How to Refashion T-Shirt Into Double Braided Choli
By Scarlett Royale
This is a fun and quick way to take an oversized t-shirt and make a cute top for the summer. You will need scissors and a t-shirt that is 1 to 2 sizes larger than you would normally get for yourself.
First cut all your sewn edges off the bottom, sleeves and neckline.
Then fold in half vertically and cut in just the sleeve area approximately 1.5 to 2 inches apart and deep.
Then Fold in half horizontally and cut evenly
2 inches apart and deep. The fold the last bottom part in half and cut a 2" by 2" sections.
Now twist and weave your chest sections on the upper part of the shirt front and back.
The starting on the back start weaving the first row around the body when you get to the front join the upper body loop with the body loop together and continue around and do the same on the back. Then weave in your last loop and tie off.
Weave the bottom section of the shirt like the top but no worry of the vertical weave. Weave in last loop and tie off.
Fold the sleeve vertically and cut in 1.5 to 2 inch deep and 1 inch apart.
You're done.
Feel free to skip the bottom section of body cut to create a tunic rather than a crop or choli top.
My name is Scarlett and I have been dancing since I was 3. I have 7 years in ballet, tap, and jazz, and 5 years in modern dance. I have been studying belly dancing since 2007. I have studied under Paula Stump (Gypsy), Ani Oakly, Masati Janan, and Lisa Zahiya. I have taken intensive workshops with Aziza, Sadie, Souhail Kaspar, Lisa Zahiya, Zoe Jakes, and Masati Janan. Having taken intensive workshops and studied under these wonderful instructors I have learned a great deal about the world of belly dancing and all the categories of it. I choose to go back to my base of American Cabaret and teach more often than not. Fusion of my classical styles and belly dancing is my other form of dance. I have been intensely educated in American Cabaret and American Tribal Style. I have gotten to do some study in Egyptian, Lebanese, Turkish, and a number of smaller sub groups of belly dancing and folk dance.
American Cabaret
This ray of belly dancing has a heavy base is Egyptian and Lebanese immigrant culture blended together to form American Cabaret, to which if you see a belly dancer in the USA it will more often be this style or a form of fusion. There are other cultures meshed into this style but it is heavily based in the 2 cultures mentioned. As most things in the USA it is a melting pot kind of style.
Hour Class Content
In this class study I am showing you the beginnings of this style, and giving you an hour of content to do on your own for a low impact workout. It works a lot of core muscles as well as larger. This style will sculpt your figure in a way you will like. So lets get you the layout of the class.
1. Warm Up
2. Circle Isolations
Horizontal Head Circles
Horizontal Chest Circles
Horizontal Hip Circles
Small Horizontal Hip Circles or Oumis
Vertical Chest Circles
Vertical Hip Circles
Body Waves
3. Figure 8s
Back Motion Horizontal Figure 8s
Foward Motion Horizontal Figure 8s
Upward Vertical Figure 8s or Infinity
Downward Vertical Figure 8s or Mya
One Hip Figure 8s or Bicycle Hips
4. Basic Moves
Hip Drop and Kick
Walking Hip Twist or Egyptian Hip Bump
Step Together Step or Jewel Step
Single and Double Vertical Hips On the Up
Traveling Twist
3 Step Turn and 1/2 Turn
5. Arms (this may move to position 2 in the future)
Positions
Wrist Rotations
Snake Arms
Arabesque Arms (future add)
6. Shimmy
Horizontal Shoulder Shimmy
Horizontal Hip Shimmy
Vertical Chest Shimmy
Vertical Hip Shimmy
Choo Choo
3/4 Shimmy
By following the video playlist on my youtube channel you can go through this list along with my music playlist (am in process of now) to play while doing the class you will get approximately an hour of instruction.
I will periodically post suggestions that may help in trouble areas of different techniques. Feel free to use them. Keep in mind this work is channeling very much my first instructor Paula Stump (Gypsy).
