The Italian Tarantella Costumes: 4 Years Later

The Italian Taranatella costumes I made were brought out of storage again for their 4th performance! Considering my skills have dramatically improved since my high school sewing days, I'm pleased to see that the costumes have held up to the jumping, spinning, and kicking of the Tarantella.

The performance was held in the gymnasium this year due to rainy weather. The following dancers are all different from the dancers of the first performance 4 years ago, but the costumes are adjustable enough to fit them reasonably well. Also, you can see the vests and sashes I made for the boys.

Unfortunately, the boning in this bodice is starting to crumple and bend. Wish I had know about zip ties back then!
I love how the skirts twirl!

Each year, I clean and repair the costumes, and this has prolonged their lifespan. You'd be surprised at the amount of makeup, sweat, and glitter that end up on the blouses...

Last year, two blouses tore at the side seams, making them unwearable. The tearing was partly due to the crazy fraying nature of this mystery polyester fabric. I made two new blouses utilizing new techniques and ignoring the pattern directions, which I'll discuss in my next post!

Have you ever made a costume that outlived its anticipated lifespan?

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