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Using Boas Horizontally For A Dance Costume

Info about the Placing boas horizontally at the hip gives a totally different look. It gives a cute little flair to the costume like no other can and yet keeps the clean lines of the dancer.

Supplies:

Dance bottom
Boas
Thread to match boas
Needles
Safety Pins
Scissors

Directions:

Choosing the Materials

The first step is to pick out the base piece you are going to use. We are going to use the high waisted brief for our sample. The high waisted shorts also work very well. The good thing about the brief is that you get those long clean lines of the dancer. Next, you need to choose the boas you want to use. We are using the large boa with the long feathers for our sample. When deciding what color boa you want to use, think about the color of the base piece and what colors look good on the dancer.

Pinning the Boa

Since the boa does not stretch, it is best to have the dancer wear the brief while you are pinning the boa to the brief so the brief is stretched out and the boa can be properly pinned to the base. Just make sure to use safety pins so the boa stays in place when the dancer takes the brief off. Just make sure to slip your hand between the dancer and the brief so that you do not inadvertently stick the dancer. We have already rhinestoned the high waisted brief that we are using as a sample. As you can see, there is already a seam on the high waisted brief that can be used as a guideline. So, take the boa and fold it in half. Then using safety pins, pin the center of the boa to the center of the brief. Then just wind the boa around the dancer’s hips at the “guideline.” Pin the boa often to make sure that it remains in the position that you want it to be in when the dancer takes the boa off. Start pinning the boa in one direction from the front center until you get to the back of the briefs and then go back to the center front and pin the boa in the other direction until you meet the other end of the boa at the center back of the briefs.
Sewing the Boa to the Briefs

One thing that is important to remember is that you need to sew the boa to the brief from the back or inside of the brief. If you try to sew from the front, the thread will get caught in the feathers from the boa and you will have a huge mess.

Once the boa has been completely pinned in place, have the dancer remove the briefs so that the boa can be sewn down. We are using gold thread on our sample to make it easier for you to see the stitches, but you will want to use thread that matches the boa. From the back, or inside, stitch through the briefs catching the thread that runs down the center of the boa and come back through the briefs to end up where you started. Do this a couple of times in the same place and then tie the sewing thread in a knot and cut the sewing thread. Repeat this process frequently, about every inch or so, around the hips of the briefs making sure that the boa stays in line with the guideline. Individual stitches will give a little more freedom of movement when dancing.