Inspired by a previous costume (but need help!)

Farasha Hanem

Farasha Hanem

New member
For about three years now, I've been wanting a white costume, and thought I'd bought the satin when I first started working for Wal-Mart. Last night, I looked through my tons of fabric and discovered I'd been quite mistaken. :confused: I'd bought white chiffon for the veil and what I thought was white/opalescent sequin trim, but no satin! :think:

Anyway, backtrack to some time last year. Someone had made a GORGEOUS PEARL costume that I absolutely drooled over! Unfortunately, I don't have $300 for a costume, so I thought again of the white costume I never got around to making. I'm not going to steal the design, but I would like to make a pearl costume of my own design. I can do the bra and belt, but as I said on the harem pants thread, I stink at sewing, so I'll probably commission my teacher to make a skirt for me.

Now the problems:

1. We have real freshwater pearl strands in the Crafts section at my job, and they're only $2 a package, and each package has enough to make a bracelet. Only thing, these pearls have a yellowish tone that I don't like, and that really doesn't go with my fabric, beads, appliques, and trim. Plus, the pearls seem rather large and un-dainty. :(

2. I laid out my trim, appliques, glass bugle beads, and Swarovski Elements crystallized beads on the white satin, and the whole thing just said "wedding dress" to me. :confused: Kinda like red-and-green costumes fairly scream "Christmas" at you---not what I'm going for.

3. My white, "opalescent" sequin trim I bought for the veil turns out to be neither white OR opalescent, but kind of pastel rainbow colors. :doh:

I wanted to make the bra and skirt out of the same satin, because I want a more elegant-looking costume, with beading and embellishments on the skirt itself, but I'm afraid it will scream "wedding dress" instead of "bellydance costume." I didn't want to do the regular bra-and-belt bedlah, but now I'm wondering, should I go ahead and go that way, and use the silvery-grey velvet fabric I have that I was going to use for a bedlah, anyway? And back to the pearls: I do have a 100-inch broken strand of pearls that I think has a whiter sheen to it than the ones in the crafts section at work (my daughter broke it a few years ago, and I just never got around to fixing it). However, they're about as big as the ones at work. I can't find my necklace at the moment, but in the pics, I have laid out a freshwater pearl bracelet next to my beads for scale, because they, too, are about the same size as the pearls at work. Here are my pics for y'all to look at:

DSC01093 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
This is my trim on satin (the appliques I want to use on the back of the skirt, and on the bra)

DSC01092 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
close-up

DSC01094 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
sequin trim against veil fabric

DSC01098 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
trim against velvet fabric---should I just make a bedlah?

DSC01107 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
pearl example against fabric and trim---does it scream "bride" at anyone, or is it just me? BTW, even at 100 inches, I know I wouldn't have enough pearls to make an all-pearl fringe for the bra/skirt or bra/belt, that's why I want to use the glass bugle beads and Swarovski Elements beads

DSC01109 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Last, pearls against velvet/trim

I'm not sure what to do now...

:wall:
 
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Reen.Blom

Reen.Blom

New member
Hey farasha, what exactly IS a wedding dress? LOL There are so many designs in any style imaginable... LOL

As for pearls you can aslo get them on ebay in all sizes shapes and colours.

I dont mind the look of your pearls, actually. I am not too mad about the trim(unless you have as part of your design the rainbow bits on the trim and sequined ribbon), where are you going to use it? For myself I would have accent on beads and crystals and other shiny bits and make the trim blend in if it is meant for edges...

I guess silver trims could also work ok. I also like AB crystals if i can get hold of them, cos they catch the light better than clear ones, yet again some rainbow bits, although more subtle...


I belive a dream costume must become true, so unless you intend to wear hooped petticoat you should not hope wedding dress look... LOL

Sorry Im not more help...
 
Mosaic

Mosaic

Super Moderator
I like the silver grey velvet, I am not a white costume/clothes person and think white can wash people out unless they have a nice tan or have natural darker skin tones. White makes me look yellowish :D hence the avoidance.

I know many people like white but unless the pearls are the same white, it may look not quite right if you can see any of the fabric. Be OK with cream or off white. But I do love the silvery grey very elegant.
~Mosaic
 
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Farasha Hanem

Farasha Hanem

New member
Here is the costume that inspired me to get going on my own white costume; it's just taken me awhile to just MAKE the time to find the satin I thought I'd bought (but didn't, and ended up buying yesterday :rolleyes: ). It was created by our very own Kharis:

Shanazel said:
Our very own Kharis made this costume. It is sooooo gorgeous that I had to swipe it from market place and post it here for more than shoppers to see.
Click to expand...
(from TPBDC thread).

Of course, my design idea is totally different from Kharis' costume, so no design-stealing here. :)

I bought the ribbon to use to make the fringe on the bra, and I was going to tuck the ribbon part in between the bra cover and bra, so it really won't be seen, unless I change my mind along the way and use it in other places, too (but I don't think I will). The sequin trim was for the veil, but maybe if I have enough of the fringe ribbon left, I may just use it, instead. After making my first two veils, I only ever trim one side of them, so it doesn't interfere with the float of the fabric. I just placed the sequin trim against all the other materials so everyone could see how...don't know how to describe it...toyish? it looks. Not so sure I want to use it for the veil after laying it out yesterday.

As I said, I really didn't want to go with the usual bra-and-belt, but instead, do the "minimalist" trim on the skirt itself, which I envisioned as fitted around the waist and hips with a skirt zipper closure, and flaring out at the bottom just a bit, but not much. Don't know if that makes sense. Here's kind of an example of the skirt I want to make:

YouTube - Rania bellydance superstar


The sequined appliques that I've been drooooooooling over (and finally bought last Friday) at work after being there for 4 and a half years, I want to use on the bra, and on the back of the skirt, with just a few strands of pearls/bugle beads/crystals on the back and front. But after laying the appliques and beads out on the satin, I was afraid the whole thing said "wedding dress." :( That's when I thought of using the silver velvet material to make a bedlah, but even though the appliques and beads look lovely on it, I'm still not happy with this "usual" costume combo. I still plan on making a bedlah out of this material; I just didn't want it for this costume.

Maybe I'm just being too ambitious. :(
 
GypsyStacey

GypsyStacey

New member
I can see why you think 'wedding dress' as i did a little bit too. i think for me it's the appliques that say wedding dress. BUT once on a costume no one will think wedding dress. it only looks that way with everything spread out. the grey is very nice, but you want white you should go for white.
 
GypsyStacey

GypsyStacey

New member
There's a lady who makes custom costumes on Bhuz her name is eshtabellydance. she has a whole link with her costumes on it one's she's selling, but that's besides the point. I love her beading so does chunky beading & here is one of her white costumes.
View attachment 3640

Here is the link of the other costumes she sells. I love her beading & the use of rouching Custom Costumes! NEW!
 
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onela

onela

New member
I think there's a belly dance costume in there. I see why you feel it looks a bit wedding dress, but ultimately, by the time you've finished, I don't think it will necessarily turn out that way. I'm not crazy about your sequin trim that's a bit more multicolour than white, but I think if you approach it right, there's a really cool bit of costuming to be made. I like your irregular pearls, I think unusual pearls are more interesting. Research a bunch of white and/or pearl costumes, and smash all those ideas together :)
 
Amulya

Amulya

Moderator
I think the pearls are warm in color and the fabric cooler, so in my opinion they don't match, but the stones do match the fabric.
I really like that gray pearl costume, I wish there was a close up picture, wonder how it is made.
 
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Farasha Hanem

Farasha Hanem

New member
Thank you, everyone, for the helpful suggestions and links! :D

@Reenie: Awwww, thank you! :redface:

@onela: Ooooooo, I like smashing! :D Smashing is good...
 
Reen.Blom

Reen.Blom

New member
In the costume that inspired you the pearls are also darker and warmer. Yet you could try and source some lighter coloured online.... I think it looks like its gonna be beautiful!
 
maria_harlequin

maria_harlequin

New member
My teacher has a gorgeous pearl costume. Here's a picture for inspiration! I love how she has strands of pearls draped across her torso and her hips instead of fringe. I'm trying to find closeups...it's a REALLY pretty costume with a vintage flair.

 
Farasha Hanem

Farasha Hanem

New member
That is beautiful! I'm glad you brought up the word, "vintage," because I think vintage is exactly what I'm shooting for. along with elegant. *mind begins to percolate*
 
Daimona

Daimona

Moderator
Pearls on costumes can be beautiful (such as Kharis', Eshtas and Tanna Valentines costumes) - I just can't stand concentric circles on the bra... ;)
 
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