Links: Make your own basic costume:
                           Tips for buying fabric | Sewing instructions | Decorations
                                                     Costume styles and inspirations

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Links: Make your own basic costume: Tips for buying fabric
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Fabric purchasing guide from Teszia Dance Troupe:

Lists the best fabrics for costuming basics: harem pants, skirts, veils, vests, hip belts, straight skirts, etc. Also lists especially problematic fabrics.
Dharma Trading Company:
Sells silk fabrics of all weights and types as well as silk dyes.



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Links: Make your own basic costume: Sewing instructions
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Shira.net's Costume Corner:
Includes an online sewing class (hemming, elastic casings, Turkish bead/sequin edging), directions for making a circular skirt, a semicircular or rectangular veil, and beaded earrings, as well as an "Ask the Costume Goddess" section.
Elaine's Dance Costume Page:
Includes detailed instructions (with diagrams) for making circular skirts, paneled skirts, flounced skirts, two-thirds circular veils, and headbands.
Omphalo-stepses (Shanmonster's Easy Costuming Ideas):
Directions for a basic belt, a bra top, harem pants, hip scarf, Turkish-Macedonian vest, circular skirt and a circular veil. She also has her own costuming book for sale.
Anthea's Bra Construction:
Step-by-step directions for building a costume bra from a hard-shell strapless bra, with photos of each stage.
Nadya's Sewing Hints:
This very informative homepage has been translated from German, so it has a cute accent! Nadya shows how to make a belt and bra (with photos of all the stages), and has pages on decoration techniques using sequins, beads, rhinestones, and fringes. She also has directions for sewing stretch velvet choli tops, sleeves, and sequined crocheted gauntlets, as well as some tips on choosing costume colors and applying stage makeup. It's definitely worth a visit!
Sheikhani Dance Troupe Costume Tips:
Directions for easy harem pants and a cabaret circle skirt.
Some Help for Your First Costume from Jilyan al-Shaheen:
Circle skirt, bra and belt, harem pants, caftan.



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Links: Make your own basic costume: Decorations
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Classic Stitches - Jan's Guide to Sequins:
Describes types of sequins, application techniques, and necessary materials.
Cartwright's Sequins:
Has a wide variety of colors, sizes, and styles of loose sequins, as well as spangles and seed beads. I have done business with them and have found them to be fast and friendly.
Coté Materials and Supplies for the Arts and Sports:
Offers seed beads and bugle beads in many colors (look under "beads"). They also sell various trims, short fringes, and sequin appliqués.



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Links: Make your own basic costume: Costume styles and inspirations
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Morocco's Repertoire:
Photos and short explanations of many types of traditional dance styles.
Ahlam Dance Theater's Repertoire:
Photos and short explanations of some traditional dances and costuming styles.
Shira's Photo Gallery:
Photos of some of Shira's costumes accompanied by descriptive comments.
Belly Dancing for Full Figured Women Photo Gallery:
This gallery features many beautiful costume options for plus-sized dancers
.
Meissoun's Photo Gallery:
Some of the Egyptian and Turkish costumes worn by Swiss dancer Meissoun (English version).
Djamila's Photo Gallery:
Egyptian costumes worn by German dancer Djamila - includes names of vendors (English version).
Ayascha's Fotogalerie:
Photos of German dancer Ayascha modeling her (mostly Bella) costumes (German site).
Belly Dance Gallery by Jeff Oberman:
Photos of many, many different dancers in many different costume styles.



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