So our little clan is going to TRF this fall and the vote was that we go in bellydance/harem type garb. I found a picture online that is somewhat how I'd like to garb myself...and that includes yarn hair falls.
I've found someone on Etsy who said she could do custom ones for me for about $30...however, I think I'd like to try my hand at making my own...cause if I am successful then I can make different colored ones for various sets of garb without being out as much money.
Anyone make hair falls before who could give me some tips on it like: What works better, hair elastics or stretchy lace? Just how much yarn is needed and how much should it run me to make two full falls? Any tips on how many different colors and or ways of messing with the yarn ie. braiding, crocheting, twisting, fraying, etc. to get varied looks?
Our very own Kat on the forums here makes them. She is in need of some $ with the new baby and all, so it would definitely be cool if you guys wanted to order them from her.... Personally I've never made them, so can't help there. She might be able to help ya there too??
Also if you google *How to make Yarn hair falls* you will come up with a lot of results.
I have some that I made they are blue and white and purple and balck with matching daisies. I would like to sell them
I make my own, and they're stupid easy to make. Please remember that yarn falls are also about texture, so use different materials, such as ribbons, lace trims, odd yarns, different hues and shades of the color you want, etc.
I am looking to create a look somewhat like this...except probably not the green lipstick or quite as much makeup (esp. seeing as how hot TRF can be in October and how sweaty one can get)!! I will probably also do wristlets instead of sleeves and my bra will need to be more substantial.
(http://i39.tinypic.com/2qapbif.jpg)
First...that is a fantastic look. So much fun.
When I made my "yarn hair" I used a hair tie (elastic band). I used several different types of yarn in different textures in the colors I wanted. There are some yarns out there that are pretty thick, but you might need to twist together a few strands to get that really thick dread lock look that she has. I am not exactly sure how you'd do that. Maybe with some of that wax they use to dread hair. Then I cut pieces of the yarn twice as long as I wanted the "hair" hair to be when I was done. I folded it in half. Then pulled the ends up around the hair tie and threw the loop. Then pulled tight. Then I just make a little bun or poney tail with the yarn hair, hair tie. To get a nice full look, it does take a while, because you'll want to put alot of them on there. Hope that helps a little.
Homespun yarn - a few strands twisted together would be good. I love the homespun because you can take out the thread and have it become really wooly/dred looking
i make them all the time when belly dancing. I do what flidias said, just cut ittwice as long, fold in half and use the rubber band in a "half" knot, it that is what its called. i also braid strands into chunky braids. also, you can add cowrie shells into the strands for more tribal look.
just have fun!
I LOVE that picture!! Are you making the rest of your garb? I would love to do garb like that, I have no idea where to start.
Ooooh, I found this tutorial on hair falls, this is kind of cool: http://www.tribalbellydance.org/resources/cowriefalls.html (http://www.tribalbellydance.org/resources/cowriefalls.html)
Yes, I'm gonna be making most of my garb. Belly-dancing garb wasn't my idea...the other ladies in our little clan wanted to do it. Since it's not so much my thing I wanted to kinda make it my own by going a little more goth/steampunk with it. I just ran across this pic somewhere online and since the colors she's wearing are ones I love, I thought I'd go that route...only adding silver and some steampunk elements.
Totally anachronistic, I know...but then again ANYTHING bellydance isn't exactly period. So if we aren't going for a period look, why not have fun with it?!!
Try looking for Tribal Bellydance stuff that is the style of the picture. There are zillions of cool pictures out there for makeup and hairstyles
OOooh, I so hope you post pictures of your progress, I can't wait to see! I might try to get some belly dancing garb going for this fall, I've always wanted to try that out. :)
Well, I went to Michael's today and got yarn, ribbon, etc. for the hair falls and as I already had some new hair elastics at home I was able to get started making the falls today. One is finished and everything is cut out for the other...just have to put it together. Will take a couple pics of them and post once they are done.
Also went by Kohl's and got a black bra to be used as the foundation of my belly dance bra...only of course it will look quite different when finished!! Since I'm going with some goth and steampunk influences for my garb I'm gonna sew lock washers (metal washers with teeth) on the bra instead of coins. I'm also gonna replace the bra straps with metal o-rings and thick black ribbon to criss-cross and tie in the back. Last night I took an old bra that needed to be trashed and used it for a sort of prototype to figure out what I was gonna do...so as not to just start hacking away at a brand new bra!!
I also picked up some black sueded leather and some silver grommets to get started on the belt. I'm gonna use more of the black and green yarn from the hair falls to make the streamers for the belt...but I also wanna incorporate maybe another green ribbon for it as well...just have to find a sort of earthy green in the right width. The belt and the bra are the things I'm most nervous about making...cause skirts, harem pants, tops, capes, scarves, etc. are all just cutting out and stitching up and aren't as big a deal...since I'll be working off of patterns of sorts (with some modifications) for those...whereas the bra and belt are pretty much just me looking at pictures online, reading a couple how-to blog posts, and then going for it!!
Hair falls are done!! I am not sure how I like them on elastics though...they might be easier if they were on a ribbon or cording or something and tied in. On the elastics the yarn keeps wanting to get caught up in the elastic as I wind it around.
(http://i44.tinypic.com/dyws2.jpg)
A closeup of the colors and such...
(http://i44.tinypic.com/16bxb38.jpg)
I first tried out how to do it with just the yarn (first pic) then redid it with the ribbon and cording added in (second pic). I think for fullness though I might make another plain set to wear layered under the sparkly one. The third pic is both sets layered together on one side to get an idea of the fullness.
(http://i44.tinypic.com/n65lzl.jpg) (http://i43.tinypic.com/f4kb45.jpg) (http://i44.tinypic.com/29ay1bl.jpg)
Good job using textures! I like the contrasts. See about maybe using some silver or light green to offset some.
I love the colors! Green is one of my faves to work with.
Question, though. I was curious about using the hair elastics and tangling issues when putting them in/on. What kind of issues are you noticing and what would you do differently? Those that wear them, what are your thoughts?
I usually clump my yarn together, then tie the elastics around the entire clump of hair. That's the way I've been doing it for years. Then, as I apply the hair, the loopy end of the elastic goes into a part behind the elastic of my hair, then comes back up and loops around my bun.
The only thing I can figure is that singularly tying the hair onto the elastic is not only time consuming, but a tangley mess.
I like to put them on barettes, no tangly mess.
Or
I would put the pigtails in a bunish thing and just slid the rubberbands over the buns
Looking FAB
I actually use 3 hair ties for each of mine;though I usually am making dreads, this works well for yarn too. You can get a lot of yarn on this way. I attach the 3 elastics together and then put the hair/yarn on the middle one only and using the 2 on the ends to wrap around my bun/ponytail.
I don't have any pictures handy at the moment, but if you want some to see what I am talking about, I can dig out my falls.
I thought i may share some of my goth/steampunk belly dance pictures since that is my specialty!
my biggest suggestion is to check goodwill, I have bought so many things from there for my costuming! skirts, belt bases, bras, pants to butcher, vests!
lemme walk you through some:
First incarnation of goth: note hair falls:
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y237/alicathelton/008.jpg)
also goth, belt is made with a goodwill dress cut into strips, goodwill vest i cut off, goodwill pants:
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y237/alicathelton/P1010516.jpg)
back view of goth-ness:
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y237/alicathelton/022.jpg)
and here is the steampunk version:
first, note the tiny topper hat, belt from goodwill, small vest, I LoVE that thing! the belt has chains looped off it and keys, bells, pocketwatches hanging on it!
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y237/alicathelton/071.jpg)
next, i made a new headpiece with keys, lockets, buttons, typewriter keys, new garter pants with lace inserts, short tiered lace skirt from, you guessed it, goodwill!
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y237/alicathelton/048.jpg)
next, I made a new bra. take a good-fitting bra, covered top half in antique lace, attached key and lock brads from oriental trading:
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y237/alicathelton/me.jpg)
another view of bra and belt from competetion, sorry its blurry:
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y237/alicathelton/024.jpg)
I hope this helps give you some inspiration!
ps, i am sooo sorry they are so biig, havent wuite figured out how to make it smaller on photobucket!
I donno about Tex but you sure gave me some ideas!
I LOVE fishing for good stuff at thrift stores!
why thanks!! ;D oh,,,, also, bustle!!! for steampunk, my skirts gather in the back to do a bustle-thingy@
How do you do the bustling on the skirts?
hmm, i have no real good way to explain, except that i saftey pin the crap out of them! The look is bustled skirt over longer skirt, pants, or tghts. as you can see a little from the pic by the lamp, kinda flat on the front, bulk toward the back. i wish i had back shots, sorry about that! oh, and it looks cool with tiered skirts too! main thing, there is no set pattern, just go wild!
ps, i dont sew them in place, because I know i may change my mind! ;D
Haha, guess I should do my homework better, but...
Messing around online tonight I discovered that several of my fave bellydance outfits I've seen online were all created and worn by the same person!! I totally need to pick HER brain!! I guess it's understandable though, as she looks so completely different in the different outfits!!
(http://i41.tinypic.com/2lsz4ew.jpg) (http://i42.tinypic.com/4s07dt.jpg) (http://i42.tinypic.com/a0xiso.jpg) (http://i44.tinypic.com/6gwz07.jpg)
Haha, I totally had no idea that was the same chick!!!! I'm definitely there with you Texasromaniac... Her outfits rock!!
Yeah...here's the main page for her website... http://sarcasm-hime.net
If you click on the dance link on the main page and then to photos and videos, there's some bellydance specific stuff there, BUT...if you click on the costuming link on the main page and then on finished costumes, you can see ALL the stuff she's made (bellydance, anime, goth, steampunk, tribal, etc.)...it's pretty impressive.
I can only wish I could be so creative!! I can sew decently and can follow patterns, but coming up with stuff like that, just based off of a picture...wow!!
She posted a video of her steampunk routine. Can't really see the detail of her costume but it is entertaining.
I have a friend who's doing tribal bellydance and makes her own costumes. Some stuff is seriously awesome. For my birthday she did a sword dance in full costume, and she also performs with her class now and then (again in full costume). Alas, I don't think she has an own website, but here's some pics for inspiration:
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s126/sneprinsesse/bellydance/090614_elevaften/tribalsverd.jpg
http://s151.photobucket.com/albums/s126/sneprinsesse/bellydance/100417_tribalkursavslutning/april10_sf.jpg
http://s151.photobucket.com/albums/s126/sneprinsesse/bellydance/091203_tribalkursavslutning/tribalmoro1.jpg
I don't think baskets are necessarily something a bellydancer would carry around, but I'm not sure what else to do as a way to carry my wallet, small camera, lipgloss, meds, and the little ziplocks of almonds and jerky we always take to faire.
Back in 2007 I found a lidded basket at Goodwill and as I sat at my boring job between answering phone calls I sewed a lining and lid cover on it and added a couple flowers. Though it wasn't really something a lady pirate would carry around, I didn't care and it seemed to work out nicely. However, said basket won't work with the colors I'm using this time around, so I will probably be lending it to another lady in our clan to use and have now got to come up with something else.
Today was 50% off most everything at our local Goodwill, so I picked up a few baskets as possibilities. Most likely I will just sew up a little pouch out of a silvery fabric and tack it to the bottom of the black basket and leave it at that for this year...but I did have a question for anyone who has ideas about the lidded one I bought today. I like it, but the mechanism is of course too modern. Any ideas as to what sort of fastener I can replace it with?
(http://i44.tinypic.com/j64k2d.jpg)
she is too stinkin cute! i want that clouse she has!!! drool! i did that same song as a wind-up doll at a Toys for Tots benefit. it is always nice to see other's take on it!
I also found this blouse at Goodwill today and am hoping to mod it a bit. I was thinking of cutting off the sleeves but retaining the cuffs to wear...as well as doing something to modify the neckline (possibly cutting off the collar, cutting things back a bit, and then wearing the collar as a separate bit as well). Not too sure exactly though what to do. Any suggestions?
(http://i43.tinypic.com/bdmwcp.jpg)(http://i39.tinypic.com/2z3s87c.jpg)
I'm really thinking of having the main bits (skirt, bra, etc.) be the same and actually come up with two separate accessory sets (belts, tops, hair falls or other hair decorations, etc.)...one being more of a goth look and one being more of a steampunk look.
Why not just carry a bag? With all that goes on on a costume like that, I think you'd totally be able to carry off a shoulder bag with beaded fringe, etc, without spoiling the line of the costume. (Not this exact one (http://www.weartothetear.com/catalog/images/NuWave%20Indian%20Beaded%20Shoulder%20Purse.jpg), but something along those lines)
Found this: http://www.blackwaterfall.com/23_tribal_goth.php
Just a fun read... :)
Please post a photo of the finished piece. I have been working on my own version of belly dance garb and always love to see what others come up with ;D
It still needs some work but this is what I have so far. I wore the skirt and pants to dance class last week. I made some hair falls tonight but after the pic was taken. I feel like something is missing, though. Any thoughts?
(http://lh5.ggpht.com/_XqxuHS0FflU/TFYbKa5xeuI/AAAAAAAAAdA/4IMa5xyoKTY/s512/IMG_0027.jpg)
very cute!
That is a very nice outfit Dinobabe. It looks like you are going for a tribal look based on the colors. The only thing I can see is adding coins and maybe some kuchi jewelry. You can never have enough jingly stuff lol! :D
Quote from: Bonny Pearl on August 02, 2010, 08:24:52 AM
That is a very nice outfit Dinobabe. It looks like you are going for a tribal look based on the colors. The only thing I can see is adding coins and maybe some kuchi jewelry. You can never have enough jingly stuff lol! :D
It does have bells!
Yes, it is very tribal! That is the style of dance I am learning, too. I am going to make a head scarf that has jewelry on it and I am going to try a different skirt style. Maybe to wear together. I'll see how it works out.
have you looked at some of the forums out there for belly dance? some have areas specifically for tribal. great sources of information and ideas.
if you decide to get coins, try http://www.redcamel.net/ she has real coins with tabs attached for sewing, etc. that is the only source i have found online so far for coins that aren't fake. if you find another source please let me know!
anaya tribal is good too. decent prices and for just getting ideas.
I've always just bought my coins on ebay.
Quote from: Bonny Pearl on August 02, 2010, 11:04:48 AM
have you looked at some of the forums out there for belly dance? some have areas specifically for tribal. great sources of information and ideas.
anaya tribal is good too. decent prices and for just getting ideas.
I do a lot of internet perusing. I haven't seen anaya tribal, it looks like a good site. Thanks!
Quote from: Sitara on August 02, 2010, 12:58:55 PM
I've always just bought my coins on ebay.
Sitara, do you have a link to the seller you use? Thanks!