a couple of posts ago i wrote something on a costume headgear that i made last year (click on the links to see) well... here's another costume i conjured up. while the silver costume was to represent 'winter' ... this one represents 'summer'. i made 4 sets of these... in pink, blue, green and orange (think it's the orange you see in this picture... or perhaps the pink... can't really tell in this lighting!)
basically i made everything from scratch (both male and female) except for the pants.
the male dancer's pants i bought, then added embellishment (which unfortunately you can't really make out in the picture, but it's a cluster of fabric flowers on the right thigh area, just like the ones on the female dancer's head). and of course the male dancer's wig is bought as well :)
the female dancer's pants is a recycle. i had 4 lycra tights of the above mentioned colors which have run it's course as costume :) so instead of throwing them away i added bell bottoms and a belt :) if you are an ikea fan... you might notice that the fabric is from ikea's curtains section :D i just loooooove this fabric!
of course, the recycled pants inspired the rest of the costume :) like all recycled things do (just kiddin :D)
the male dancer's top is made out of the same ikea fabric and white PVC. and he spots a groovy arm band as well made from white PVC and a plain colored fabric which i bought to match the colors of the recycled lycra tights...
the female's top is a cropped top made from again, similar combination of PVC and fabrics :) . the headgear, using similar techniques of aquarium tubes and wire as the base ... i added 3 large fabric flowers onto the base where the flowers sit snugly on the top to the left of the dancer's head.
see what just 4 pairs of different colored lycra tights can inspire? don't ask me how i sewed the costumes because i honestly cannot remember. i am not trained in tailoring, i just sort of throw things together, use some common sense when it comes to cutting, and use my own body as the model.
and so... this is spring, summer, fall and winter in a nutshell :)
with me playing the "minstrel" that brings the seasons together :) ... if you're wondering about the make up? it was inspired by queen amidala :))
p/s ... i also use the "summer" costume, all 4 sets, in 70's night themed shows...
how to make a fabric flower
i thought it would be nice to share with you, how i made the fabric flower :) perhaps you could adapt it in some of your own work of art :)
1. the flowers as in the headgear
2. cut a strip of cloth. this one is 6 inches deep, as for the length, it's up to you how large you want the flower to be.
note : use a stiffer fabric so your flower won't flop ... satins and silks don't work unless they are really small flowers :)
3. fold it in half, so now you basically have a 3 inches petal
4. sew 2 lines to seal the fold. i use black thread here so that it's clearer. i also didn't bother with the frails at the edges... but if it bothers you can actually fold it in and sew it up in which case you will have to a less than 3 inch petal.
5. thread a wire through and in between the two lines.
note : make sure that the length of your cloth is at least DOUBLE the length of the wire. the more crease you want in your petal, the longer the strip of cloth should be in ratio to the wire.
6. secure the edge of the wire by turning it into a loop and tightening the loop
7. this is how it should look if your strip of cloth is DOUBLE the length of your wire.
8. all that's left is to twirl it into a flower :)
hope that's clear enough :) and do try your hands at it :) you could make it tinier or larger, try it with thinner wires if you don't want it too stiff, sew it on a top or a hat, make a bunch and use them simply as home decor... have fun!
happy pimping! :)
basically i made everything from scratch (both male and female) except for the pants.the male dancer's pants i bought, then added embellishment (which unfortunately you can't really make out in the picture, but it's a cluster of fabric flowers on the right thigh area, just like the ones on the female dancer's head). and of course the male dancer's wig is bought as well :)
the female dancer's pants is a recycle. i had 4 lycra tights of the above mentioned colors which have run it's course as costume :) so instead of throwing them away i added bell bottoms and a belt :) if you are an ikea fan... you might notice that the fabric is from ikea's curtains section :D i just loooooove this fabric!
of course, the recycled pants inspired the rest of the costume :) like all recycled things do (just kiddin :D)the male dancer's top is made out of the same ikea fabric and white PVC. and he spots a groovy arm band as well made from white PVC and a plain colored fabric which i bought to match the colors of the recycled lycra tights...
the female's top is a cropped top made from again, similar combination of PVC and fabrics :) . the headgear, using similar techniques of aquarium tubes and wire as the base ... i added 3 large fabric flowers onto the base where the flowers sit snugly on the top to the left of the dancer's head.
see what just 4 pairs of different colored lycra tights can inspire? don't ask me how i sewed the costumes because i honestly cannot remember. i am not trained in tailoring, i just sort of throw things together, use some common sense when it comes to cutting, and use my own body as the model.
and so... this is spring, summer, fall and winter in a nutshell :)
with me playing the "minstrel" that brings the seasons together :) ... if you're wondering about the make up? it was inspired by queen amidala :))p/s ... i also use the "summer" costume, all 4 sets, in 70's night themed shows...
how to make a fabric flower
i thought it would be nice to share with you, how i made the fabric flower :) perhaps you could adapt it in some of your own work of art :)
1. the flowers as in the headgear
2. cut a strip of cloth. this one is 6 inches deep, as for the length, it's up to you how large you want the flower to be.
note : use a stiffer fabric so your flower won't flop ... satins and silks don't work unless they are really small flowers :)
3. fold it in half, so now you basically have a 3 inches petal
4. sew 2 lines to seal the fold. i use black thread here so that it's clearer. i also didn't bother with the frails at the edges... but if it bothers you can actually fold it in and sew it up in which case you will have to a less than 3 inch petal.
5. thread a wire through and in between the two lines.
note : make sure that the length of your cloth is at least DOUBLE the length of the wire. the more crease you want in your petal, the longer the strip of cloth should be in ratio to the wire.
6. secure the edge of the wire by turning it into a loop and tightening the loop
7. this is how it should look if your strip of cloth is DOUBLE the length of your wire.
8. all that's left is to twirl it into a flower :)
hope that's clear enough :) and do try your hands at it :) you could make it tinier or larger, try it with thinner wires if you don't want it too stiff, sew it on a top or a hat, make a bunch and use them simply as home decor... have fun!
happy pimping! :)
