Dance dance dance

There are only two more practices before competition.  That means only two practices with our actual partners!  I still don't know who my partners are!  Or what I'm dancing!

I think I'll bring a digital camera to the dress rehearsal, so I can compare with what I shot on film.  If I like what I get, I'll bring that, otherwise I'll bring the Hasseblad.  (My preference for film is because I am better at getting the colors I want when I start with the weirdness of film.  Starting with an already color-corrected image feels like skipping an important step.)

Also, I am making a fringe skirt for one of the dancers.  I volunteered last Friday during the sad social, because I wanted to be helpful and useful and nice.  So we are going to Joann's together and she will pick out what she likes and I will figure out how much to get, and then she will pay for it and I'll sew on Sunday.

It seems a little silly to me to make a tutorial for this skirt, but here it goes:

This skirt is a basic tube with elastic on one end and layers of fringe sewed on.  The tube should be as wide as the widest part it needs to cover, plus an inch or so.  I recommend cheap quilting cotton, because it doesn't actually need to be sturdy and the base fabric will barely show.

1. Since quilting cotton comes in 44" bolts, those of you with 44" or smaller waist or hip measurements can buy a length of fabric that's the length of the finished skirt plus seam allowance, sew a single seam, and it's a tube.  Those of us with wider than 44" bodies, we'll need to sew two seams to make a big enough tube.

2. Fold over the top edge and sew down so there's space inside for elastic.  Hem the bottom however you'd like.  Since the fringe can hang down below the hemline, I like to make the hem slightly shorter than I normally wear, so that when standing still, it's normal length, and it flares up slightly higher when moving.

3a. Okay, the fringe:  Cut a length of fringe that's as wide as the skirt is.  Maybe an extra 1/2 inch.  Making sure that the fringe is untwisted, all hanging down, etc., pin a strip around bottom of skirt.  (With 4" fringe, I like to pin it about 2" above the hemline.)  Once it's pinned in place, take masking tape and run a strip around the fringe to keep it in place and out of your way.

3b.  It doesn't actually have to be fringe.  You could do this with ruffles or lace or nifty bead things!  I am planning on making feather boa-edged ruffles for some serious holy shit.  I think that really long strings of pearls could be hung in an awesome way, too.

4. Sew down the fringe (or lace or beads, etc).

5. Without removing the tape, pin the second tier of fringe, working from the bottom up.  You want it to overlap the layer below, but not entirely.  Once the new tier is pinned, tape it one down as well, and then sew.

6. Continue until skirt is covered.  I like leaving the top few inches of the skirt bare, although it could go all the way up.  Once everything is sewn down, gently peel off the tape.

7. Thread elastic through the top of skirt, and sew ends of elastic together.  Skirt may be heavy, so make sure elastic is sturdy enough (and tight enough) to keep it all up.

8. Dance!