Costume Queen

Costume Queen aka Queen of Denial

I just hate the words "I Can't". In my day job I work in Aerospace so I can flatly, boldly, and unequivocally tell you COSTUMING IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE!!!!!

Like any handcraft, it takes time, patience and practice. If you are willing to spend the time, you can make beautiful costumes for yourself. (If time is not your friend - go see my shopping pages or contact me to alter that rare find to fit!!!!) On this page you will find directions on how to make a costume from start to finish, postings of costuming tips and tricks, historic research, and answers to the questions I get from costumers-to-be. This page will be continually updated so check back frequently for the next installment of how to make a costume!!!

And, a special note to Sahra Saeeda - we laughed about the "google eye" costume... well, after threatening to do it, after all these years - yup - it's done! You can see Faizeh wearing it at an up-coming event! See the picture in the Photo Gallery!!!

Soon to come... Ever notice how a truly gorgeous dancer can wear a simple but complimenting costume? (Less is more.) After watching my 2 grown Barbie dolls (Sedona and Faizeh) evolve over the last 10 years, I realized they could dance in burlap and be beautiful. So next on the crazy costume list is a burlap potato sack for Faizeh and a flour sack for Sedona. Not kidding... I know they can totally pull it off! Of course you need to have an opposite sample to test any theory so you'll need to see Faizeh in her peacock bobble head! And special Thanks to Faizeh and Sedona for patiently letting me play outrageous dress up on them... luv ya!

Do It Yourself Class

This is a picture of the costume you will learn to make all by yourself from this page. The design is extremely simple as well as incredibly versatile. It is a wonderful troupe costume on several levels. The design served my dance Troupe Nisaa Benezir for many years before the members moved on to other costume styles. The costume design can still be seen dancing happily, so to make your original, change colors and fabrics and placement of the doo-dads when creating your own.

Part 1 - Making the Belt

Materials - 1 yd Heavy weight Interfacing, 1/2 yd fabric (1/2 yd will cover the belt and bra with a little left over), Locking hooks

Interfacing - I prefer a non-woven interfacing fusible or not. Use fusible if the fabric you are covering the base with is very light. Always try to match the interfacing with the bra you are covering - either white or black. Do not use buckram (the stuff used for lining curtain pleats with - it tears and after a short time will crack. And, keep away from denim and fabrics that stretch on the bias if the finished costume needs to remain wrinkle free!

Covering Fabric - For a first costume I recommend a fabric with some stretch to it - a stretch velour or confetti dot work really well. You'll be putting it over a firm base.

Notes about Confetti Dot!!!

Never iron confetti dot! The glue usually gives up the ghost and the dots fall off. Never put confetti dot in the dryer - not even cool - the dots fall off. In Southern Cali don't leave confetti dot in a hot car - the dots fall off! Never bend confetti dot too much while handling it or storing - you guessed it - the bloody dots fall off! So why DO we love this stuff so much? It SPARKLES so pretty and stretches and well, it sparkles... so worth the precautions.

Ok, your sewing machine needle gets all gunked up when sewing confetti dot. Keep a cotton ball with alcohol by the machine and after a couple of seams pull the ball down the needle, rethread and go again.

When sewing confetti dot to itself, if it starts to stick to the machine feet and won't feed right, put down wax paper (or regular paper) first then the project. Sew it and tear off the paper when done with the seam. And you can really use any normal paper - newspapers (careful of the ink), notebook paper, tissue paper, or fancy tear-away stuff that runs $4.00 + a yard! You only need enough to catch the feet - so sew, tear carefully/quickly, reposition the same paper over, and do it again!!

Notes about velour!

This is probably the easiest fabric to sew!!! Keep in mind one thing though, velour has a nap - that is a one way direction for the non-sewers out there. Run your hand down the fabric and you should feel either a smooth texture or little speed bumps. The speed bumps are going against the grain. When making a costume or garment you want the grain to run down the fabric smoothly. Keep that in mind when cutting out the fabric - lay your pattern so the grain runs down on all pieces.

Now check the stretch of the velour. If it is extremely easy to shift the fabric around your base interfacing when making a belt (fabric pulls out of shape too easily), you might want to consider using a little light-weight iron-on interfacing to the backside of the fabric. For those of you who haven't tried a spray on fabric glue (Quilter's basting glue, Sulky 5000, or other light weight fabric spray meant for sewing) give it a try! You can throw out your pins and forget doing a tack stitch around the interfacing to the fabric before rolling the edge over and doing a second sew-down.

Belt Pattern - Making a belt base pattern.

Grab some newspaper and cut a pattern for your belt. The front piece should be fairly straight across the top - the bottom can have some curves but be careful to arrange them so they don't interfere with your leg movements. Cut the sides about 2 inches wide at the hip. For the back piece, you will need to cut a curve to fit your bootie. Normally the curve is about an inch down from center on a straight edge and tapering back up at the sides. Cut and trim the paper so there are no gaps at the top edge when the belt sits on your backside. Match the sides with the front piece. Pin the edges together with an inch overlap at each side - trim and keep checking to make sure your pattern is centered.

Check the layout of the shape!

Before you go cutting the interfacing to make the base, layout a basic design on your belt to make sure all those treasures you want to put on the belt fit. Adjust the paper as needed and sketch the layout of your pieces on the paper so you can refer back to it later.

Cutt2 to 3 layers of interfacing for each pattern piece. (The number depends on how heavy an interfacing you purchased. Super heavy craft interface only needs two layers - lighter weights might require 4 to 5 layers. The final base should be fairly stiff but still pliable.) Put the layers together and sew randomly over each piece of the base to ensure the whole base is solid (we'll join the front and back pieces together much later). I will sometimes free motion the machine and lay out a grid pattern to help me when doing beadwork starting with a row of stitches at center line and then evenly on both sides from the center using the machine foot as a guide..

When both pieces are done in interfacing, pin them together at a side and try on the belt. Check for gaps at the butt and just enough overlap at the sides to join. Now is the time to adjust anything! When you're 100% happy, it's time to cover!

Krisha's Easy Cover-up Pattern

Here are the directions for an Easy Cover-up you can make to wear as you go to dance gig or to wear between sets. Takes about 2 hours.

Postcards from the Banks of De-Nile

Read through these FAQ's and start costuming - because you totally CAN!!!!

Question: I'm - ah - getting older and my boobs aren't perky enough to fill in the top edge of my bra. If I get a smaller size I muffin over... I'm on in 20 seconds - HELP NOW!!!

Answer: Age has nothing to do with it! This is a problem that faces girls with one sie a bit smaller than the other and is dependent on breast shape - not sag or fullness. Some ladies try eyelash adhesive on the inside edge of their bra to make sure everything stays in place. Costume tape or double stick tape seems to work a bit better and is less messy and less OBVIOUS. Of course, this won't fix a too big bra issue or a large gap! Use this as a truly last resort. Immediately after you get off that stage adjust your straps and pad placement.

Question: I've got battlescars from a surgery - how do I hide 'em without looking like I'm hiding them?

Answer: Number one be proud you're still upright and dancing!!!! Thankfully the public is much more tolerant of dancer's with scars and I'll add tattoos in here as well. These were a real hot point I think in the early 80's but are so second nature and acceptable now you should really think about whether the uneasiness is yours or a club owners... So much for the preaching. In any type of body issue, you need to incorporate it into your design, covering it up under more fabric should be a last resort and it should look natural on you and be a part of the costume.

So, let's say you have a vertical C-section scar - add a really long tummy floater -the scar will show in turns and fast moves but mostly be covered - not enough? Add several spaced vertical strands of beads connecting your belt to your bra - won't see even in turns. The beads aren't much but usually the motion of the beads and sparkle are the thing noticed - not the body area under it. For an appendix, try a couple of diagonal strands from under one boob to the hip. Tummy nets can be deco'd up with hot fix jewels (test 'em on an inconspicuous spot first) that match your costume and extends it into the design! Tats - you can add sleeves to a bra or add epaulets of beads over your shoulders or across your back - the idea is minimal coverage... Make-up works but the application is a pain. In honesty, I'd theme my costume to match my tat . Ex. I've a firebird - my logo (thank you Larraine fantastic tat artist) - on my back so I'd try a costume that tends toward flames - add a drape of beads across the back to extend the tail, then add stick on jewels and some of Blume Bauer's glitter to the tat. A henna design or making your tat a part of the costume usually makes it acceptable. Ladies with florals over your hips - match colors in the bra and belt to the tat - dip the belt down at the sides - sparkle up the tat - the club owner would probably think you have a really close fitting net accent. And just think, that part of your costume won't shift when you do a hip snap!

Question: I've trimmed the hem of my circle skirt 90 million times and it still dips low in spots - what gives?

Answer: A circle skirt has two points in each panel that hang on the bias - that's the diagonal point where the threads of the fabric cross at an angle instead of straight up and down. (You might need a magnifying glass to check out the threads but trust me, it's how the fabric was woven.) To fix this, you need to hang that skirt up and weight the bottom hem. Put clippy clothespins along the edge every 4 to 5 inches and hang it by the waistband. After about 3 days you will see the bias areas hanging down really low. Take off the clips and put it on. Have someone trim the hemline for you. Do a rolled hem or serge to finish the edge and NEVER hang the sucker up again! Store it flat, take it out and hang it a few minutes before you want to wear it, do the show and lay it flat again! If you have a skirt with an elaborately beaded and deco'd hem you'll have to do a tuck at the top and reset the waist band but you will probably never get the bias fixed 100% - again, fix as best you can then lay it flat to store it.

Question: I can't get those tiny beads onto my needle - the holes on half of them are too small - what do I do?

Answer:
Use a size 9 Milliner's needle or a size 9 quilting needle. They last longer than a beading needle and fit through the tiniest beads. They are also cheaper to purchase - come in a pack of 8 to 10. Quilting needsles are available at most fabric stores. Milliner's needles are longer than a quilting needle and have a slightly bigger eye. They are of course harder to find - try a good needlework shop.

Question: I did a shimmy and my fringe and beads ended in a pile all around me. Did I shimmy too hard?

Answer:
Honey, you can never shimmy too long or too hard! Use Nymo thread (size D) or dental floss when sewing on any beadwork. Nymo can be found at any bead store or check the Favorite Links page to find an outlet near you - come see me at the Black Sea Shop. Waxed dental floss is also great however, if you live in a hot clime, never leave your costume baking in your car! The wax will melt and run over your beads.

Question: I bought an Egyptian costume and during my show the straps totally popped off. Is it a bad quality costume?

Answer:
Not necessarily. There are some excellent costumes coming in from Egypt (see the links page!) However, if you buy a costume off-the-rack, understand that the straps are not fitted for you. Most manufacturer's will lightly tack the straps on for a fitting and expect you to adjust and secure them correctly. Again, use some Nymo thread to ensure you have a secure bond. And of course, change out the hooks to locking skirt fasteners so they don't come undone! And, even if your straps haven't "popped", if you did buy an oversea's manufactured costume, immediately - right now - go check the straps and run some stitches through them for insurance!!!

Question: I'm small busted and I hate the way I look with my bra all stuffed. What do I do?

Answer:
Like, take the tissues out of the box first. Seriously, you're not alone. You need to find a bra in the correct size for you. Look for a style with a deep tilt to the cups to give the appearance of greater cleavage and a more flattering fit. Avoid styles where the cups sit horizontally across your chest - they make you appear flatter. Next, adjust the straps correctly. Do not try to narrow the space between the cups to make cleavage - your boobage will try to escape out the bottom every time you raise your arms in an attempt to avoid looking like a butt on your chest. Last, try a halter strap style for the most flattering fit. No matter what size you are - add padding for support even if it's just a little. Pad from the lower outside edge on an angle to get the puppies forward, up, and perky.

Question: I just found a gorgeous belt but it gapes away from me in the back. What do I do?

Answer:
Please just say no to crack. Unfortunately, most costumes coming from overseas are made flat across the back and will not fit a curvy back side. You can try taking the belt apart to make it two pieces (back and front) and then reattach it at the sides tilting the back to ride across your curves. This works but makes a shelf butt - which is better than a plumbers crack - but can make the front of the belt tweak downwards into something I call Dunlap's disease - when your tummy dun-laps over the top of your belt.... For a real fix, you will need to take the back apart dead center, add some darts, and rebead it. And, beware of costumes with elastic tacked in the back to help hide a poor cut and fit. Try on your stuff before you buy if possible to avoid disappointment!

Question: During my last show I lifted my arms up and my bra popped over the top of my boobs. I was so embarassed. What do I do?

Answer: Wear a chaddur... For you to completely pop over the top, I need to assume you are small busted. You probably have a costume with a larger cup size and it's padded to make you look as though you are larger? And you probably hiked the halter or shoulder straps up tight to keep it from gapping. OK. For starters, take out all the padding and loosen the top strap from the cup. Starting from scratch, adjust the bottom strap to really fit. If your bra creeps up - it's too loose. Really tighten and try it on several times while fitting to make sure it's right. Next, adjust the top strap to fit comfortably - don't look for cleavage and enhancement - just get everything secure with minimal gapping. Now, from the outside edges of your bra cups start adding a little padding - just enough so the cup fits you. If the original bra is outrageously big, you can sew bra cups in your real size inside the larger bra - but my recommendation is - sell it and invest in a costume tailored for you. Most women underestimate how tight that bottom strap needs to be. .. and that can be an udder disaster!

Question: I want to add beads to costume but the needle is so hard to get through the fabric I end up using pliers and breaking it. Save my aching fingers and broken needles!

Answer: When sewing on anything, sometimes there is so much friction that the needle is difficult to feed completely through the fabric. Pliers end up roughing up the surface of the needle just making things worse - not to mention your breaking problem. Try snipping a corner of rubber shelf liner and pulling the needle through with that. You can also buy these nifty circles of thin rubber in the quilting department of any store. Keep one in your bead case and handy when sewing!