Easy-peasy Pirate Belt Tutorial

This one's awesome because 1) it's so simple and 2) it can instantly transform a regular white or black top into a pirate costume.  In fact, I may make one for myself, so I can dress up with the girls (with minimal effort! bonus!).  In these pics, the belt is over the Puffy Pirate Shirt.

You can use any kind of fabric, but I used felt and my striped pirate knit fabric.

Instructions:

Measure the waist of the wearer.  Subtract 2 inches from that and cut 2 rectangles of your main fabric that are that width by 5".  For this belt, my wearer's waist is 20", so my rectangles are cut 18"x5".

Round out the corners on both rectangles.

Cut a strip of your coordinating fabric that is roughly 4 times your waist measurement by 3".  This doesn't have to be exact, but you want it long enough to ruffle slightly.  You can sew two or more pieces together if need be.

Fold your strip in half and press.  Then run a gathering stitch down the raw edge.  Ruffle till it will go around your entire main rectangle with a little overlap.

Sandwich ruffle in between your two main pieces, lining up all the raw edges.  Pin.  Overlap the ends of the ruffle piece.  If you want to fold over the ends, so no raw edges are showing, do that.

Sew around the rectangle, leaving an opening to turn it through.

You'll have this.  See my pins in the top left?  Those are holding the opening closed.

Flatten that sucker out and topstitch around the edge.  

Attach your grommets at the corners of  both sides of the belt, following manufacturers instructions.

Lace ribbon or small rope through, and you're good! :)

P.S.  If you don't have grommets, you can EASILY just sew a ribbon horizontally down the center of the belt and tie the ends in the front.  That's even easier-peasier!! :)

Gather the Flower Belt Tutorial

I mentioned in my last post that Riley loves accessorizing.  If you read that one, you saw the gathered belt I made to match her Dress Up Day dress. 

It's so quick and easy and so cute.  Here's the how-to!  (See what I did in that pic?  Made an awesome caption with sidewalk chalk.  Boo-yah!)

Mayerials:
fabric
1/2-inch elastic
Sewing stuff

Instructions:
Cut your fabric 5 inches wide from selvage to selvage.

Fold right sides together and sew up the long side.  Turn right side out.  When you press, put the seam in the center of one side (more or less) and fold the ends in, so no more raw edges are exposed.

Stitch down one side, 5/8-inch from the edge.

Do the same down the other edge.

Cut your elastic to your desired waist size and start threading it through the center hole.

When the elastic gets to the edge, stop pulling and stitch it in place.  Then continue pulling it  through. 

When you get it out the other end, stitch in place there, too.   You'll have a piece like this.

Overlap the ends, about 1/2-inh.

Sew 2 lines down, securing edges together.  Belt part DONE!

For the flower, make a circle, using a 4" radius.

(You'll do this by folding fabric both horizontally and vertically then measuring out from the corner 4" till you can cut a decent quarter of a circle.)

Open it up...

With a needle and thread, gather along the edge all the way around.

Pull it together.

Smush!  Make sure your hole is centered then grab a button.  Make sure you use your thread to pull in all those raw edges under the button.

Stitch to your belt over your seam.  Try to grab just the bottom layer of the flower fabric, so you don't see your stitches.

Thar she is!

In case you're curious about Riley's dress, here's the back.  I didn't mean it to be so flowergirl (or maybe christening?)-y, but oh well.  It makes for a good accessorizing canvas. :)