Making a belly dance costume from scratch is really exciting and rewarding, but can be overwhelming.
Especially the decoration. When you think about decorating an entire bra top and belt, it can feel like it might take ages before you can wear it.
Tammy Spurgeon, a Sparkly Belly reader and awesome costumer, created this beautiful and well-fitting, wave-inspired outfit. Lucky for us, she shared very organized notes and photos, and we can learn how she made the creation process easier!
Below are Tammy’s words of wisdom. Keep reading, and get inspired! 🙂
Tammy’s applique bellydance costume inspiration
This was my inspiration that I saw several years ago. That being said, I wanted a wave like look, water, flow. Studying the inspiration I saw that they appeared to be appliqués. The whole thing flowed organically from there.
Creation process
1) I created a basic belt blank that fit me – using a Sparkly Belly tutorial. (You can get the tutorial by signing up for the Sparkly Belly newsletter here!)
2) I photo copied the blank and drew the ‘waves’ over it. One thing I loved about the appliqué was that I could tackle the project in tiny chunks… felt like I was making more progress.
The part that was at time frustrating…. was every time I went to ‘lay things out’ to make sure it all still fit it was like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. Even after all the pieces and pattern were labeled.
3) Deciding between a patterned decoration with the beads and a random decoration was tough… I honestly have a hard time with random.
4) I used old jeans (entire leg, LOL) and a thick felt for the base of the belt.
5) Fringe, I had real Egyptian glass bead fringe that I hand sewed onto some grosgrain ribbon, then covered with my base fabric for the swags.
6) Biggest decisions on the bra was deciding if I wanted a solid strap or clear. I loved the look of the clear, though I may end up changing them out to the clear material you mentioned in some of your tutorials, I went for a quick fix that I could change out if need be there. I also used clear thread between the last two appliqués on the bra so that the spacing never widened more than what I wanted.
Suggestions for other costumers
1) Allow yourself the time to let the project ‘marinade’ in the brain.
Let it develop into what you want, allow for change from initial inspiration. I would pick up crystals/fabrics that I thought I might need… finally started the project when I found the perfect base material. A relatively neutral blue with a grayish undertone glitter fabric.
2) Make a perfect belt base.
If I had not started with the initial perfect belt base, I’d have never gotten this to fit like it does. Also, I didn’t like the stiff belts, so I used 2 layers of denim (old jean legs) and 2 layers of a thick yet plush felt. Knowing how this was going to sit, I wanted it snug, but didn’t want the hard points of a thicker stay/felt to dig into my hip bones, which is what usually happens.
3) Do sketches.
I did several sketches, as my initial photos will show. Then color pencils helped me give my final definition of shapes and color organization.
4) Give yourself time to figure things out.
Oddly enough random is harder, for me at least, than pattern. Then inspiration seemed to have both, and my brain struggled with that. Sometimes seemingly simple decisions like that take longer than the process of beading.
5) Use sew on stones.
I opted for sew on, just because I’m way to messy with glue, and I knew, then it would be on there solid.
6) Sew fringe onto grosgrain ribbon.
When I did the fringe, sewing onto the grosgrain ribbon was key. I then hand stitched the cover fabric to it like I was creating a biased tape so the edges would be hidden. But I also connected the cover fabric with stitches in-between each strand of fringe. I did this so that the grosgrain wouldn’t show through, and to help create definition between each piece of fringe.
Below is a video showing the final product in action & more details on the appliques, the bra straps, where the belt closure is, and how the fringe is attached:
Hope you enjoyed Tammy’s notes on how she created this gorgeous wave applique costume! The last video really shows the details of her work, so I highly recommend you check it out!
If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your dancer friends!
Want to make a belt base to fit you well?
Tammy mentioned “If I had not started with the initial perfect belt base, I’d have never gotten this to fit like it does.”
And if your belt base doesn’t fit well, all your decoration work goes to waste!
If you want to make a belt base to fit you really well, I’ll be sharing my special tutorial on creating a custom belt pattern in my newsletter next week, starting Monday, March 11, 2024!
If you’re curious, make sure to sign up for the Sparkly Belly newsletter below:
Click here to receive the belt pattern tutorial!Thanks for reading, and keep sparkling!
P.S. Pin this image for inspiration!
Like what you read? Want to make more costuming bits yourself?
Learn more and sign up for my free email course, Belly Dance Costume Making 101 here!