Pink Retro Costume Page 3

Cover Bra and Belt With Hipscarves

Now comes the fun part - covering the bedlah with the sparkly stuff!  It's difficult to give step-by-step instructions for this part.  Basically, experiment with positioning the scarves to create the look you want, pin in place, and stitch.  I used one scarf for the back of the belt, one for the front of the belt, and one for the bra.  Of course I ended up with lots of extra bits - it will depend on your hip and cup size, of course!  The extra pieces are great for accessories, future repairs, etc.  I would often put the bra or belt on and check it in the mirror to see how the paillettes and coins were hanging, then would tuck and stitch as needed.  Putting both pieces on my dress form was a big help, too. It really helped me see that I needed to get rid of the paillettes on the sides/under the arms since it seemed to weigh down the look. See photo P.

A few tips:

-Whenever you need to cut a scarf, prep the cutting line by applying Fray Check to keep the edges from unraveling, even if you are going to turn the edge under for stitching.

-For less bulk under the arms and going around the back, use the ends of the hipscarves that are chiffon with a simple crocheted trim.  See photo M.

-When stitching the scarves to the bra band, leave a little slack in the scarves because the bra band needs to stretch.  I opted to leave the ends of the scarves loose so that I can tie them in the back and let them hang down for interest.

-Stitch the edges of the scarves to the inside on the cups and band, but also stitch to the outside of the cups.  You can hide your stitches in the crocheted area and/or under the paillette strings.

-Since the paillettes don't hang at the same distance throughout the length of the scarves, pinch the chiffon under the top layer of paillettes and pin to even them out, then stitch in place.

 



Next: Adding Straps, Lining, & and Making Accessories

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