Battle Plans

I think I enjoy the preparation stage of a project the most.  The selection and gathering of materials and tools - clearing the workspace - it has the feeling of ritual.  Anticipation.  All the possibilities of the project lay unborn in fabric and notions and sharp cutting edges. 

• I have several hundred yards of twill tape coming to me.  
• I have reordered size labels and custom garment labels.
• I have inventoried my dyes and chemical supplies. 
• I have found supply solutions for sticky design problems.
• I have solved issues with jury-rigged mechanical contraptions.
• I have searched and found local sources for a few supplies that are prohibitive to ship.
• I have acquired superior tools. 

All the careful work that goes into laying a good foundation is almost equal to the work of the project itself.


Today the final cog will lock into place as I secure the flesh and bones of my project.  I am not entirely sure where I will put the two rolls of fabric when they arrive, but the last roll of fabric is dwindling and I like the feeling of ease that comes with abundance.  There's not much better than a smooth length of fabric draped on the cutting table, a stack of patterns and a fresh cutting instrument.

Spotlight: Mountain Musings

Maegan is a friend-of-a-friend in Colorado who also happens to make really beautiful hair ornaments.  I really like my set of little burgundy clips - if you see me wearing them, this is where I got them.  I would highly recommend looking at her Etsy shop if you are looking for something unusual and intricate, for dance or everyday wear.  I am also going to be taking a selection of her pieces with me to Cues & Tattoos in March.

Experiment: Drilling Your Own Coins

Reality: coins for tribal costuming are expensive, and seem to be getting more expensive.  I used to complain about needing so many quarters to do laundry.  Now I sew 50 or more coins on a bra, which cost between 20 cents and a quarter each (with shipping charges taken into account).  Dowry, indeed!

There's got to be a cheaper way, right?  I mean, I'm buying these drilled aluminum coins from India that have the monetary value of about a half penny each.  That's some markup.  Surely I can save myself some money if I'm willing to do a little work?

Well, kind of.  

Here are the tools you need to drill coins:

• a rotary tool or good drill with a small drilling bit(s), titanium or something suitable for drilling metal
• lubricant for drilling metal
• center punch, hammer
• cardboard
• tape
• xacto knife, pen, thumbtacks
• small piece of scrap wood

And, of course, you need coins.  Try searching for bulk coins on Ebay.  You'll notice many of the lots are mixed coins with a lot of copper.  I think copper coin decoration would be pretty, but you might not like the look of mixed metals.  You may end up paying for a lot of unsuitable coins.  A pound of coins has around 100 coins, so if you buy a pound of coins for $10 with shipping, you'll be paying ~10 cents a coin. 

Say you want paisa coins from India or Pakistan, so you won't have any duds and the coins will match.  Right now there is a listing for a pound of paisa coins for $15 shipped.  15 cents a coin is a savings from ~25 cents a coin, but is it worth your time and effort to drill each one?


Let's get to the drilling.  First off, these are tips that I googled and tried myself and they work.  There may be better ways, but this is the best information I was able to dig up.

Use the center punch and hammer to strike a nice mark in the coin so the tip of your drill bit won't skitter around while you're trying to start drilling.  This will help with accurate placement of your hole. 

Take a coin and your piece of cardboard and trace around the coin, then use the xacto knife to cut out the shape.  Thumbtack this cardboard template to your piece of scrap wood.  Put your coin in the coin shaped hole and tape the coin into place (popsicle sticks were also recommended to hold the coin securely in position - whatever you use, the coin needs to not wiggle around).

Lubricate the drill bit and drill the hole until you feel the bit dig into the wood.  Use a low rpm speed if using a rotary tool.  It is better for the life of your drill bits to drill a small hole and then enlarge it by re-drilling with larger bits, instead of trying to drill a large hole from the start.

Now repeat 50 or 100 times.  I can see how this would get very tedious.

I think if I could drill my own coins for 10 cents a coin or less, I would consider it a viable option.  But the cost in time and effort and extra tools ($10 for the center punch and metal lubricant) cancels out what I would save by doing the work myself.  This might be a great idea for a special custom project (like a coin bra with copper coins), but I think I will stick to ordering mine.  So, now you know.

Spotlight: Vintage Tribal Hoops

I do have a weakness for tribal earrings.  I like the handmade, worn look.  I like that I could wear these on any normal day, or I could wear them with a costume.  Not that I mean to be earrings-earrings-earrings all the time, but after looking here and there, I know a good pair is hard to find.  These are a very good deal at 20% off.  I got mine and they are lovely - more of a warm brasstone.  (I'd really like to get a pair of these, eventually.)

If you love Turkoman like I love Turkoman ...

Kuchi jewelry is nice, and so is Uzbek and Rajasthani, but if ever there was a style of jewelry that would make me beg for credit card debt in exchange for a pile of shiny shiny treasure, it is Turkoman.  The first time I saw a museum quality Turkoman pendant while browsing online I saved the image so I could go back and look at it again and again (that's it, on the left).  Between the fire gilding, the carnelian stones and the curved shapes and cutouts, it is still one of the loveliest things I've ever seen.  Sharon Kihara has a Turkoman piece she wears as a belt that I would sell organs to possess.

If you're searching for Turkoman pieces, Turkoman, Turkmen and Tekke are the most common keywords.  The Turkmen people live in Turkmenistan and in the northern corner of Iran.  They are famous for the Akhal-Teke horse and carpets with intricate designs.  But oh, the jewelry.

Less talk, more pictures:

 

Carnelian is the traditional stone for Turkoman jewelry, believed to have protective properties.  I have seen reproductions with lapis or turquoise, and sometimes glass colored red, blue or green. 

What I particularly love about Turkoman jewelry is the stylization and the simplicity.  I love the decorative motifs that look like swirling flame.  I love the intricate cutouts combined with the relatively subdued dangles and jangles.  I love that the beautiful glow of the metal is placed center stage. 

I find this piece interesting because I bought several reproductions a few years back.  They link together with pins to form a belt.  Naturally, the belt isn't formfitting and I intend to sew the pieces to a fabric base to make them more dance costume friendly. Also, it is best suited for a solo performance since others don't have similar bold pieces to wear, which is a shame since I'm not much of a soloist. 

Turkoman jewelry is not as inexpensive or ubiquitous as Kuchi jewelry has become, but it is possible to find reproductions and small pieces that don't have the museum quality pricetag. However, be quick to buy a piece you like, because what is commonly available today may be hard to find tomorrow. 

Large reproduction cuffs like this one at right used to be common and fairly cheap for a matched pair a few years ago, but are not so easy to find today.  As bellydance gains popularity, jewelry is being bought up faster than it can be supplied. 

If you find Turkoman jewelry as covet-worthy as I do, here are some good places to look:


Tribal Bazaar has a selection of Turkoman pieces.
Uber Kuchi sometimes has earrings and reproduction Turkoman belts at a reasonable price.  I have purchased two belts, and though they require reworking, they have a lot of costume possibility.  (The seller has also written a nice jewelry buying guide.)

Reproduction belt from Uber Kuchi.

Tribal Muse has Turkoman jewelry from inexpensive to museum quality. 

And of course, haunt ebay.  

My current personal costume project is reworking the reproduction Turkoman belt I bought - transferring it to a fabric base and adding embellishment and creating a coordinating top.  I will let you know how it goes.