  I had to use a rubber quilter’s grip to get the needle through, and had to push the needle against the table, kitchen counter, or any other hard surface (except my head) to sew it. 

Seemed like a good idea at the time!

The Fringe Fence!

Problem: You need to sew fringe onto something; or, worse yet, you need to sew something onto fringe.  You know the thread is going to tangle into the fringe, making knots Houdini couldn't escape from and you are going to wind up hurling the costume across the room in disgust.

Fret no more:  raid your recycling bin, cut two rectangles of cardboard slightly larger than the clump of fringe you are working with, and grab two binder clips from your office.  Trap the fringe in between the cardboard and hold in place with the binder clips.  Cuss less, sew more!

"The Practical Manifesto"

In my "day job," I work in software delivery -- which you would think has very little to do with costume design. Except, the wonderful place where I work has allowed me to learn about the Agile method of delivering work -- a methodology that can help one take any major project and deliver it in value - oriented chunks.

What on earth does this have to do with Costume Stuff?

Everything!

Many of us have a love / hate relationship with trying to make our own costumes. We struggle to take big, daunting projects and finish them. Piles of fabric linger as "future costumes" that never get worn and loved. And, attempting projects beyond our skill causes frustration and failure.

Agile shows us that the key to success is to focus on what is really valuable to the customer (in this case, you). By recognizing that, you can make the call on where to invest your time when costuming, and how to break the work down into small, independently useable pieces that you, as the customer of your own work, deem to be the most valuable.

Thus, with apologies to those who crafted the Agile Manifesto, I would like to share my own "Practical Manifesto":

My highest priority is to create beautiful, functional costuming where each piece delivers value to my wardrobe. 


It is perfectly acceptable to shift design in during construction in order to make the costume more useful. 


Costume creations should be constructed in components that can be scaled to the skills and time that I have to work on them and so that I can use them quickly. 


I am both costume designer and costume wearer; I shall never forget that both my creative and practical needs must both be met. 


I need to be motivated to finish a costume; my costume must have a purpose -- an occasion to use it -- in order to make me finish it. 


The most effective way to make the costume beautiful is to try it on frequently in the process of making it. 


Wearable costumes are how I measure my success. 


I need to enjoy the process of creating costumes. In order to enjoy it, I must set reasonable projects that I am confident I can deliver without growing bored or frustrated. 


As I create, I will grow my skills in creation, getting better at costume creation as I practice. (Just as with my dance!) 


The simplest costume pieces are the most versatile and long-lived in my wardrobe. 


My projects should be based on my skills and strengths: I invest time into what I can create and money (for others to make) that which I cannot on my own. It is OK to “outsource” some costume pieces. 


I shall regularly revisit my old creations and see what I would do differently in the future as I create new ones (or, recreate old ones).

I'll discuss some of these concepts in future posts, giving you some ideas on how to make the call on getting the most value out of the time and money you invest in your wardrobe.

Tip for the passenger seat #1

Tip for the passenger seat (or, what to do when riding along on a road trip): If you want to work on a beading project in the car, put double stick tape along the inside of a small container to hold beads. Put a small amount of beads in there at a time. Beads won't slop around and get all over the car, and you can pick up exactly what you need without risk. You will refill more often, but you will cuss less!

Make your own cane!

(adapted from comments originally made on bellydanceforums.net)

Go to your local home improvement store and head to the dowel section(in the Lumber section) or to a craft store. Look at the 36" long (unless you are REALLY tall) and 1/2" diameter dowels and get one that is PERFECTLY STRAIGHT. You will have to go through the bin, but your investment of time will be rewarded. Cane can be used as is for practice, or embellished . . .

Tape Method:
If you don’t want to paint, stay in the home improvement store and either head to the electrical section for some colored tape or the heating section (where they sell ductwork) and get the silver, shiny tape they use to seal ducts. Wrap the cane in your tape of choice.

Painted method:
Now, if you are crafty, stop by the paint department and pick up 1 can of spray primer, one can of paint in the color of your choice (metallic paints are nice). On the way home, swing by a craft store and get some puff paint in complimentary colors. (Ok, the dollars are adding up to $15 to $20, but you could use the various paints when you invite your friends over for a cane painting party.) Then, stop by your favorite beverage emporium and get two six packs of a beverage AS LONG as it comes in a cardboard carrying unit (glass bottles), the kind with the little cutout that acts as a handle. When you get home, remove the beverages to the fridge and save the cardboard. (Caution: consumption of certain beverages in high quantities may impact the quality of the forthcoming paint job.) Now, when the outside temperature is suitable for painting, take the cardboard carriers outside with some newspaper, your dowel, and the spray paint. Set up the two carriers on the newspaper and slide the dowel through the cutouts so they act as a stand. (You may need to weight the beverage carriers with rocks or empty bottles.) Gingerly spray on the primer, let dry, rotate, and repeat. Same with the color of your choice (spray, dry, rotate, repeat). When dry, bring the whole mess inside to the kitchen counter and dribble on the puff paint on the cane in a pattern. There is no right or wrong, here.

You will now have a custom cane that can match your favorite outfit(s) and that is VERY practical. And, the puff paint ensures a good grip when performing. I have found that using a "dot" pattern to apply the paint helps to balance the cane on your head because the “dots” make little points that grab hair nicely.

The "scrap" book

I . . . am a fabric hoarder. There, I said it. I justify it by saying that I "need a full palette in order to exercise my artistic vision;" but, really, I hoard fabric. Because I one day hope to do something with it, I had to come up with a Simple, EASY way to keep it all straight.

Take:
1 binder notebook
several pieces of paper
clear protective sheet covers (with holes to fit your binder)
scissors
a stapler
a few minutes of your day
and a pile of fabric

Pick up the fabric, one piece at a time. Estimate the yardage (I use the nose-to-fingertips method of estimation), then lop off one corner of the fabric, staple it to the paper, and use the pen to note how much yardage you have. Fill up the paper with corners of fabric, then slide it into the page protector, and into the binder. Gradually work your way through the pile.

Finished a project? Move the corner to a new page -- one for skirts, one for bedlahs, one for veils -- you get the idea. Take this with you to workshops where there will be vending or when you go shopping for material. These few minutes of organization will help you make MUCH better decisions about what to buy.

And, all of your friends will marvel at your organization!

Draped Coin Bra Cover 101

How fast can I type this? I have only been meaning to give you this post FOR A YEAR!!!

sigh. (lot of that today)

Say you need a coin bra costume for a show, like I did about this time last year. And, say, you are frugal and willing to sew. Well, maybe more on the frugal side. Here is what you do:

1. Make a basic black bra base, extra sturdy. Cups that have a point where the strap meets the cup are best for drapes. Rounded cups with no points will require that you do surgery on the drape. You will need a bra base that can support the weight of the coins, which will pull heavily down the cups. This is no time for halters, ladies! You need think, strong straps here that will distribute the weight -- crossed in the back are best.

2. Take the base to a reputable dealer and look for a "coin bra drape." These will look oddly triangular when hanging, and you will need to arrange them over the base to ensure a good fit. These are NOT one size fits all. Take some binder clips, safety pins, and an extra set of hands to help you hold up the drape and see how it fits over THAT base, not the everyday bra you are wearing. The drape needs to be able to cover the cups, flex to hang so that the top edge follows the edges of the cups, and still cover all the way down to the bottom edge of the bra. You can make a *slightly* big drape fit perfectly, but you cannot stretch one that is too small.

3. Buy the matching coin belt at the same time. Trust me, you will regret it if you don't. You will never be able to match it later!

4. At home, make sure you have at least 100 safety pins. Go buy more if you don't. And, pliers.

5. Before you begin draping, look over your drape carefully. Use the pliers to tighten any loose jump rings. You will use the pliers again later in the fitting.

6. Place the bra base on a work surface, cups up and facing you. Use the safety pins to secure the drape to the upper edge, starting at the upper triangular point of the drape cup, pinning that to the upper point of the bra base. Do both points first. Work your way down each side to the center where the cups meet, one pin on each side at one time. You will have to finagle it a little to get it even.

Front View:

Back View (ignore safety pins under the armpits for now:

7. Try it on. Adjust drape. Repeat until happy.
8. Start pinning the top of the drape along the cups under the armpits.
9. Try it on. Adjust drape. Repeat until happy. This part took the longest for me, as the drape may need surgery (told you about the pliers!) to fit properly. And, at some point you will need to use the pliers to cut the chains off of the drape. You can decide whether to run some chain along the straps or just keep it bare. Your bra, your aesthetic. I have draped them both ways; and, since I am a cabaret dancer, I hate a nekkid bra back. So, I either have to drape the chains, too, or wear a vest over it.
10. Commence sewing! This is easy, really. If you have draped and pinned properly, you only need to sew to attach the top of the drape to the top of the base. Find the "chain" that runs along the top of the drape, making the shape of the drape. You will sew this to the base in strong stitches that have some give to them -- you want the coins to move! Use HEAVY thread (upholstery, button hole) to make a stitch that attaches the drape chain to the upper edge of the cup. This is the only sewing your will do, running a seam that starts at the points of the bra cup where it meets the strap to the center. Repeat on the other side, then along the cups under the armpits. When sewing, only do one or two stitches at a time and knot in between (coins cut thread). Stop and fit, adjust as needed. At the risk of repeating myself, DO NOT sew the drape completely to the bra, do not sew the bottom edge. Too much sewing or too-tight stitches will restrict coin movement and ruin the bra.

I made my base out of scraps and got my coin drape for about $30 USD. Belt ran about $30 as well. So, with only minor cussing and $70, I got a set I could have paid $100 and up for. Time well spent, so to say.

Finished product:


Enjoy!

Double Duty

First, apologies from the Practical Dancer. I had lofty, ambitious goals of regular posts that conveyed useful wisdom, all perfectly organized and locked down in files saved to my hard drive, perfectly edited and back up copies ready in case of the catastrophic event of a blog move.

Sigh.

The Practical Dancer has a day job. I have a "second job" of being a Dance Student, Dancer, and troupe member. I am a Wife and a Mom. I read incessantly about dance online. I sew whenever I can, and I have a house to clean, bills to pay, and cats to pet. And, I have some lingering New Year's resolution about "priorities." Like you, I have "a lot on my plate."

It is more important to me that I get these ideas out here for you than that I get them captured permanently on my overstuffed hard drive. Welcome to the new me, fast and loose, and forgive me for being gone for so long.

Now, for the post.

What I have learned in my overstuffed life is that in order to do fun things like go to workshops, the beach, or to visit family for the weekend, you have to spend a fair amount of time traveling. Time one could spend dancing or sewing. I used to just use that time to *think* about dancing or sewing, accomplishing about 2% of good in the process. Then, I learned a simple trick from the Great and Powerful Ozma -- you can, under the right circumstances, multitask! Since a fair amount of my travel is with someone else driving, I began to take projects along with me. Most of our sewing is hand work anyway. Why not knock it out when you are sitting down in a fixed environment for a while?

I made a set of gorgeous beaded sleeves on the 4 round trips to Baltimore when we were buying our boat. That would have been about 30 tedious hours if squeezed in "at home;" but, captive in the car, it helped time to fly by. (Still need to dance in those darned things.)

I almost completely made two little ruffled arm drapes on the way to and from a workshop. (Had to make the pattern and cut them out ahead of time, and do some of the finishing at home on the machine.)

And, yesterday, I worked out the pattern for appliques on a bra and got them sewed on in the 5 hours it took to go and visit family.

The hardest parts of this are 1) breaking down your projects into tasks that can be done in a car (while someone else is driving!) and that also fit the time you will spend in the car; and, 2) knocking out the pre-work and carefully packing so that you have what you need. You will get better at this with practice, as I have. Next thing you know, you will look forward to road trips and waiting rooms as time to sew.