One of my pin boards on the Pinterest website

Pinterest
Hot New Tool for Designers

One of my favorite design tools is the mood board or inspiration board. I routinely build collages that inform, inspire and delight the eye and fuel my own creative process. Recently, I went over to the new website, Pinterest and began to explore. What I have found, to my delight, is that it becomes a great digital mood board. As I surf the web, I simply hit a little button on my browser and “pin it”, select a photo from the page I’m looking at and it gets uploaded to one of Pinterest boards.  I can quickly collect visual information from dozens of sources, edit and arrange it into logical groupings, annotate the uploads and share them with my friends.  You can even upload your own images.  I recently started to collect images of Assiut/Assuit as I’ve been working on my new book.

I’m an avid magazine reader, and I’ve noticed that magazine editors, such as Nina Garcia and fashion bloggers such as Erica over at “PS I Made This,” have started adding some really well edited and useful content.  I’ve cruised this site and have found people planning weddings, decorating their homes or simply day dreaming about their dream wardrobe.  It’s fun, inspirational and easy to use.   Check it out!

~ Dawn
My Pinterest Profile 

My Pinterest profile

Assiut/Assuit in Motion – Liquid Silver

Apparently, I’m obsessed with assiut/assuit cloth.  Which is probably good, since I’m working on a book about this magical fabric.  However, several folks have sent me email queries along the lines of:

Hey Dawn, I’ve heard assiut/assuit referred to as “liquid silver” but when I
see assiut/assuit it looks quite stiff, can you explain?

Modern assiut/assuit can be quite stiff, and the patterns are often widely spaced upon the mesh ground cloth.  The modern fabric is made almost exclusively from short-staple cotton on modern machines which create smaller holes.  The stitches are fewer and further apart, giving this cloth a primarily black appearance.

In contrast, vintage assiut/assuit has a higher metal content and was made with finer linen fibers in a more open, looser mesh.  This allows the fabric to drape and move in a more supple way.  When this fabric is completely coated with individual metal stitches, it drapes heavily, conforming to the shape of the body beneath it, but maintaining the sheen and luster of metal.  The weight of the pounded metal in the cloth, gives the fabric a unique character during movement, that is better shown then described.  So below, I’ve assembled three videos, one modern and two that date to the 50′s, that show the unique movement and drape of heavily embroidered vintage assiut/assuit.

Adriana wearing custom bra by Dawn Devine - Visit her website to find out more about this lovely professional dancer and instructor. http://www.adrianabellydance.com/

Top 10 Reasons to Make a New Costume

10 – You have been taking classes for a year and your teacher said those magic words ‘Recital.’

9 – Your best dance buddy got a beautiful new costume and she wants to do a duet.

8 – You finally have enough cash to afford a lovely piece of assuit or other equally expensive and drop-dead gorgeous fabric.

7 – You’ve lost/gained 30 lbs and have earned a whole new wardrobe to go with your fabulous new figure!

6 – You just took a Gypsy-esqe workshop and now need a new full skirt to dance with.

5 – This season’s ‘In’ color isn’t IN your wardrobe – yet.

4 – There’s a show coming up and EVERYONE has seen every costume you own.

3 – You couldn’t resist that shimmy belt, and now you need a whole ensemble to go with it!

2 – You just saw someone else wearing that Exclusive, Custom, Designer original you bought at the last festival.

1 – Because you CAN!

—-

Special thanks goes out to Adriana who is one of the featured models in my upcoming book about assiut/assiut costuming.  Visit her website for more details about her performances and classes throughout the greater San Francisco/Bay Area.

Transforming a Vintage Assiut/Assuit Dress
Step One – “Before Video”

As I work on projects for my upcoming book, All About Assiut/Assuit, I’m trying to catch some photos and videos of me wearing costumes made from this fabric.  In December, I had the opportunity to wear a dingy and sadly in need of repair assiut dress with lots of coins.  The dress is a bit of a mess.  The coins, originally gold toned, have corroded in places to black, copper, dull silver and even green.  Yuck!  In addition, this dress had missing coins, broken crocheted threads, tears in the mesh and was – to sum it up  - a hot mess.   Here I am, dancing in the “before” version of this dress before it hits the workbench and I take the shears to it for its transformation.

Every (American) Dancer Needs A Red Costume

Bay Area dancer Setareh wearing a Red Assiut Costume

There are many costuming options for a dancer to choose from. From the glamour of beads and sequins to the earthiness of tribal and folkloric costumes, the options can be overwhelming. Many dancers start by selecting a specific feature. Color is one of the most obvious first choices, but there is a rainbow of colors to choose from. Where does one begin? White has been popular over the last few years and purple is always a winner. Green, the color of money, could send the job opportunities through the roof. Pastels, neons and jewel tones are all available to tempt a dancer’s eye. But without a doubt, the most versatile color of all is red.

Red? Not black, that most basic and “safe” of colors? Not blue in shades from sky to cobalt? But red! For the American dancer a red costume is a foundation for an entire year’s worth of specialty and theme costumes. In February, paired with pink accessories and heart motifs, the red bra and belt set is sure to set hearts afire at those special Valentine’s dinner shows.

In May, for Memorial Day, a red costume can symbolize the loss of loved ones on the field of battle. Simply accessorize with gold, alluding to the medals worn by our country’s heroes.

In June, the red costume can be the perfect color to brighten dad’s spirits on Father’s Day. While in July, a white skirt and long blue gloves can turn the red costume in to the perfect patriotic outfit to celebrate the Fourth of July. In September, mix up the white and blue accessories for those Labor Day events.

Add a pair of saucy little devil’s horns and a spike tail and become a dancing devil for Halloween. Or you can use add a black cape and a pair of fangs and become the ultimate vampy vamp. In November, you can pair a red costume with orange, rust and yellow accent pieces to capture the colors of turning leaves for Thanksgiving celebrations. And for those December holiday shows, a green skirt and gold accents will transform a red costume into the perfect ensemble for Christmas shows.

Specialty shows, parades and theme events will always be a little more fun if you have a costume that fits the bill. Why not invest in a red dress or bra and belt set that can be reinvented for each major holiday with accessories and accents that fit the bill? Every dancer needs a red costumes, have you made yours?

Note: This is a republishing of an article that appeared on the Costumer’s Notes eZine many years ago.  Recently, I was chatting with Lynette over at Gilded Serpent eZine and she suggested that I use the word American in the title – because the article is really targeted at dancers in the US, and I agreed. Thank you to Setareh for allowing me to share this lovely action photo.  The rest of the article is the same, and it’s as true today as it was then! Happy Holidays! ~ Davina ~ Dawn Devine

Hermeen – Unsung Golden Age Dancer

Hermeen

I adore watching old videos of classic Egyptian dancers. The costuming is so inspirational, and it makes me want to hit the drawing board to create unique and retro designs. Recently, I decided to hunt down a relatively unknown, but extremely accomplished dancer, Hermeen.

Information about her is quite slim. According to most bios, she was born in Alexandria, Egypt, of Armenian descent.  Hermeen became a professional dancer and appeared in at least 24 movies. Sometimes she was just a dancer, other times she had small acting rolls. She later married her frequent co-star Egyptian actor Shokry Sarhan.  Other than these few facts, there has been little written about Hermeen.

What we can tell from surviving video clips is that she was an accomplished and versatile dancer. In the following clips, you will see her dance in a variety of styles including a fantastic Spanish dance with castanets ablaze! There are also examples of her dancing with a cane, and in one scene we catch a glimpse of her flexibility with a few seconds of floor work. Her spins are to die for, she has an amazing range of motion in her hips, and her connection with the music is undeniable.

Hermeen

Check out this collection of her videos on YouTube.

Kedbet Abril (April Lie), 1954  - http://youtu.be/Y5XIV7EZzFI

Check out her back bend, a moment of floor work and swords in this clip from Kedbet Abril (April Lie), 1954 - http://youtu.be/ysShmMcdQT4

This clip has an amazing spin sequence!  From Qoloub Al Nas, 1954 - http://youtu.be/u6uNFx1G4Us

In this clip, she dances with a cane  - Aashat Lel Hob (She lived for Love) from 1959 - http://youtu.be/aTx-OIvXacU

And to demonstrate how versatile Hermeen was, here is a Spanish dance: - http://youtu.be/_9Na_zCr2zU

Check out the amazing backbend Hermeen performs in this clip from El Donia Lamma Tadhak, 1953   - http://youtu.be/3sxgXC6J9PM

Dance clip from Kedt Ahdem Baiti (I Almost Destroyed my Home), 1954 -http://youtu.be/7Gd69u6ARYU

Rubber Tipped Pliers from Fons & Porter - available from JoAnn's

Getting a Grip – Rubber Tipped Pliers

Do you do beading?  Have you tried to sew through the many layers of a stiff built or a heavily padded bra, only to have your needle get stuck somewhere on it’s slide from one side to the other?   Even if you push really hard with your thimble, sometimes it’s nearly impossible to get a grip to pull on the other side.  What do I do?   I use a pair of rubber tipped pliers!

How do they work?  You can use pliers to grip even a short length of needle tip.  The rubber gives you adequate grip to really pull the needle through, and since you’re using your entire hand to grip the pliers, it’s more comfortable too.

The pair I own comes from Fons & Porter and I picked it up in the quilting section of the JoAnn’s near my home, but you can find other brands from different outlets. I use them in conjunction with a metal thimble – for maximum push – and bees wax to condition and smooth the thread.

Rubber tipped pliers allow me to stitch through more complex beading.  One of the ongoing projects I’m working on is adding appliques to an already beaded bra.  This would have been an impossible sewing job if not for these pliers.

Check them out on the JoAnn’s website here.

Free to subscribers of Costumer's Notes Monthly Newsletter - Sign up through November 30.

I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who helped me with getting my Costumer’s Notes Monthly Newsletter into production.  Today it went out, with a coupon link to download a free coloring book!   We will be sending out this newsletter throughout the entire month of November.  If you haven’t signed up for Costumer’s Notes, all you have to do is put your email in the box at the top of  the right column.

Once a week, throughout the month of November, we will send out the October edition of Costumer’s Notes with the link.  On November 30, the coloring book will then be available for sale for as a downloadable .pdf for $2.95.

Thank you to the team that helped put this book into production.

• Kristina Reinholds,  graphic designer
• Jerry Case, technical support, design and layout
• Michael Hyde, editor
• Jamie Hanrahan, editor
• Joe Engledow, editor
• Zemira/Alisha Westerfeld, creative consultant and model
• Setareh, muse and model
• Lulu, model

Without this team of talented and supportive individuals, neither this Belly Dance Costumes to Color Book or the Costumer’s Notes Newsletter would be here, and so much fun!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart ~ You’re all the best at what you do, and I’m so happy and proud to be working with each and everyone of you!

And thank you to my readers too!  I hope you enjoy the coloring book!

~ Dawn Devine ~ Davina

Three Day Assiut Challenge – Wrap Up

It was a great weekend of workshops and performances at Bedouin Bazaar in San Diego.  I was pleased to debut my brand-new assiut bra and skirt ensemble.  It was gratifying to receive some great complements on my tossed together look. Especially the bra.  Thanks everyone!

Davina's 3 Day Assiut Challenge Bra and Skirt Ensemble. Photo by Jamie Hanrahan

Once the skirt is finished, it will hang about two inches lower than it did for this performance, but the 20 safety pins that held the skirt panels to my pants stayed put and did not come undone.  To protect the assiut, I used a black faux-pashmina shawl as a hip wrap under my simple kuchi belt.  All in all, I was pleased with the results, thought I would like to craft  a much more prominent belt and find a better solution than this body stocking for my tummy.  Like most costumes, it’s a work in process.  I’ll get those changes made – for next time!

Unfortunately, the day of the event, I realized that I had forgotten my tie-top!  Oh no!  I’m not thrilled about dancing bare-armed at this stage of my career and at my current level of body confidence, so I needed to quickly  find a cover-up solution. I took a quick turn around the vendor’s tables, but couldn’t turn up a tie-top, choli or sleeves that would work.

I remembered a tribal costuming trick I learned back in the 90′s.  A pair of little girl’s tights can be quickly cut,  converting the legs into sleeves.  I sent my booth assistant (actually it was my mum) to Target on a quest for girl’s tights. However, they had none in black, so instead, she picked up a pair of leggings.  For quick down-and-dirty solution, it worked. The directions for transforming a little girl’s pair of stretch pants into sleeves, check out my next blog post.

I had a great time performing to live music by John Bliezikjian and the Bedouin Bazaar band. I adore John’s lush voice when singing slow romantic tunes and his silky, rich tones are inspiring to me for sensual veil and taxim pieces. Turquoise is my favorite color and I was pleased to dance with a lovely silk veil from Judeen’s booth (only $40 and lush, I love the way it moved.)  to add a punch of color and flow.

Since I am currently working on my assiut research project, I was exceptionally pleased to spot Judeen wearing an amazing vintage assiut tunic.  Naturally colored, and dating back at least 80 years, this costume was gorgeous.  Densely patterned, the drape was amazing.  Here’s a great shot of her in motion and a detail shot of the lush designs.

Judeen in vintage Assiut/assuit dancing to John Bilezikjian. Photo by Jamie Hanrahan

Detail of Judeen's Vintage Assiut/Asuit Tunic