Two New Treasuries!

Many thanks to Phyllis on Etsy, who featured one of my veils in her treasury For the FUN of it!



And this one, Belly Dance Raqs, by engineerandthegypsy (love that name!)

I'm In a Treasury (or Two or Three)!

A Coupon!

If there is a belly dance veil in my Etsy store that you've had your eye on for awhile, now's the time to buy! I just posted a coupon to my Twitter feed (see the right hand column). It's only good until September 30 (Friday!), so don't delay!

And yes, you could also use it on the medieval gown I have for sale. Wouldn't that be a steal?

My Shiny Dell Mini

So I was playing around on my new Cricut and made some vinyl decals for my brother, who is the browncoat who spotted Miranda on the new Star Tours ride. I did a few extras for myself, and dressed up my little pink laptop a bit. I think it's super cute, and it's a great barometer of people's taste. I get two reactions--either "Do you speak Chinese?" or "Hey, are you a Firefly fan?"

Why yes, yes I am a fan. And I only know swear words in Chinese. =)

A Medieval Gown, For Sale on Etsy

This is a one-of-a-kind, ready to ship, fabulous medieval gown. I don't sell costumes very often, so snatch this one up while you have the chance! Click on any of the pictures to see them full-size. To purchase this gown, visit my Etsy store.

It's of a stunning mid-weight burgundy upholstery fabric with a gorgeous sheen--it used to have a watermark design in it, but I washed the fabric before sewing it and most of the design washed out. (Yes, this costume is machine washable!)

Gold metallic embroidery encircles the neckline and both wrists, and I finished them off with a hand sewn gold metallic bias tape binding for a bit of bling. Bright gold two-piece machine set grommets run down the back and are laced with a gold cord. A simple double strand knotted metallic gold cord belt draws the gown in to fit you perfectly!

Speaking of fit, medieval gowns from this era are not traditionally form fitting. My dressform is set to a 37 inch bustline, 29 inch waistline, and a 37 inch hip line. As you can see, this isn't tight fitting, and by leaving a gap in the lacing it could fit a variety of sizes. I included underarm gussets for ease of movement and visual interest. The sleeves are made overlong, so they should just reach your knuckles and gather beautifully along your lower arms.

The skirt flares out from the hip line from four inset gussets. This makes the skirt unbelievably full! It is also overlong, in the medieval style, so you can pick it up and walk princess-like or let it pool around your feet. The hemline is serged and double turned--you can leave it long, or have a local seamstress hem it up for you if you'd prefer to have it floor length.

Although this is based on a historical t-tunic pattern, there are some decidedly non-historic aspects to it. The metallic machine embroidery, metallic bias tape, and metal grommets are definitely not authentic to the time period. The seams are also serged for durability. (Can I do historically accurate? You bet. But I chose not to for this one.)

If you're looking for a stunning Halloween costume or a head-turning Ren-Faire outfit, this is it! Transform yourself into Rapunzel, Maid Marian, or Guinevere for the evening! Or add a pair of fairy wings and be the prettiest girl in the realm of the fae!

A Zumba Fairy Costume. . .

I got an interesting request last month--my sister is a Zumba fan and her instructor was going to a convention and needed a costume for a party they have there. She had three requirements--it had to be white (to glow under black lights), it needed to look good with a set of fairy wings, and it needed to be funky and floaty.

My first thought was a handkerchief skirt, so that's where I started--two layers, one of a sparkled bridal fabric, and the second of a polysilk. But then I needed something else underneath it, since as soon as you spin in a handkerchief skirt it goes flying. Really flying. (And leaving little to the imagination if you aren't wearing something underneath.)

So taking my inspiration from those wrap pants you see everywhere in the Caribbean, I fashioned some funky bloomers out of the polysilk and integrated them into the skirt. So the bottom layer you see is actually the points of those wraparound bloomers. I put the whole thing on an elastic casing, because I hate fighting tons of layers and making sure nothing is slipping or showing when I'm dancing. I then took some scraps of the organza and serged the edges to make some cute spiraled accents that I could layer on top (the organza is a separate skirt, since it's dry clean only.) Voila! One funky, floaty, fairy skirt.

On top is a simple peasant blouse out of the same polysilk, with slits up the sleeves (oh yes, her face and shoulders were also going to be painted so they needed to show--so I guess that was the fourth requirement). I had this leather obi belt in my stash to tie it all together. I think it turned out pretty cute. I may whip up another one of these fairy skirts in a bit longer length to wear to belly dance class--I hate wearing a ton of layers when it's summer, and the breezy design would keep you comfy while you dance!

Click on the photo to see it much bigger if you'd like to see the costume's details.

Any interest in me adding these skirts to my Etsy store inventory?

My Absence, and My New Goal: I Need a Sewing Room!

Part of the issue with my absence the last year (aside from just too many projects, too little time) is that I moved. My sewing room is in a corner of an unfinished basement. And the sink in my kitchen is WHITE. Ack. A tie dyer's worst nightmare!

Veils have been on hold, sewing has been on hold, everything's been a bit packed away and forgotten. That's been bad news for those of you who needed veils during the past year, so my apologies. The good news is that I have a lovely unfinished basement with room for a sewing room AND a shop for doing all of my dye experiments in. (With a stainless sink, of course.) But it's going to take some work. So in order to make that crafty dream come true, I'm doing some massive projects in the coming weeks. This includes a lot of veils, but more importantly, a lot of costumes.

I don't usually post my costumes for sale, I know. But I'm gearing up for Halloween, and relentlessly raiding my fabric stash, so now is the time for you all to take advantage of my temporary lapse in sanity. =) Now this isn't a you-send-me-your-measurements-and-I-stress-like-crazy bunch of costumes. Right now I'm planning on offering them in pretty standard sizes (the 36-28-38 and 38-30-40 ranges) and hoping they'll fit the majority of the people interested. If you are interested in one in a different size let me know ASAP and I may be able to work it in.

So what do I have in the works?

A burgundy medieval gown with gold embroidery at the neckline and wrists. It laces up the back with gold grommets and has a skirt you wouldn't believe! (Obviously, not SCA-style with the machine embroidery and grommets, but based on a medieval pattern.) This one is almost done and will likely be posted for sale first.

Arwen's farewell dress from Lord of the Rings. Yes, this is the one I posted pictures of here ages ago. My friend jokes that it's really not a costume, just a decoration for my dress form. It's finally getting finished! I need to add the collar and sleeves on, finish the under dress and sash, and this one will be ready to go. The bonus with this one is that the under dress will be a stand alone princess-seamed purple gown that you can wear on its own--so you'll be getting two gowns for the price of one.

The blue gown from the new Red Riding Hood movie. I loved the costumes from this one, and I have the perfect worn-looking blue cotton for her dress. I have some red that may work for her cape but it's silky, not wool. (Do you really want to wear wool to a party anyway?)

Belle's gown from Beauty and the Beast. I have two different fabrics to work with, so I may do two. One is a beautiful heavy daffodil yellow watermark fabric, the other is a lightweight faux silk in a brighter golden yellow. I may kick myself for even attempting these, but we'll see how it goes.

Steampunk outfits! Oh my goodness, do I have a beautiful new pattern that I can't wait to try out. A long flowing coat, a smart bustier, and bloomers! (Come on, do you really want to wear a long skirt? You have to show off your cute shoes!) I have enough fabric to potentially make four different outfits, with the following for the coat material:

• Plum microsuede
• Grey microsuede
• Olive microsuede
• Brown pleather (but a gorgeous pleather!)
  

A handful of Regency dresses. There are a few casual day dresses, but also a couple of absolute stunners for your next ball. One is out of a beaded sari from India that is going to be fabulous! These will be based on Sense & Sensibility's historical patterns.

A couple of flirty overdresses. Picture a Renaissance style bodice with a poofy loopy skirt. Perfect for ANYTHING--a pirate, a fairy, a wench--you name it, this is the most versatile costume piece you'll ever own.

Eep! Not quite sure I'll make it, but that's the current plan. Follow me on Twitter if you want to be the first to know when each one is posted for sale! (http://twitter.com/dintarmawen)

Potato Chip Hats!

This semester I had the opportunity to teach my first 4H class! Called Costuming for Beginners, we learned about everything from figure drawing to basic sewing. We did a brief overview of historical fashion from Egyptian to modern day, and did a bunch of fun projects. The kids were great, and it was an excellent experience for me too!

At our parent night, I had one of my colonial dresses on display. I had a request for some instructions for a colonial hat, from the sister of one of our students who needed something for a school project.

I like to call these potato chip hats, because they resemble a Pringle perched at a jaunty angle on your head. =) So, if you'd like some instructions on how to make one, here is a handout I put together with some basic instructions.

Stay tuned for another method for potato chip hat making--involving placemats and IKEA! Will it work? I'm not sure. In the meantime, happy snacking. . .um. . .millinery!

Turquoise and orange make. . .ooooo, pretty!

I did a custom order this week and got a fabulous surprise! The customer wanted a turquoise and orange scrunch pattern. This orange usually turns out to be a bright tangerine, almost like a vibrant orange creamsicle. Well, when combined with a turquoise in the rinse-out, it turned to a beautiful burnt orange--like a coppery sunset! I thought it was just stunning, and luckily she did too!

Want to create your own unique color combination? I take custom veil orders at my website, http://www.dintarmawen.com.

New website!

Wow, have I been absent lately! A lot of time (and a lot of costumes!) have passed--I will try to catch up slowly over the next few weeks.

I do have a bit of exciting news--I've set up a new website! Visit http://www.dintarmawen.com to check it out. You can view my costume portfolio and some of my favorite links. Most importantly, this will now be my main venue for selling my silk belly dance veils and costumes. I'll also be posting things for sale that I've found as I've stockpiled costume supplies, including fabric and accessories that I purchased for costumes that I'm no longer planning on making.

If you're interested in ordering a custom veil, it's now easier than ever! Just click on the "Veils & Skirts" section under the Salesroom link. You can choose your own custom colors, and within a week have your own unique veil shipped to you!

Costume Fabric Destash

This week I have come to a sad realization. . .my fabric collection has gotten seriously out of hand! I have a weakness for a bargain, and for something I can see potential in. So when I spot the perfect piece of fabric, and can think, "oh, that would be perfect for. . ." I snatch it up. Just in case I may need it some day. The truth is, if I started sewing tomorrow 24/7 it would take me years to get through it all. With Halloween approaching, I thought it would be the perfect time to post some of it for sale. Perhaps the fabric for your perfect costume is hiding at my house! If you are interested in any of the following, let me know and I'll be happy to take pictures of it and post it to my Etsy store for you to purchase. Most are going to be no more than $3 a yard--as I said, I have an eye for a bargain!

• Belle from Beauty and the Beast or Jane from Tarzan: a gorgeous soft yellow light upholstery weight watermark fabric. Crisp and beautiful! I would guess I have close to 10 yards of this.


• Arwen's chase dress from Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: a deep gray microfiber suede. I must warn you, this is very static-y, but a little fabric softener may tame it. 60 inches wide, five yards.


• Obi-Wan or Anakin Skywalker Jedi robe from Star Wars: Rich brown crinkled cotton--yeah, the originals were wool, but what kid wants to run around in scratchy wool? I underestimated my brother's height when I bought this, but it would be perfect for a smaller Jedi. 6 yards, 45 inches wide.


• Aayla Secura from Star Wars: Am I really ever going to paint myself blue? Not likely. I have a few yards of brown snakeskin print cotton for her top, and some beautiful faux leather for the contrast and her accessories.


• Jane Austen fans wanting to be Elizabeth Bennett or Emma Woodhouse: I found some gorgeous windowpane check sheer fabric. I think it was supposed to be for drapes, but can you imagine how beautiful it would be as an overlay on a Regency gown? I have six yards each of white and creme.

That's it for now. . .let me know if anything catches your eye!

Twice as Nice

Here's one of my experiments in over dying. You can see what a difference using an acid dye vs. a pigment dye makes. A pigment dye washes out to a soft, stonewashed looking gray--the acid dye remains a vibrant black. I then over dyed this one with a fiber reactive dye. A little extra work, but a nice effect!

Matching Skirt and Veil Sets. . .and Finally, Red and Black!

I finally have a few more things to post! I've been experimenting with acid dyes, and have gotten some interesting results.



Here's one of my favorites, a black silk belly dance veil with fiery red borders. I've also made a handkerchief skirt to match this one. It's the same pattern I used to make our troupe skirts a few years back, so see my previous post for instructions. I've made up eight of these skirts in total--while a simple design, they take a lot of work so I'm not sure if I'll be offering them in my Etsy store very often. (In other words, they may go fast so if you'd like one dyed with a matching veil in a certain color, email me!)


Here's a much lighter version of the same red dye--it turned out more of a bright cherry red. Still not quite the stop sign red I was hoping for, but it's getting closer at least. click on the photo to see where this one has been posted in my Etsy store.

More belly dance goodies to be posted soon!

Two more!

Another silk bellydance veil or two for your Etsy shopping pleasure!

Silk Bellydance Veil Hand Dyed Fuschia Pink and Purple



Silk Bellydance Veil Hand Dyed Turquoise, Purple and Fuschia Pink

New Bellydance Veils Posted

I added a few more items added to my Etsy store tonight! Click on the links to go to each individual page:

Bellydance Veil Hand Dyed Silk Purple and Fuschia Pink


Bellydance Veil Hand Dyed Silk Turquoise Blue


Bellydance Veil Hand Dyed Silk Fuschia Pink Silver Gray


Bellydance Veil Hand Dyed Silk Purple and Turquoise Blue

Scrunched?

I was recently contacted by someone who was interested in a custom veil order. She noted that in the custom listing I have on my Etsy store, I mention that I usually "scrunch" dye my silks. She asked what that meant, and it got me to thinking--what does it mean? I thought maybe a demonstration of what I meant would be best! Here are two identical color combinations from the batch of veils I just finished.


The one on the right was done by scrunching the fabric very tightly before applying the dye, which keeps the colors from mixing. As a result, you get a lot of "white space" between the two colors, and for the most part they stay separated. This is a good technique to use if you are using two very dissimilar colors which may not blend well if they combine.


The one on the left, believe it or not, was made using the same exact colors--only this time, the fabric was very loosely scrunched and I worked the two colors of dye through the fabric--scrunching it as I applied the dye. Quite the difference! You still get some blotches of the individual colors, but I work hard to make sure there is no "white space" and that the colors blend more softly.

Although they are scrunched in different ways, I like both styles--which do you prefer?

New Silk Bellydance Veils Posted to Etsy

I just posted a new batch of silk veils to my Etsy shop. You can see a few of them on the right hand side of my blog in my Etsy mini. I may do one more batch this week for the holiday season, so if you have a color request please convo me through the Etsy site or just post a comment here and I'll see if I can fit it in. (I'm running low on purples and blues!)

There are a few more zill bags for sale now too--I was taking photos and couldn't resist doing a little group shot rainbow style! There are a couple of these that I haven't posted yet, so if you don't see the one you want in my shop just let me know and I'll list it for you. These would be great if you need to do a little gift for your fellow dancers!

ePatterns Now Available from Sense & Sensibility, and a New Toy for My Sewing Room!

Here's some exciting news for those of you who love historical costuming! You've read about how much of a fan I am of Sense & Sensibility patterns. Well, she is now offering epatterns! This is a great way of ordering her pattern collection in PDF format--you can get them instantly, there are no pattern pieces to store, and you can print them out to any scale (great for those of us who do doll costuming!) So far they include her Regency, Romantic, Edwardian, early 1900s, and Swing era patterns. Click here to visit Sense and Sensibility Patterns.

The reason I'm so excited about these? Well, besides the fact that I just love the look of historic dresses, I just inherited a great new toy for my sewing room--an HP DraftPro DXL pen plotter! So now I can plot out my patterns to any size that I want! I have so many historical costume pattern books that include scaled patterns--everything from Janet Arnold's books to Patterns for Theatrical Costume. I've tried blowing them up with the grid method, using copiers, even using an overhead opaque projector--and all of them are a serious pain! So I'm in the experimenting phase right now--I'll post my tips and tricks for getting those patterns into a program like AutoCAD and then plotting them out.

One tip for those of you lucky enough to track down one of these old plotters--the serial cable is NOT a standard cable. Many people find one of these plotters and assume they don't work because they can't set up a connection to it. The cable is what's called a reverse modem cable--you can use a standard serial cable, but you have to use what's called a null modem adapter with it. More details can be found here. See if you can find one of these gems on eBay--but only if you can find a local one. They're heavy and huge, but a great piece of equipment!

Halloween Update 2: Wicked

I'm not quite sure when I started the tradition of doing more than one costume per year for Halloween, but here was the second! My sister recently saw Wicked in Chicago, so the Saturday before Halloween she got the fabulous idea of us dressing as Glinda and Elphaba for an upcoming party. One week is not much time to pull off fabulousness, but we gave it a shot!

The Elphaba dress was from a Burdastyle pattern. If you haven't discovered www.burdastyle.com yet, you must check it out! It's an open source pattern network--meaning people can come up with fantastic stuff and then post it for anyone to download. Since we didn't have the time or resources to tackle something more authentic, I found a pattern for a Leg O Mutton top, and added a skirt to it. Luckily I had some black crushed panne velvet in my stash. It was super simple to make after I scaled the pattern up a bit, took out the inset, and made it gathered all the way across the front where it attached to the skirt. It's a great pattern and I can't wait to make myself a top from it. Her broom was $1 at Shopko, and I think she found her hat at a discount Halloween store. (Her makeup, by the way, is Ben Nye--PLEASE, if you're painting your face, buy the good stuff--it's really not that much more expensive and looks so much better!)

My costume is more of a mish-mash. My sister (again) did a fantastic job of restyling an absolutely horrid wig I bought for $7 at Shopko. I thought it was a total loss, but she put it up on perm rods, boiled it, and it came out in perfect ringlets! The skirt and corset are actually from a Bo Peep costume I made years ago--I made a new white shirt to wear underneath, then made a petal skirt to wear over the top. (The party we were going to was in a barn--a real one--so I wasn't about to wear full-length foof!) I ran around the petal edges with a serged rolled-hem in metallic thread, and my sister then glued rhinestones to the edges to mimic the look of Glinda's dress. My crown she made from a crystal beaded garland found in the wedding section of Michael's, and my staff is a spray-painted dowel with a Christmas tree ornament attached to the top.

Halloween Update 1: Alice in Wonderland

At long last, here are the results of my Halloween madness this year. Being a school librarian, I thought it would be appropriate for me to dress as something literary. So, having just read Beddor's Looking Glass Wars (fabulous, by the way!) I decided to be Alice in Wonderland. I originally planned to do something based on the original illustrations for Through the Looking Glass (hence the striped tights) but due to time constraints I ended up doing the Disney style apron instead. My sister gave my blonde wig a trim, added some bangs, and voila! The dress is made out of a fleece back satin, of all things (that I had in my stash), and I made a very simple net petticoat to wear underneath (aren't ruffling feet fabulous inventions?).

To keep up the literary theme, I talked my assistant into tackling a Regency-style dress, from Jennie Chancey's fabulous pattern (the Simplicity version), so she could be Jane Austen. She even did a corset--I was so proud!