DIY Belly Dance Practice Outfit Part 1: Boat Neck Crop Top

How to make a belly dance practice outfit

This year we’ve gone online for lessons and haflas, and I’ve enjoyed seeing some dancers dressed up really nicely even though they’re joining classes from home.

Well, maybe we SHOULD dress nicely when we join online classes since we might meet dancers from all over the world, and it’ll make these classes more fun! 

So in the next two tutorials, let’s make this easy & fun dance practice outfit! In this tutorial, I’ll share with you how to make this easy & loose boat neck crop top. Grab some fun fabric, and let’s get started.

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To make this belly dance practice outfit, you need:

Jersey knit – If your fabric width is 150cm (59in), 1m should be enough to make both the top and hip scarf. Get some soft and stretchy jersey knit 🙂

Matching color thread

Your t-shirt to use as a pattern

DIY Crop top

How to Make DIY Belly Dance Practice Outfit – Boat Neck Crop Top

Cut fabric

First, fold your fabric right sides together. Here, make sure the direction of stretch is perpendicular to the fold of the fabric.

Place your t-shirt flat on the fabric. Now we’re going to trace this shirt here, but we’ll make some adjustments so the finished top will be a bit loose fitting and comfy. 

My t-shirt is somewhat fitted, I’m going to mark 2.5cm (1in) away from the side seams. If your shirt is very fitted, you can add more about 5cm (2in).

How to make a belly dance practice outfit - part 1 crop top

Also, this is a crew neck shirt, but I like a boat neck look for this top. So I’m marking 5cm (2in) away from the end of the neckline here. 

DIY boatneck crop top

Then I’m going to trace the rest of the shirt. Under the sleeves, connect the bottom lines to the side seams that you marked earlier with gentle curves, and mark where the sleeve hole ends.

I’ve shortened the shirt by about 10cm (4in) so the finished top will become a crop top. This is completely optional, but if you do the same, don’t make it too short because it’s a loose top. If you’re unsure, just make it full length and shorten it after you try it on.

For the neckline, mark the depth of the neckline of the t-shirt, and connect this point with the marks on the shoulder seams we made earlier.

DIY belly dance practice outfit. Crop top with matching skirt.

And cut while adding a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance. At the bottom edge, add a 2cm (3/4in) seam allowance.

Here add notches at the ends of sleeves on both layers. A notch is basically a small snip, shorter than the seam allowance. It acts as a mark. 

DIY belly dance practice top
notch

Then, measure the length of this neckline. Cut a narrow strip that is 4cm (1 1/2in) wide and the length is double the neckline measurement plus 5cm (2in). That’s it! Let’s start sewing.

Sew!

Keep the panels right sides together, and first do a zigzag stitch along one of the shoulder seams with a 1cm (3/8in) seam allowance. Or if you have a serger, you can use it here.

How to make a belly dance practice outfit top

Then open up the panels so you see the right sides. Take the long strip, fold in half wrong sides together.

How to finish a boatneck neckline

Place the raw edges of the strip along the raw edge of the neckline opening, right sides together, and do a zigzag stitch with a 5mm (1/4in) seam allowance.

Finish neckline with binding

Trim the excess strip, and match up the panels right sides together again and do a zigzag stitch along the open shoulder seam. Here, flip the strip out and sew the strip ends together as well.

Turn the strip to the wrong side of the top, so the seam is right at the fold or slightly on the wrong side. And do a straight stitch right along the edge of the strip. And the neckline is done.

How to sew a jersey knit neckline

The rest is super easy. First, place the panels right sides together and do a zigzag stitch along the side seams from the notches at the sleeves to the bottom.

DIY belly dance practice top

Then at the sleeves, fold 1cm (3/8in) from the raw edge towards the wrong side once and do a zigzag stitch while catching the raw edge. This way the raw edges are encased in the stitches.

At the bottom, fold 2cm (3/4in) from the raw edge, towards the wrong side, and do a zig zag stitch. 

And your boat neck dance practice top is complete! It’s very comfortable, and perfect for your practice outfit!

DIY belly dance practice outfit. Crop top with matching skirt.

And in my next tutorial, Part 2 of the DIY Belly Dance Practice Outfit series, I’ll show you how to make this matching hip scarf with cute ruffles. So make sure to sign up for my newsletter below so you won’t miss it!

DIY belly dance hip scarf

Click here to sign up for the Sparkly Belly newsletter (+ BONUS: get access to the Belly Dance Costume Making 101 email course!)

Hope you liked this DIY belly dance practice top tutorial, and if you did, please share this tutorial with your dance sisters! It’ll be so cute to make matching sets and wear them at your next online lesson!

And if you want to make more belly dance costuming bits, sign up for my free course, Belly Dance Costume Making 101! You’ll find lots of beginner-friendly projects there!

Sign up for Belly Dance Costume Making 101 here!

Thanks for reading, and keep sparkling!

P.S. Pin this image for your quick reference!

How to make a belly dance practice outfit. Crop top with matching skirt.

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Belly Dance Costume Making 101

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