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3 Essential Sewing Reference Books

Post author By Davina
Post date May 10, 2015

3-Sewing.Books If you’ve been following my blog, you have probably read some of my DIY costuming books devoted to Middle Eastern belly dance costumes. However, I find that many novice seamstresses purchase my products and find they need advice on basic construction. Fortunately, there are already numerous books on general sewing technique available today. But which one to choose?

When you are making costumes, having a good quality sewing book or two on the shelf makes a lot of sense. Sewing books are reference tools that can introduce a novice to basic techniques or help an experienced seamstress figure out challenging sewing problems. So, here’s my round-up of recommended sewing reference books that I keep on hand in my collection, and use as texts when I teach my classes and workshops.

Readers Digest Guide to Sewing
I feel that this is an indispensable book for anyone who sews! With clear, easy to follow directions and beautifully drawn illustrations, this book is a dependable workhorse. I use this title as a text when I teach construction classes at the local community college. Everything is in here, from hand sewing stitches to installing zippers, from threading a sewing machine to complex tailoring techniques. This book is an encyclopedia of tips, instructions and helpful hints for dealing with all aspects of sewing. This book has been around a long time, so if you are on a budget, you may be able to find a copy in your favorite used book store. Find it on Amazon

Vogue/Butterick Step-By-Step Guide to Sewing Technique
What every library needs is a good dictionary and this is the one for every costumer. In this book, sewing techniques are arranged alphabetically for ease of searching. This book is the perfect companion to the Vogue/Butteric k Guide to Sewing (see above.) It is much more comprehensive filling in the gaps, providing a reference that has everything from basic to advance techniques. The illustrations are easy to follow and understand. This book is also fairly inexpensive, making it an excellent value. Find it on Amazon

Singer Guide to Sewing
This book is but one title in the large Singer Sewing series. There are many excellent volumes in this library and this book does a great job of introducing basic sewing technique. It is filled with big beautiful full-color pictures that are eye catchy and clearly illustrate the sewing techniques discussed. However, this book is not comprehensive. Unlike the other titles listed above, you would need to buy several books in the Singer series to put together to match up to the more comprehensive titles. But if you prefer photographs rather than illustrations, this is an excellent alternative. Find it on Amazon

General Makeup and Appearance

The Perfect Belly Dance Smile – Makeup Tips from Sara Shrapnell

Post author By Davina
Post date April 29, 2015

International belly dance instructor and performer Sara Shrapnell, author of Teaching Belly Dance, now on amazon.com, recently taught a highly informative workshop on professional quality makeup application techniques for a polished and bulletproof performance face. She went over the entire makeup application process, from primer to color. Today, I would like to share her best tips for crafting the perfect belly dance smile.

: Front, From Left: Shalimar, Poppy Maya, Stacy • Back, From Left: Davina, Sidalia, Zemira, Sara Shrapnell

Perfect lips are one of the most essential components of the finished look of an entertainer. While a lot of women just slather on a coat of lipstick before heading out of the house, a performer needs to spend a little bit more time and technique to create a lasting look. It’s a multi-step process with several steps to develop depth, saturation, and intensity that will appear rich in any lighting situation and last through the entire show.

• Begin with Hydration, from the inside. Your lips are one of the first places where dehydration will show. Lip skin is especially delicate and drinking plenty of water will keep them from appearing flakey and dry.

• Exfoliate your lips. The morning before a big performance, exfoliate your lips. Tips that came up during the course of the workshop included: Use a rough washcloth and facial cleanser to gently scrub away the top layer of skin. Some ladies dedicate a toothbrush to serve as their lip exfoliator, apply a dab of moisturizer, soap, or petroleum jelly to the toothbrush and rub it into the lips to brush away flakes. If you are a DIY type of gal, you can mix some cooking oil, (I prefer olive oil but others suggest coconut oil or grape seed oil,) with some ordinary sugar to make a paste to apply in a gentle circular motion to smooth the skin. Some dancers swear by using a base of honey and sugar. Of course, there are many, many ready made facial exfoliators will also do the trick, just be sure to be extra gentle when using a scrub. (Need more Lip Exfoliation techniques? Check out this list of techniques over on The Gloss.)

• Slather on the lip balm. Using a lip balm on a daily basis to hydrate and condition the skin, will help the lips maintain their smooth and supple appearance. If you are a low-maintenance type of gal, you may want to select a balm with a tint to add an extra touch of color. There are many products to chose from, and ultimately, it’s not the balm you choose, but daily application that will keep your lips ultra smooth.

Hydration and balm should be regular parts of your daily beauty rituals. Exfoliate as needed. Prior to applying your makeup, make sure that your lips are immaculate clean, smooth and soft.

• Save the Lips for Last. Apply your primer, foundation, concealer, highlighter and other contouring products to take your face to it’s most flawless look.

• Apply a Stain. Stain sticks to lips beautifully, so you can use it to lay on a nice color foundation. Even at the end of the day, when your lipstick has melted away, there will still be that kiss of color left on your lips from the initial application of stain.

• Use a lip liner. Carefully and judicially apply your lipliner. A slightly lifted cupid’s bow, or a deeper lower lip can becreated with lipliner. However, don’t extend your lip lines too far beyond normal, or you might wind up with unbelievably exaggerated contours. Once you have perfected your liner, fill in your entire lip. Lip liner sticks to the stain which serves a base for the application of lipstick.

• Wait until you get there to your event to apply your lipstick. With a lipliner base, you can leave the house with confidence, but leave the final decision on color until you get the venue. Did you bring several costumes so you can choose the best outfit for the lighting situation, the background color, or to fit into a lineup better?

• Find a signature red. Nothing beats a glamorous red lipstick to complete your look. Although it may take a bit of time and a financial investment, it’s worth it to really take the time to find the best color for you. Most dancers amass a wardrobe of red lipsticks that work for different lighting situations and tonal variations to enhance different costumes.

• Use an oil-based product to clean your lips. At the end of the night, it’s important to carefully clean your skin. Performance makeup is thicker and heavier than the makeup worn by most for daily wear. Meticulous cleaning will help protect your skin from blemishes. Remember that an oil based cleanser will wipe away the layers of makeup.

Two Bonus Lip Tips: Practice your makeup application techniques. Always test drive your lipstick before taking it onto the stage.

Assiut/Assuit Belly Dance General Publications

Cloth of Egypt: All About Assiut – Outtakes of Malia DeFelice

Post author By Davina
Post date April 25, 2015

While we were taking the photos for the book The Cloth of Egypt: All About Assiut, we held more than 30 photoshoots, and our models were so amazing, that we often had a difficult time selecting the images for the book. Malia DeFelice is a dance and style icon. She possesses impeccable taste, glamorous beauty, and timeless belly dance style that slides through the worlds of American Cabaret, North African Berber Dances, Egyptian Folklore and more. Her breath of style and depth of knowledge on dance has made her an inspiration for dancers throughout the Greater Bay Area! Find out More about Malia, her classes and upcoming performances on her website. Hot Tip – check out her gallery for more fantastic images of her costuming. Interested in seeing more? Cloth of Egypt: All About Assiut is available here on my website and over at Amazon.com.

Malia DeFelice in Vintage Assiut Ensemble

Assiut/Assuit Belly Dance Costuming DIY General

Assiut Robe Styling Tips Direct from Egypt

Post author By Davina
Post date April 7, 2015

Love assiut robes, but aren’t sure how to style them? How they should fit? What type of belt would look best? Here is a collection of videos direct from the source, Egypt. These dancers illustrate different approaches to head, hip and jewelry embellishments. In all cases, the performers accent their hips with belt and usually either partially or fully cover their hair. Just remember, when you buy a new modern assiut robe, it will come in a very boxy square cut. As these dancers clearly illustrate, the preferred Egyptian fit is tailored to a slightly loose but body-skimming cut.

This clip features Nabeweya Mustafa wearing a densely patterned assiut robe with a large diagram of what appears to be the continent of Africa across her torso accented with Egyptian cartouche and stylized star motifs. She’s casually tied an unadorned scarf around her hips, and casually wrapped a paillette edged veil over her shoulders. Unfortunately, the sound is quite distorted, so be sure to turn your volume down.

Nabeweya Mustafa appears in this next clip as well. Her lively Fellahin dance in the middle of a cotton field is quite charming, especially when you check out the pattern on her sleeves – which features a stylized field of plants. She wears a triangular shaped scarf around her hips, and at various points in her dance, she has a shawl that is worn on her head or around her shoulders. The crescent shaped dowery necklace is traditional for Upper Egypt.

The last video features Farida Fahey and Mahmoud Reda. She’s wearing a lovely traditionally cut assiut robe with traditional rectangular construction instead of western shaped armscye. with a long black veil, and shaped silver belt. Her assiut robe is so heavily embellished that jewelry isn’t missed. As a side note, I really enjoy seeing the amazing Mahmoud Reda in his prime!

Assiut/Assuit Costuming DIY General

Who’s That Girl? Lyda Borelli as Salome

Post author By Davina
Post date December 30, 2014

Lyda Borelli was an Italian silent screen film actress who appeared in 14 movies between 1913 and 1920. Scholars of film history consider her first Italian film star, earning the title diva. Before she appeared on the silver screen, Lyda began as a child actor on stage, and during the first decade of the 20th century, she joined the ranks of the Salome’s, then a worldwide phenomenon. She performed hundreds of shows, through out her country and in Italy her name became synonymous with the role. By 1911, when the fad for Salome had passed and performers were moving in different directions and taking on new roles, Lyda continued to tour Italy with her show before she hung up her brass charger and began working in the new medium of film.

During the first quarter of the 20th century, it was common practice for theaters to sell postcards of their stars in the lobby. Lyda was photographed at various times during the long run of Salome and many postcards like the two on the right have survived. (Fig. 1) These images offer clues to the cut, style and construction of her costume ensemble and continue to inspire designers today.

Her dress for the role of Salome changed over the years. Early on, she wore an ornate two-piece ensemble composed of a cropped top and a skirt, lavishly embroidered with beads and sequins. (Fig. 2) By 1911, her costume had transformed into a gorgeous dress. This appears in the photos to be a complicated garment with multiple layers of chiffon and an ornately beaded lattice work bodice. The skirt features scattered bead and sequin embellished floral motifs. Although we don’t know the color, we certainly have the impression that the chiffon was pale and probably flesh colored to create the illusion of nudity. (Fig. 3 )

Her wrap is an Egyptian assiut shawl. In the top image, you can see many of the most distinctive images found in assiut embroidery work on her shawl. The dancing girls, or brides hold hands in a long row between two registers of wheat, both of which are common imagery in wedding shawls that were made by the thousands during this era. The ornately embroidered assiut shawl added that extra touch of both authenticity and exoticism to the look of the ensemble.