Categories
General

Happy New Year!

Dawn Devine ~ Davina - Oct. 2010Hello Gang! As you may have noticed, I’ve been quite silent over the past month and a half. In December of 2010, I had to suddenly move. The life of a renter leaves one at the mercy of the landlord, and mine needed to move back into his own home. So, on short noticed, I had to move both my home and my business. Last month was dominated by a litany of packing while this month is all about fitting my old things into new places. A huge thanks to Jerry, Joe E., Joe D., Josh, Kwame, and Peterson who each lifted about 1000lbs of books.

I also want to send out a tremendous thanks to Paloma who has offered to share a commercial office above and behind Lunatic Fringe in Sunnyvale CA. As soon as I am done unpacking and organizing my sewing space, I will host an open house to folks in the greater Bay Area. I hope to be back at work by Valentines day!

As I have been working on this massive undertaking, I have found numerous notebooks with old article ideas, past projects, and unfinished manuscripts in various stages of doneness. Hundreds of sketches of belly dancers – some costumes are really quite fun, and others – well, lets just say, I know why they were in that bottom filing drawer!

Over the next few weeks, I will share with you the odd bits and pieces written over the past few years. And while these articles may be disconnected thematically, there’s lots of interesting information to share in the upcoming weeks.

I hope your 2011 brings you plenty of good times, great dancing and fantastic costumes!
Thank you all for your continuing support.

Dawn Devine ~ Davina

Categories
General Publications

Hints and Tips – In German

Many years ago, a reader in Germany took the time to translate Hints and Tips into German.   She sent me a copy long ago, and it languished, lost in a hard drive under my desk.  Now, years later, I’ve found this document.  Although I’ve since lost the name and contact information for the translator, I am indebted to her for the time she spent working on this project.  Thank you!

Hints & Tips in German – Download .pdf here.

Categories
Costuming DIY General

Duct-Tape Dummmy Redo

Custom Dress Form from Threads Magazine

Duct-Tape Dummmy – A fashionable tool for a fabulous fit.

For anyone who struggles with fitting costumes and clothing to their own physique, a fitting assistant or duct-tape dummmy is a handy thing to possess.  These are a fun project that require the helpful hands of a friend to complete, and will help you achieve the best fit possible with the minimum amount of re-sewing.

Step-By-Step Directions from Threads Magazine

I’m sure you’ve seen directions for the duct-tape dummy around the web before, but Threads Magazine has created a new vision of this sewing-room companion.  Instead of a silver robot-like version of you, why not have a stylish colorful twin using one of the latest generation of printed duct-tapes?

Periodically, it’s good to revisit your duct-tape dummmy to make sure that it still accurately reflects your current dimensions.  As we travel through the journey of our lives, our bodies evolve. Losing or gaining weight is obvious, but even small changes in posture can affect the hang and swing of a garment. Is it time to make a new fitting tool?

If you find your current twin is the proper size and configuration, why not give her a new coating of fashionable duct-tape?  It can bring new life and energy into your sewing space and inspire your inner fashion designer.

In this day and age, isn’t it nice to know that even our sewing tools can be stylish!  Thanks Threads for the excellent article complete with   step-by-step illustrations.

~ Davina ~ Dawn Devine
www.davina.us

Categories
General

We’ve found a WordPress theme!

After several months of combing the web in search of a WordPress theme that would fit our needs, we’ve found one!   Called Bombax from Itx, we’ve finally found something that we think will work for us.  Over the next several weeks, we’ll be porting content over from the last version of the davina.us website here and the next generation of Costumer’s Notes will hit the web.  I would like to thank everyone who helped me in my quest – most notably – Barry B. my sys-admin for setting Word Press up on my server, Mike H. and Joe E. my trusty editors who makes sure that things are spelled right,  and Jerry C. who is transforming himself into a WordPress guru and is customizing this theme to suit my needs.  Thanks guys for all your help – I really couldn’t do it without you!

Categories
General

Islamic Art – Paradise Found

Hello Gang,

As many of you know, for more than a decade, I was an art historian. Today, though I teach dance and costume design, I frequently find myself slipping into “lecture” mode as I talk about Islamic art. Many belly dancers choose to study the cultural arts of the Middle East, and are frustrated by the limited amount of imagery available to give visual context to written histories. Dance, as an ephemeral art form, was only recorded sporadically in visual representations and textual descriptions. Logically, we know that dancing girls existed, but where are they in the historical record?

Well, today I have the pleasure of sharing a fantastic documentary on Islamic art – the best I have ever seen. Paradise Found: Discovering Islamic Art features noted British art critic Waldemar Januszczak in a grand sweeping survey of the art and architecture of the Islamic world. The focus of this program are the myriad depictions of paradise that are found within Islamic art. The presenter takes us on a journey across time and throughout the far flung territories that compose the Muslim world. This is a lush presentation by a passionate historian and who genuinely adores his subject. He introduces the viewer to some of his favorites; images of sumptuous gardens, amazing architecture and beautiful objects. Each work is invested with the same lofty and yet earthly goal, to evoke a sense of paradise. As you watch, keep your eyes open for historical images of dancing girls, some of which are quite rare and unique. Because, what would paradise be like without belly dancers?

I hope you enjoy this program as much as I do.

~ Davina ~ Dawn Devine
Author • Costumer • Dancer • Historian www.davina.us

Paradise Found: A Documentary on Islamic Art and Architecture