{"id":9095,"date":"2022-03-28T16:15:02","date_gmt":"2022-03-28T23:15:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.davina.us\/blog\/?p=9095"},"modified":"2022-04-04T10:03:09","modified_gmt":"2022-04-04T17:03:09","slug":"fusion-belly-dance-costume-upgrading-coins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.davina.us\/blog\/2022\/03\/fusion-belly-dance-costume-upgrading-coins\/","title":{"rendered":"Fusion Belly Dance Costume – Upgrading Coins"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"BellyLast summer, I had the pleasure of working on one of my costumes. This vintage cream bedlah set is lovely, and I was very pleased with the final results. But after seeing it completed and on the dancer, I realized that it needed more oomph in the caboose area!<\/span><\/p>\n

After a talk with the new owner, we decided to put some larger jewelry components on the belt to enhance her dance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

to perform an upgrade of the coins and jewelry pieces on the back of the belt. In this blog post, I’ll share with you the steps in this process in case you are considering<\/span><\/p>\n

Costume Evolutions – Choosing to Alter<\/h2>\n

The process of design begins with an impulse or desire to make a change. Before you just dive in and start cutting your old coins and pieces off, it’s a good idea to take the first few steps in the design process. Here are a few questions to answer before you begin your redesign project:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \"\"What is your goal?<\/strong> Define your goals, your budget, and your time right at the beginning so you can use these end goals to help define your design brief.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Are you trying to improve a costume’s look or fit?\u00a0<\/strong> Will you be simply adjusting the shape to fit? Will you need to allow time to add or remove embellishments?<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Do you have the materials and supplies? <\/strong>Figure out what you will need to complete the project and pick up those items before you start ripping out stitches.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Do you have the skills?<\/strong> Once you have figured out the parameters of your project, set a budget, and have sourced materials, it’s time to ask yourself some tough questions. Do I have the skills to complete this project? Do I have the speed to get this project done on a deadline? If you need to study and learn some new methods, be sure to factor that time into your timeline.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. What is your timeline?<\/strong> It’s critical to have a good understanding of how fast you can complete the project. Work backward from your due date and use realistic time estimates for each phase of the design process. Do you know how fast you sew? Do some time trials to figure it out.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Sourcing Supplies: Finding Coins and Jewelry Components<\/h2>\n

    Once you’ve made the decision to alter or upgrade your costume, your next mission is to source some new jewelry coins and jewelry components. Sourcing specialty belly dance costuming supplies is a fun pursuit but can get frustrating if you are working on a deadline. Always start by investigating your own stash to see if you have supplies on hand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    If you don’t have what you need on hand, begin by asking your friends in dance first to see what’s available locally in the stashes of your colleagues in dance and costuming. Then, If you need to expand your search, be sure to check with your favorite vendors, before expanding to general internet shopping sites such as Etsy and eBay. For tribal supplies, I always start by asking Tribal Bazaar<\/a>, for beaded fringe, my go-to source is Scheherezade Imports<\/a>. But I also always check at Bellydance.com<\/a> which gets in a wide variety of costuming styles and price points.\u00a0 Check out this blog post on treasure hunting with Tribal Bazaar<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"Fusion<\/p>\n

    Plan and Execute the Deconstruction<\/h2>\n

    Once you’ve sourced your supplies and have them on hand, it’s time to move forward with the project. But before you do any cutting, it’s important to carefully examine the existing construction.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

    Find a good light, lean in, and take a really good look at your piece. Ask yourself questions like:<\/span><\/p>\n