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 →
Merry Christmas! I hope you are having a wonderful day with your loved ones. I’m just finishing up the last bit of work here then heading off to my fiance’s parents’ place for dinner. It’ll be a good time 🙂 Before I go, I want to quickly share with you some photos. I often receive photos of beautiful creations by dancers, and… Read more →
Since it’s nearing the end of this year, my fiance Navid and I went for a nice dinner together last weekend to chat about our achievements from this year. We did this last year too, and these dinners are great opportunities to reflect on what we love doing, what and whom we appreciate in life, and how fortunate we are.… 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 →
Got a dance skirt that keeps on falling? After I posted the 5-panel mermaid skirt DIY, the #1 question has been whether I put a waistband or elastic casing at the top of my mermaid skirt. My answer is generally no, because elastic casing tends to gather fabric around the waist, and if you plan on not wearing a belt on… Read more →
Have you got a skirt with a slit that’s a bit too revealing? I find it frustrating to have to dance worrying about how much of my legs the audience may see. I’d rather feel free to move around on the stage 🙂 And here’s the solution to the problem! In this video, you will see how to make a modesty… Read more →
Spiral ruffle fringe like this is a fun addition to belly dance costume belt or skirt. These are super easy to make and great for using up your scrap fabric. If you have leftover fabric from making a circle skirt, you can make a matching fringe! Photos from Bellydance.com (affiliate). So in this video, you will see how to make these spiral… Read more →
Sewing takes patience, and I’m not the most patient person when it comes to costume making. I always look for ways to cut corners and still achieve the same results, and I love when performing 1 task achieves more than 1 result. This lettuce hem technique is one that hems your skirt AND creates the curly, ruffly effect at the same… Read more →