Bedlah, Baubles, and Beads
is a book about designing and crafting the elaborate bra and belt sets worn by contemporary belly dancers. Also known as "dance oriental" and "raks sharki," belly dancing has numerous sub-styles that are defined not only by their movement vocabulary, but also by their distinctive costuming. The first part of the book provides a conceptual framework by starting with a history of this costuming style and its origins here in the United States. From there, it concentrates on introducing the reader to design principles, methods, and techniques for developing figure-flattering styles. The second part presents the materials, tools, and processes for putting together an elaborately decorated bra and belt set. Step-by-step illustrations for applying beads, a fabric shopping guide, and directions for constructing the bra and belt bases are all illustrated with descriptive diagrams to aid the reader. Finally, the book finishes with a portfolio of styles and ideas for expanding the performance wardrobe. From skirts to accessories, these chapters introduce the essential garments that transform the bra and belt into a complete costume. Detailed topics include: * Step-by-step illustrations of beading techniques, including back stitch, couching, tambour beading, scatter beading, and more. * Directions for making high-quality bedlah, from concept to finished costume. * Techniques for developing beading patterns using clip art sources and transforming images into dynamic designs. * Fitting and covering bras and belts. An extensive bibliography is included.