Sequin dresses are breathtaking, but sewing sequin fabric can be very challenging! I recently had a lot of fun creating a very sparkly belly dance dress. Along the way I learned a dozen tips, tricks, and lessons for sewing sequin dresses, so let me share my notes with you, so you can avoid mistakes and make pretty and sparkly dresses… Read more →
So I opened my DIY Applique Kit shop a little while ago, and people love the kits because they come with everything you need to create beautiful appliques yourself! 😀 But some of them asked, “How do I attach the appliques to a costume?” A very good question 🙂 In this post, I’ll show you exactly… Read more →
Valentine’s Day is coming up! So today I want to share with you how I made this heart shaped beaded applique. It’s perfect for Valentine’s Day theme costume decorations or just make one as an accent piece like a hair accessory or Valentine’s Day decor or DIY gift. If you stick to neutral colours like I did here, you can… Read more →
Last week I announced that the enrolment to my online Belly Dance Costume Workshop (BDCW) is opening on May 22, 2016. I’ve been receiving messages and questions from excited dancers 🙂 If you have questions about the workshop, feel free to email me at mao@sparklybelly.com. I’m happy to answer your questions, and it’s great to know what you are wondering… Read more →
The weather is getting warmer, and it’s time to think about costumes for summer performances! Or in you’re in the southern hemisphere, think about winter holiday performances 😉 Either way, now is a good time to start making costumes for the upcoming season. So in that spirit, I have 3 big announcements for you today. Announcement #1… Enrolment of the… Read more →
Last 2 weeks, we made this simple and pretty baladi dress with a keyhole neckline. But what makes your baladi dress look complete? A sparkly hip scarf, of course! 😀 In this post, which is the last of this baladi dress series, you are going to see how to make this hip scarf that goes with the baladi dress. You… Read more →
Want to finally learn how to sew? And make your own costumes? And save money? If you said yes to any of the above, you are in the right place! 🙂 The #1 Costume Challenge I’ve been sharing my DIY belly dance costume tutorials for a while now, and during this time, I have been fortunate enough to get to… Read more →
Sewing on sequins one by one by hand takes time and patience. It is doable for making appliques or decorating costume bras and belts, but if you want to add a little sparkles on the hem of a circle skirt, you can easily be sewing 6m worth…. I don’t have the patience for it! 😛 So here’s a quick tip… Read more →
Alteration is a big part of belly dance costuming, and continuing from last week’s alteration project, I have one more example to show you. Last week I showed how I altered my beaded belt and made it shorter. In this week’s video, you’ll see how I changed the shoulder straps of the matching bra from over-the-shoulder style to criss-cross at… Read more →
When we belly dancers buy a new set of costumes, more often than not, we have to first alter it to fit our uniquely beautiful body. In this video, you’ll see how I shortened this beautiful Turkish style belt with nice beading work all around it, and you can see how you may be able to apply what you see… Read more →