Extension Bulletin 580 August 1964

BELTS AND BELT LOOPs ·

SEWIN G SKILL S

Belts of the same fabric as the garinent are usu­ Attach zipper foot to sewing machine. Stitch ally the most satisfactory. They make the waistline the full length of the belt strip, beginning at point less conspicuous. A (Fig. 1). Stitch close to the belting, but do not Fabric belts need an interlining to make them catch it. firm. Commercial belting makes a good interlining. Remove belting and bring seam to the center of When you buy the belting, ask about the amount the belt strip. Press the seam open. Trim seam of shrink~ge expected. Some beltings are labeled to approximately ~ to % inch. The amount will for both laundering anc:l dry cleaning. If the label depend upon fabric and width of belt. states that shrinkage will be more than 1 per cent, Put the belting on the seam side of the belt strip preshrink the belting. Soak in hot water for a few (Fig. 2). Be sure the center of the seam is at the minutes, then hang, dry, and press. point of the belting. Shorten the machine stitch The length of the belt will depend upon the and stitch around the point, close to the belting but closeness of fit and the type of fastening. The in­ not through it. formation given here deals only with belts fastened Remove belting and trim seam around the point. with buckles. Turn belt right side out. Gently push the belting into the belt. Cup the belting to make it easier to MAKING THE BELT insert into the belt tube. Keep the seam line in the center ~f the belting. There are several ways to make a belt. The first method given here is to be used with light- to medium-weight fabrics. The second method is used with bulky f~brics.

FIRST METHOD A Cut a strip of belting 6 inches longer than your waist measurement. Trim to a point at one end. A piece of . cardboard the width of t4e belting and trimmed to a desirable shape is a good guide. FIG. 1-Stitch full length of belt strip, beginning at Cut the fabric on the lengthwise grain. Make point A: stitch close to belting, but do not catch it. it % inch longer ·· than the belting and twice the width of the belting plus seam allowance. Fold the fabric lengthWise, right sides together. The fold must be in the center of the fabric and on the grainline. Lay belting inside the· folded fabric. One edge of the belting will be close against the fold. The seam allowance of the fabric will extend beyond FI G. 2- Put belting on seam side of belt strip. Be the point and' along one side of the belting (Fig. 1) . sure center of seam is at point of belting. Stitch Pin to hold. around point, close to belting but not through it.

EXTENSION SERVICE INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY PULLMAN. WASHINGTON FIG. 5-Trim around point about ~ - inch from fold. Make a couple of catch stitches at the point to hold the FIG. 3-Fold and press end of fabric strip over pointed two folded edges together. end of belting. Make .fold on grain· and just at point.

FIG. 4-Fold and press sides · of fabric over the belting. FIG. 6-Piace wrong side of belting and wrong side of Fold corners over point and press. fabric together and top stitch through both,

For tailored garments, top stitch belt along edges. the two folded edges together will assure a sharp, Belts for dressier garments are not top stitched. smooth point on the finished belt. · Place the wrong side of the belting and the wrong SECOND METHOD side of the folded and shaped fabric together. Hand baste if necessary. Top stitch along the edges, With this method, the belting forms the back of through both fabric and belting (Fig. 6). the finished belt-as in a commercially made belt. Use belting that is covered with fabr1c on both sides. It comes in several colors to match or harmonize FINISHING THE BELT with the fabric used to cover the belt. Cut a strip of belting 6 inches longer than your BUCKLE waist measurement. Shape the point in the same The buckle used depends upon your individual manner as given in the first method. preference· and the type of garment. Cut the fabric twice the width of the beltihg If -you want to cover the buckle with fabric, use plus Ys inch. Make it ~ inch longer than the a commercial buckle kit and follow the manufactur­ belting. Cut with lengthwise grain of fabric. er's directions. Place the belting in the center·of the fabric strip. The fabric will extend ~ inch beyond the pointed Before you attach the buckle to the belt, adjust end of the belting. the length of the belt with the buckl~ in position. Fold and press the ~ inch allowance over the Mark the position for the buckle tongue in the center point of the belting. Make the fold on grain and of the belt at this point. . (If you cut the belt 6 just at the point (Fig. 3) . inches ·longer than your waist measurement, this will Fold and. press the sides of the fabric strip over automatically he 3 inches from the end of the belt.) the belting. They will meet in the center. Fold The~ machine stitch around the mark, leaving the corners of the fabric over the point of the belting space for a slot long enough for the base of the (Fig. 4). Press. buckle tongue, usually about 13/16 inch (Fig. 7}. Slip the belting out of the fabric. Trim out Cut along the slot. The buttonhole attachment may excess fabric around the point to within about ~ be used to make this slot. inch of the fold (l?ig. 5). Put the buckle in place and fold back the end of A couple of catch stitches at the point to hold the belt. Machine stitch close to buckle (Fig. 8) . FIG. 7-Machine stitch around mark for buckl~. Leave FIG. 9-Turn in Vs inch space for a slot long enough to accommodate base of along both sides of strip buckle tongue, usually about 13/16 inch. for belt guide.

FIG. 10-Fold strip down the center. Then edge stitch both sides.

FIG. 8-Put buckle in place and fold back end of belt. Stitch two thicknesses of belt together riear buckle.

FIG. 11-Lap ends of belt guide together on back BELT GUIDE side of belt. Stitch together {A) and then catch the guide to tbe belt (B). If a half buckle is used, a belt guide is needed to hold the end of the belt in place. To make the guide, cut a lengthwise strip of fab­ ric % inch wide and 2~ times the width of the belt. Turn in Ys inch along both sides (Fig. 9). Fold this strip along the center and then edge stitch on both sides (Fig. 10). The folded edges may be caught together with ·hand stitches instead of machine stitches if desired. FIG. 12-Bring free end of belt over back of guide and fasten. Fold guide ove~ belt with ends to back s1de. Lap ends over each other and stitch together by hand (Fig. 11, point A). Then catch the guide to the back of the belt (Fig. 11, point B). Cover the back of the guide with the free end of the belt. Fasten end of belt beyond guide (Fig. 12). Note completed belt as shown from right side (Fig. f3). FIG. 13-Completed belt sh_~wn froln right side. EYELETS Mark positiohs for three eyelets. Make them 1 inch apart, with the first one 2 inches from the pointed end of the belt. ~ Punch and work eyelets, using buttonhole stitch (Fig. 14) . This is preferred for better garments. Commercial metal eyelets may be used on some FIG. I +-Mark positio'n for eyelets. Then · punch and types of garments. work, using buttonhole stitch. BELT LOOPS securely into the side seam. Bring the needle through the fabric, leaving a loop (Fig. 15). Then Attach belt loops to the garment to keep .the pull the thread through the loop with your thumb belt from riding fll>. Place· one at each side seam, and finger (Fig. 16) . Tighten the old loop by pull­ centered over the waistline seam. Make them long ing and keep the new loop open with your finger enough so that the belt will slide through easily. (Fig. 17). Repeat by pulling thread through loop. Belt loops can be made from fabric by the same Crochet a chain long enough for the belt to slip method as given for the belt guide or they can be through easily. Pull needle through last loop to crocheted from thread. fasten chain (Fig. 18). Tack thread securely. To make crocheted thread loops, use two to four This same belt loop can be made with a crochet strands of thread. Fasten one end of the th~ead hook, using a single crochet stitch.

This bulletin was adapted, by permission, from material originally published by Iowa State University.

Published and distributed in furtherauce of the Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, by the Wash4tgton State University Extension Service, C. A. Svinth, Director, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, cooperating. 15M--8-64