How to Make an Rectangle Belly Dance Veil
Belly dancers use veils in many of their dance styles. Rectangle veils are more typically used in Egyptian belly dance, where the veil is used for only a short period of time during the dancers' entry. Turkish dancers sometimes use rectangle veils, but more typical is the Turkish round veil. Either way, dance veils have become very popular in the United States, and making dance veils can save a dancer a lot of money. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 1 3-yard Uncut Piece of Fabric (no more than 45 inches width)
- 4 yards Sequin Trim or Alternative Decorative Trim
- Sewing Machine
Instructions
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Choose the type of fabric you want to make your dance veil with. For rectangle veils you can get away with heavier fabrics, but note that they will be harder to move for a beginner dancer. Some fabrics that make good dance veils are chiffon (for rectangle only), silk, tissue lame, liquid lame, lace (for rectangle only), charmeuse and lightweight velvets.
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Inspect the material for any fraying on the edges of the fabric. Because you chose a fabric that was 45 inches in width and 3 yards in length uncut, you will save time by not having to cut into the fabric. It should be ready to sew immediately. You want to trim any excess fraying off of the hemline of the entire veil before sewing to decrease the chance of it fraying later.
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Decide if you want to add anything to the hemline of the veil. You can add a lace ruffle to give the veil some extra excitement, or leave it as is. You should, however, sew on a heavy trim, such as sequins or another decorative trim, directly onto the hemline of the entire veil. This will help the dancer control the veil when dancing. Of course, some dancers prefer not to put trim on their veils at all; it can work either way. You should sew the raw edges to ensure no fraying.
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Dance with the veil to make sure it's the appropriate weight before you do any performance with it. This will ensure that you are comfortable with the veil and that you can control it easily. You can add or take away trim to make the veil as heavy as you like. You can also make several veils to match all of your costumes.
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Tips & Warnings
Search discount fabric stores for veil material. Sometimes you can find fabric for as cheap as $1 a yard.
Do not glue trims to the veil; the glue as well as the trim can fall off in chunks while dancing and cut your feet, or even cause you to trip.
