How to Make Your Own Tribal Belly Dance Skirts

Belly dancing skirts made easy.

Belly dancing is an activity whose roots date back as early as the twelfth century. It originated in the Middle East and in Mediterranean lands, and many countries today practice their own versions of belly dancing. Belly dance clothes come in different variations as well. Many belly dance skirts traditionally use satin or sheer fabrics and they feature slits to make leg movements easier. A tribal belly dance skirt contains at least 10 yards of fabric and is multitiered.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Silk fabrics
• Scissors
• Pins
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Safety pins

Instructions

1. Measure from your hip bone half way down your thigh for the first tier of the skirt. Have someone else help you with this if possible, since you need to stand up straight. Measure from your hip to your knee for the second tier and from your hip to 1 inch from the floor for the third tier.

2. Cut your fabric by laying it out on a large work surface. Use your measurements to cut two lengths for both the first and the second tiers and cut 4 lengths for the third tier.

3. Start with the first tier. Lay the two pieces of the first tier with right sides together and pin the sides to hold the fabric in place. Sew down both sides. Turn the raw edges under ¼ inch and again ¼ inch at one end of the tier to form the bottom hem.

4. Repeat the pinning and sewing process with the second and third tier of fabrics. Turn the tiers right side out.

5. Layer all three tiers together, one inside the other, with the first tier being on the outside. Pin the tiers together at the top to form the waist, but it is not necessary to line up the seams.

6. Sew a stitch all the way around the top edge just to hold the fabric in place.

7. Turn the top edge of the fabric down to the inside of the tribal belly dance skirt ¾ inch. Turn it down again another ¾ inch to hide the raw edges. Pin this in place and sew all the way around to form a casing. Remember to leave a ½ -inch opening to insert the drawstring. Back stitch at the beginning and the end of the casing to secure the stitches.

8. Cut a length of silk that is 2 inches wide and 40 inches long. Fold the edges of the fabric in to hide the raw edges. Sew down the whole length of the strip. Turn just the raw edges of the ends of the strip inside and sew to make neat ends and complete a drawstring. Insert a safety pin into one end of the drawstring and pin this to the skirt near the opening in the casing. Put another safety pin in the free end of the drawstring. Thread the drawstring through the casing using the safety pin to help you.

9. Pull the drawstring through and tie the two ends together to keep them from slipping back inside the casing, or tie knots in the ends of the drawstring that are bigger than the opening in the casing.

Tips & Warnings

• Use different fabric patterns or colors for each tier of your skirt.

• Silky and sheer fabrics are very slippery. Use plenty of pins to hold the fabric in place before you sew.

References

• A History of Belly Dancing

Resources

• Belly Dancing Costuming
• Circle Skirts Made Easy