How to make a hizem

This is a real blast from the past. Way back in June 2013, I made a traditional Tunisian dance costume. Because the associated blog post was about the elements which fitted into a Squares, Rectangles and Triangles sewing challenge, the other parts, including the yarn belt or hizem, were only mentioned in passing.

Part of the costume

However, I was recently asked about the belt in the post comments. I always read comments, no matter how old the original post, and will always try to help with queries if possible. So here, finally, is a post on making the hizem.

The hizem laid out on the inches side of my cutting board, for scale

It was made from Aran weight wool, which I believe is Worsted weight in the U.S. The belt should be 1½ times your hip measurement, with a further 70 cm / 28" added on for the tassels. The wool needs to be wound into a hank the length of the finished belt, and should consist of around 150 lengths of wool - i.e. 75 loops. I made mine by winding the wool round two chair backs - if you do this, make sure that the chairs don't start to slip closer to each other as you are winding.

The red line shows the belt length

Once the hank is completed, tie off the wool 14" from each end to form the tassels. The ties are made by wrapping a length of wool tightly round the hank around five or six times, tying the ends in a knot, and then using a bodkin to 'lose' the ends of the wrapping wool in the hank.

Then make another tie at each end, 2½" up from the first one, to form the tassel head.

The knot is visible on the tie on the right

On one end only, make a further tie, 6½" up from the tassel head. This is to form the loop. Split the 6½" section into two halves, and tie each half into five or six sections. If preferred, all of these ties can be mde using one long length of wool, run from one tie to the next within the hank.

The completed loop

There are two further ties to add, A and B. Where they are placed depends on the length of the belt. To work out the position of tie A, hold the belt behind you, bring the tassels to the front, and pass one end through the loop on the other end. Make tie A where the belt will pass through the loop.

Bringing the belt through the loop, tie A is shown with an arrow

Another view of tie A

Make tie B midway between tie A and the end of the loop.

Showing the lengths of all the different sections

Finally, cut the ends of the hank to form the tassels, and trim any uneven strands of wool.

A hizem in action

Hopefully I have covered everything. As ever, if anything is unclear, please get in touch.

Tunisian costume

Following on from my previous reference to the generally unflattering look of costumes for traditional Middle Eastern and North African dance I give you - my completed Tunisian costume.

Keen followers of the Historical Sew Fortnightly might remember that I made most of this costume for the Squares, Rectangles and Triangles challenge last year, and that I wasn't entirely happy with the end result. Since then I've fixed the qamisa (blouse) by inserting gussets in the sides, and worked out how to wear the melia (wrap) properly. In the last couple of weeks I finally made the qalsoun (pantaloons) and the yellek (waistcoat) into which the edges of the melia are tucked. Neither are visible when the costume is worn, but the qalsoun were just visible in the back view picture of the super-wide Ottoman trousers in the previous post.

All of this activity was necessary (there's nothing like a deadline to spur me into action!) because I needed a costume to wear at a recent event with Ya Raqs. As you can see, it's not the most form-fitting clothing. It is really comfortable to wear though, and stays in place far better than I had expected.

Me in Tunisian costume, with Tameri in a ghawazee coat which I also made

Despite the clear lack of drop-dead elegance, I'm really pleased with the end result. So much so that not only am I actually happy to publish pictures of me wearing it, I've even used one to finally create a profile picture! Thanks to Dave of DFlockton Photography for allowing me to use his pictures.

Photo by DFlockton Photography

Photo by DFlockton Photography

Squares, Rectangles & Triangles

This fortnight’s Historical Sew Fortnightly challenge is Squares, Rectangles & Triangles.

To quote The Dreamstress in the introduction to this challenge, “Many historical garments, and the costumes of many people around the world, use basic geometric shapes as their basis. In this challenge make a garment made entirely of squares, rectangles and triangles (with one curve allowed).”

Having originally said that my contribution to the Historical Sew Fortnightly would be limited to admiring the things which participants made, I’m really enjoying getting more involved. It has given me the impetus to get things off my PHD* pile (my Bedouin bag and an upcoming challenge). It has taken me off in entirely new directions (the Glastonbury bonnet and the ongoing mega-project that is the beaded dress). And it has provided me with a reason to tackle a project on my 'I want to make this some day' list; a traditional Tunisian costume.

I’ve already made a number of Tunisian costumes, in turquoise satin. They looked lovely, and the basic shapes were correct, but they were hardly traditional. However they were for a stage show, and turquoise satin was what the director wanted, so turquoise satin it was.

My first Tunisian costumes

A Tunisian costume consists of a number of items, several of which are rectangles or triangles, which made it ideal for this challenge. The basic costume has changed little over the years.

Tunisian woman, c1900

The main item is the overgarment, called a melia. (Pronounced ‘meh-lee-ah’, I assume this comes from the same root as melaya, pronounced ‘meh-lay-ah’.) Underneath the melia are calf-length pantaloons, a blouse, which is called a qamisa, and a tightly fitting waistcoat called a yellek or boustou.

The melia is just a large rectangle of fabric. It is often made from striped fabric, with the stripes running vertically when the melia is worn. It is very hard to get dress-weight cotton with stripes running crossways, presumably very few people want to wear clothes with horizontal stripes! In the end I found some suitable fabric with a lengthways stripe, and sewed several widths together to make the melia.

The pantaloons, called qalsoun or mizoo, were going to involve too many curves to qualify for this challenge, so I’ll make them at a later date. The waistcoat falls into the same category.

I decided to make a blouse however, as I could do this with rectangles of fabric, plus small squares for the gussets. I have never attempted to do anything this before, so guessed the dimensions. After checking in various books I decided to sew one side of the gusset to the sleeve, sew the sleeve and gusset to the side of the main piece, and then fold it in half to do the remaining seams. Simple.

The qamisa folded in half. Bother! Or words to that effect.

I’ve no idea how I managed to do that. After unpicking and reattaching the sleeve/gusset pieces I ended up with something which I could fold in half and sew together. Finally I cut a hole for the head (my one curve for the garment), and turned under a narrow hem.

The completed qamisa

The melia is held together with pins at the shoulders, called khlal (North African) or fibulae (Latin). There is usually a chain attached between the fibulae for decoration. The belt, called a hizem, is made from yarn.

Qamisa, melia, hizem and fibulae

The headdress consists of a large shawl called a ma'harama. As this is just a triangle of fabric, it qualified for the challenge. Mine is held in place with a rectangle of fabric (as yet unhemmed).

I wasn’t happy with the chain decoration, so removed it for the photograph of the complete costume, and wore some of my jewellery instead. I kept the jewellery fairly restrained, as I didn’t want to obscure too much of the costume, but it did give me the opportunity to wear my recently-bought kholkhal; a large hollow anklet. These contain small items which rattle when dancing.

The completed costume

There has been a lot of hemming in this project, all of it by hand. So my learning to sew with a thimble is coming on nicely. However, of the challenges I’ve completed so far, this is the one I’m least happy with. I’m struggling to find the right way to wear the melia. This isn’t helped by it being a printed, rather than a woven, stripe; it’s impossible to avoid the wrong side of the fabric showing.

I’m not entirely happy with the qamisa, either. I deliberately kept it a simple shape, but I don't know enough about the development of costume, certainly non-European costume, to know what would be correct for a specific date. As a result I feel I've made something vaguely 'historical', but not entirely accurate for any period. The neckline is wider than I would like, although this doesn’t show under the melia. It is also far too tight at the hips, so I will need to redo the side seams and insert an extra piece. At least it will be a triangular piece!

The Small Print
The Challenge: Squares, Rectangles & Triangles
Fabric: Remnant of green cotton and ½ metre muslin for the headdress, 4 metres striped cotton for the melia, 2 metres white cotton for the qamisa, yarn from my stash
Pattern: Mostly my own. Dimensions for the melia and other information on Tunisian costume taken from Aisha Ali’s DVD Tunisian Rhythms and Raqs Shaabi

Year: Vague - this is a traditional costume, so was worn in some form over a long period

Notions: Thread

How historically accurate is it? Hmm. See above for my concerns about historical accuracy.

Hours to complete: I’m hopeless at this bit, I always forget to count!

First worn: Just now, to take photos

Total cost: £24 for the various fabrics

* Projects Half Done. Sounds much more impressive than a UFO pile.