The Sewing Place

Fixed :) DD belly dance costume

Roger

Fixed :) DD belly dance costume
« on: January 03, 2018, 23:03:09 PM »
We found this in a charity shop, and I’ve been fixing it semi regularly ever since and my DD is finally big enough to wear it and there’s a belly dance event this weekend. My daughter isn’t a regular belly dancer but she loves doing it with mum and especially loves this costume!

In terms of fixing there was a couple of iffy seams, the hook and eyes all needed restitching, there were a lot of loose threads... and a shed load of loose beads and sequins.

But it’s now ready! Phew!
« Last Edit: January 04, 2018, 08:07:34 AM by Iminei »
A bit of a vintage sewing machine nut! Singers: 500a, 401g, 48k Elnas: lotus SP & grasshopper, Bernina 530-2 F+R 504, Pfaff 30, Cresta T-132

Iminei

Re: Fixed :) DD belly dance costume
« Reply #1 on: January 04, 2018, 08:06:38 AM »
Thats lovely Roger,

Do you think its a handmade job, antique or a fancy dress from Asda???
To me it looks a cut above the latter.

(hope you don't mind that I've rotated it ... to save TSP'ers necks !)
« Last Edit: January 04, 2018, 08:08:38 AM by Iminei »
The Imperfect Perfectionist sews again

Sewbee

Re: Fixed :) DD belly dance costume
« Reply #2 on: January 04, 2018, 08:56:28 AM »
We found this in a charity shop, and I’ve been fixing it semi regularly ever since and my DD is finally big enough to wear it and there’s a belly dance event this weekend. My daughter isn’t a regular belly dancer but she loves doing it with mum and especially loves this costume!

In terms of fixing there was a couple of iffy seams, the hook and eyes all needed restitching, there were a lot of loose threads... and a shed load of loose beads and sequins.

But it’s now ready! Phew!

WOW! What a find! I think your daughter will love it.

Vegegrow

Re: Fixed :) DD belly dance costume
« Reply #3 on: January 04, 2018, 09:08:05 AM »
that's lovely Roger .. and looks like it has a lot of beads on it.. it must be quite heavy
"The only place where housework comes before needlework is in the dictionary." ~Mary Kurtz

Roger

Re: Fixed :) DD belly dance costume
« Reply #4 on: January 04, 2018, 09:09:06 AM »
Thanks for fixing my photos Imi.

I think it’s a hand made or at least hand finished, some of the stitching is hand finished, and some of the beading isn’t consistent. It is very cute and looks like there was a load of work put into it! Especially as it fits a tall 5yr but might fit up to a 7yr old. So it seems a very lavish item for small people.

It’s definitely not that old, the beading is all plastic and it doesn’t have any of the signs of age, I think it’s been well loved, but carefully, it had a lot of loose beads and threads
A bit of a vintage sewing machine nut! Singers: 500a, 401g, 48k Elnas: lotus SP & grasshopper, Bernina 530-2 F+R 504, Pfaff 30, Cresta T-132

Bodgeitandscarper

Re: Fixed :) DD belly dance costume
« Reply #5 on: January 04, 2018, 09:59:54 AM »
Gosh that is lovely, well done for rescuing it, and I expect your daughter is going to love it.

Roger

Re: Fixed :) DD belly dance costume
« Reply #6 on: January 04, 2018, 12:46:02 PM »
Thanks Vege,
It is quite heavy compared to her normal clothes. She was also shocked about showing her tummy! I think she’s going to wear her ballet leotard under it.

Thanks Bodge! It’s a lovely piece and I’m glad it was mend able and she’s now big enough to wear it!

Sewbee, she really does! It’s a little long, but that won’t last... she was practicing her dancing in it when I got her to try it on before I finished mending it.
« Last Edit: January 04, 2018, 12:48:05 PM by Roger »
A bit of a vintage sewing machine nut! Singers: 500a, 401g, 48k Elnas: lotus SP & grasshopper, Bernina 530-2 F+R 504, Pfaff 30, Cresta T-132

Marniesews

Re: Fixed :) DD belly dance costume
« Reply #7 on: January 08, 2018, 21:59:50 PM »
If you can't face reattaching all the beads, a dab of fray check (or similar) on the thread underneath should stop them all coming undone.
Hopefully back more regularly! Ballroom sewing may be permanently paused but bag making is the current focus.

Roger

Re: Fixed :) DD belly dance costume
« Reply #8 on: January 08, 2018, 22:09:55 PM »
Thank you Jackie! I’d better get some on order! I might need shares in the company with the amount of beads and sequins I see in my future!
A bit of a vintage sewing machine nut! Singers: 500a, 401g, 48k Elnas: lotus SP & grasshopper, Bernina 530-2 F+R 504, Pfaff 30, Cresta T-132

Marniesews

Re: Fixed :) DD belly dance costume
« Reply #9 on: January 09, 2018, 16:25:20 PM »
It's easier glueing on crystals but perhaps not quite the style for belly dancing. No reason why you can't glue on sequins though so, if you're tempted, try GemTac - avoid E6000 unless you have a penchant for wearing industrial strength breathing masks!  :o

Lots of these fray check style products require you to cut off the end of the nozzle which always means it comes out too quickly. They're normally screw off tops though so you can use a cuticle stick to lift a drop at a time.

Love your profile picture. Must be new, I'm sure I'd have remembered it.
Hopefully back more regularly! Ballroom sewing may be permanently paused but bag making is the current focus.

Roger

Re: Fixed :) DD belly dance costume
« Reply #10 on: January 09, 2018, 17:48:46 PM »
Good tips thank you Jackie, the profile pic is new, it’s a cropped slant-o-matic advert... and I thought I’d better get a profile picture at some point. Glad you like it.

Belly Dance is a bit of a mixed bag, some of it is very ‘homespun’ and likes tassels and bronze ornaments and shells - tends to be called Tribal style and there’s a cabaret style, which is far more glitzy (sequins and gems). There’s other styles too but they tend to be the extremes. There’s a bit of a rolling joke about losing coins and sequins... sadly there’s no fixing the coins (that would break the shimmy!) but I can’t see any reason not to help along the immobile decoration... the less that comes loose the less to mend! Hooray!
A bit of a vintage sewing machine nut! Singers: 500a, 401g, 48k Elnas: lotus SP & grasshopper, Bernina 530-2 F+R 504, Pfaff 30, Cresta T-132

Surest1tch

Re: Fixed :) DD belly dance costume
« Reply #11 on: January 09, 2018, 22:18:32 PM »
That's lovely Roger, I can't believe someone would send something like that to a charity shop, I would have thought if that had been in a specialist auction it would have fetched a pretty penny.

Roger

Re: Fixed :) DD belly dance costume
« Reply #12 on: January 09, 2018, 22:32:55 PM »
We couldn't believe it when we found it, someone had put it in a carrier bag in a dressing up bits box (probably to stop it shedding). Shocking! it is quite plastic so I'm not sure it would sell for loads but it definitely worth more than a fiver :)

Needless to say DD loves it very much :)
A bit of a vintage sewing machine nut! Singers: 500a, 401g, 48k Elnas: lotus SP & grasshopper, Bernina 530-2 F+R 504, Pfaff 30, Cresta T-132

Twan

Re: Fixed :) DD belly dance costume
« Reply #13 on: January 10, 2018, 09:11:06 AM »
What a lovely find and it looks very nice! Hope she'll have fun!