Hi Gigi!

Of course no official standards exist. But there are some very common-sense rules of thumb for creating a safe firedancing costume. Of course, you can choose to experiment outside these boundaries, but have an extinguisher handy. And a friend with a cellfone. And lots of ice. And don't say I didn't tell you so...

..........................

1) The most fireproof materials are leather, denim, cotton, in that order. Until you're an expert fire manipulator, stick with that.

2) Synthetics are always risky, and forget frilly lacy stuff, that's just asking for trouble. Lacy frilly stuff can become a lit fuse very quickly, and synthetics have a nasty habit of burn-melting right into your skin.

3) It's safer to have snug, bodyforming costumes, with no dangling things or big headresses. Baggy outfits, fringes, and big headgear are obstacles to your fire manipulation, and can cause you to have an accident, or at the very least tangle your chains or mess up your act. Horns look hella-cute on a pretty firegirl, but PLEASE remember they are there.

4) Masks are iffy. They can restrict your vision, and some mask designs can store up fumes from your lit props. Remember that you are dancing (hyperventilating) in a cloud of noxious smoke. Do your best to keep it away from your face.

5) Burn-test any material you've never used before. You'd be surprised at some of the results. Do a dry-burn and a fuel-burn. This will save you the heartache of building yourself a flammable fire-goddess costume. And it will save your show. Also, it may be smart to spray yourself with a mist of water before firing up.

6) There's fire-retardant treatments... like Flamex™, that you can use with some success on some sketchy fabrics. BUT remember that these are chemicals and they can screw up your new costume. Sometimes the colors change, stretch-fabrics can lose their elasticity, and the shiny surface of some metallic lamés may just corrode right off. (It's ugly, and it happened to 6 expensive golden costumes right before our opening night.) Spot-test your materials before using any fire retardant.

7) And most importantly, once you are finished creating your costume, you have to send me pictures of you modeling it. (-;

Happy sewing!

Hi Gigi!

Of course no official standards exist. But there are some very common-sense rules of thumb for creating a safe firedancing costume. Of course, you can choose to experiment outside these boundaries, but have an extinguisher handy. And a friend with a cellfone. And lots of ice. And don't say I didn't tell you so...

..........................

1) The most fireproof materials are leather, denim, cotton, in that order. Until you're an expert fire manipulator, stick with that.

2) Synthetics are always risky, and forget frilly lacy stuff, that's just asking for trouble. Lacy frilly stuff can become a lit fuse very quickly, and synthetics have a nasty habit of burn-melting right into your skin.

3) It's safer to have snug, bodyforming costumes, with no dangling things or big headresses. Baggy outfits, fringes, and big headgear are obstacles to your fire manipulation, and can cause you to have an accident, or at the very least tangle your chains or mess up your act. Horns look hella-cute on a pretty firegirl, but PLEASE remember they are there.

4) Masks are iffy. They can restrict your vision, and some mask designs can store up fumes from your lit props. Remember that you are dancing (hyperventilating) in a cloud of noxious smoke. Do your best to keep it away from your face.

5) Burn-test any material you've never used before. You'd be surprised at some of the results. Do a dry-burn and a fuel-burn. This will save you the heartache of building yourself a flammable fire-goddess costume. And it will save your show. Also, it may be smart to spray yourself with a mist of water before firing up.

6) There's fire-retardant treatments... like Flamex™, that you can use with some success on some sketchy fabrics. BUT remember that these are chemicals and they can screw up your new costume. Sometimes the colors change, stretch-fabrics can lose their elasticity, and the shiny surface of some metallic lamés may just corrode right off. (It's ugly, and it happened to 6 expensive golden costumes right before our opening night.) Spot-test your materials before using any fire retardant.

7) And most importantly, once you are finished creating your costume, you have to send me pictures of you modeling it. (-;

Happy sewing!