Hello Gang,
Throughout the month of October, I’m finishing up costuming projects for the upcoming book, “Becoming a Belly Dancer: From Student to Stage.” Chapter 8 of the book is dedicated to weekend costuming projects. Many students, hobbyiest, and troupe dancers are looking for fast, easy, and affordable costuming projects. So we’ve gathered together some simple and easy projects that are low-sew or even no-sew and yet, still pack a visual punch in performance. Last week, I test drove the directions for the “Jewelry Bra” to make sure they worked. I documented the process with my cell phone, and posted a few of them to my Instagram account. These little “behind the scenes” photos give you a sneak peek into the content of our new book, slated for release holiday, 2015.
Jewelry Bra
This bra is exactly what the description says, a bra with jewelry stitched to it. The jewelry bra is one of the several formulas, or recipes you can use to quickly make a bra. Here’s a quick run-down of the process. For more detailed information about this style of bra, and several more, be sure to pick up a copy of our new book in December.
Ingredients
• Good fitting, Foam-cup, underwire bra. Purchase a plunge, push-up, or add-a-size bra which creates the shape prefer.
• Two matching necklaces.
• Two yards of 1″ wide twill tape
• Two rings.
• Upholstery Thread
Tools
You probably already have a small, hand-sewing kit pulled together and ready to go, if not, click on the links below which will take you to my favorite hand-sewing tools available on Amazon.com. But remember, the best tools are the ones that are comfortable for your hands.
• Needles
• Pins
• Thimble
• Bee’s Wax
• Needle Puller
• Pin Cushion
Order of Construction
1 – Remove existing straps.
2 – Using the twill tape, reinforce the inside edge of the bra cups.
3 – Remove the hook and eye portion of the band.
4 – Add using 3″ strips of twill tape to attach rings to existing band at cut edge.
5 – 
Cut remaining twill tape in half and attach to tops of cups.
6 – Pin jewelry into place and stitch down.
I was able to hammer together this quick and easy bra in an hour and a half. The tie-back makes it quite adjustable, and removes awkward fitting issues. Keeping a portion of the existing bra band allows the bra to comfortably stretch around the body. How does it look when finished? Here’s Bay Area dancer Shalimar modeling the bra. This bra cost about $45 total from start to finish. Depending on your local sources and internet research, you may be able to craft a similar design for even less!
I hope you find this look inspiring. It’s super easy, super affordable, and comfortable to wear, a complete win-win-win. You can do it!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
October 14, 2015
