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Sarajane Helm
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a life size soft sculpture belly dance doll

What buxom, blonde haired beauty reclines like the Sultan's favorite odalesque? 

It's Golde, who wears the glittering garb of a belly dancer but is simply TOO stuffed to perform....She prefers to pose.
She's shown here lounging at a local bead store where I used to work.

Having a doll like Golde around solves the problem of "What do you do with a belly dance costume when you aren't wearing it?"

Like her cloth cousin Katherine, Golde started out as recycled and embellished cloth and clothing. Her body was cut using a pattern I drafted and an ivory damask curtain lined with moire fabric.

beaded belly dance bra

There was just one panel of the curtain at the local Thrift Store--and when taken apart, it supplied the fabric for the whole doll with the exception of her hands, which are vintage gloves. 

Fabric and gloves are shown above.  The same store was the source for her golden slippers. 

Though they started out a bit too drab, some gold glitter paint easily brought them in line with the costume and a pair of earring as buckles add another pearly gold touch.

The necklace shown with Golde's unstitched body pieces here will eventually go with another outfit. Sometimes in a busy studio projects get made all together and separate themselves out later!  Here's a look at the necklace she's wearing with her oufit in the picture at the top of the page.

It features a polymer clay and gold leaf face with beads of ivory colors, gold, citrine and amber, and even some fish vertebrae!

The fringe has bells at the ends, as does the fringe on the bra. 

Golde in marron belly dance costumeGolde's harem style pants are made of white silk fabric, carried back to me as a gift from the Orient by my uncle, and sewn using the Folkware "Sarouelles" pattern.  It is also the type of pants in their Tribal Style Belly Dancer pattern.

Her bra is completely changed in its look from the original boring white garment it was, and is now festooned with all sorts of beads, bells, glitter and trims, and costume jewelry accents.

By starting out with a plain but sturdy foundation garment, all the attention can be given to the details.

To see more info and pics about embellishing costume bras, click here.

For a page of links to costumer's resources and doll artists,click here.
 
Here's Golde dressed as a brunette in the Fall. She had a very "gypsy" sort of look going that month. She has copper jewelry and ornaments on her vintage shoes.

She's also made up as a festive part of the Christmas Window for 2007 at a local bead store where I used to work in a spangled red and gold holiday outfit.

She's ready for the party all the way down to her bright red fishnet hose and scarlet shoes--even though they don't show, sitting inside a gift wrapped box as she is! 

I love playing dressup, particularly when its not me that has to wear the wig and the scratchy underwear. 

She's wearing beads, of course, in addition to her other holiday finery, and holding a Gift Certificate. The perfect present!

The complete window display took 1st prize here in Longmont  in our Downtown Business Christmas Window competition. 

Here she is dressed as a Snow Princess complete with beaded tiara. (Everyone needs one, don't they? Or several, so that you can match your outfits!) 

Then of course comes Valentine's Day and the Wearin' o' the Pink.

She's also featured in the Flowers, Fairies & Crystal Window. That's a 140 pound citrine plate sitting alongside her! The store owner liked rocks a LOT.