Character: Bellydancer
Series: Original Design
Debut: Halloween 2004
Status: Active
This costume wasn't really planned like I usually plan costumes. I had found a bellydancer type costume pattern earlier that I liked, but I couldn't find all of the right fabrics for it. I had found some black crinkle cotton blend, which I thought was perfect, but never found anything to match. I also couldn't get as much as I needed; the pattern called for about 6 yards and there were only 5 on the bolt. But I bought it anyway, and hoped that I could just fudge a little bit. Unfortunately, since I couldn't find the right contrasting fabric, the costume was left untouched for a while.
Also, being a huge Sarah Brightman fan, I bought her Harem concert DVD, and just became inspired by her backup dancers' costumes. They were flashy, yet simple, and oh so gorgeous (and of course, they danced for Sarah!). I actually ended up only using that bellydancer pattern to make the skirt. I did have a bit of a problem with not having enough fabric, and could only make the skirt using six panels instead of eight. It still works, and is still nice and full, but it's not a complete circle. I ended up only extending the seams about halfway down to give the illusion that the skirt is a lot fuller than it actually is. The rest I loosely based on a couple of the dancers' costumes and added beaded trim and fringe accents that make great sounds when I move.

A big thank you to Melissa for taking the pictures for me.