Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Buckled Belts


This dress design does not include a belt, but the View B illustration is styled with one, and I really like the look.


I love the idea of a belt added to a dropped waist silhouette.  Since there was enough fabric leftovers, I decided to make myself one.


The neckline has a center front point which I decided was a good reason to use a centered point on the end of the belt (not my standard belt construction, but worth the extra time).  


For this particular belt, I interfaced the fabric with a fusible, added a layer of thick interfacing (it was described as belting when I purchased it years ago, but is rather pliable), and wrapped the raw edges around one more layer of stabilization (it is called crinoline hovotex and says it is suitable for supporting skirts and why I purchased it, but in reality it is rather papery, and I think it would get bent out of shape rather easily in a skirt hem).


The two belt layers were then sandwiched together and stitched along the edges.


My original intention was to use the center front bodice piece as a guide for the belt width.  But since I wanted to use a covered buckle, I was limited in my options. 

This is one of three Prims Buckle Kits I picked up at Exclusive Buttons.  This dress is absolutely worth the sacrifice of using one of these precious kits, but I always feel a tinge when I do.  They are far superior to the kits currently made with an adhesive covering, and are rather difficult to find.  Why, oh why, did they stop making these kits?!  I would love to find some of the oval versions someday.  Dritz/Prym Inc. still makes button kits with the teeth and back plate that snaps into place, so I am not sure why they stopped manufacturing these.   


Turns out, the width of this particular belt buckle matches back perfectly with the center front bodice band.  Which is fabulous!  Now I just need to find a contact at Prym Inc. so I can harass them until they promise to start making these useful notions again!


11 comments:

  1. I love a self covered belt and am lucky to have a couple of old kits too! Though sadly not an oval one or I would gladly have sent it to you as I cannot think of a better home for one than to be used on one of your exquisite makes. As a sewer myself I am always in awe of the time and patience you use in your dressmaking. Hope you manage to persuade someone to reproduce these kits, with all the vintage love at the moment I am sure there would be a few others delighted if they did.

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    1. Thank you for your lovely comment! And I think you are right - with the popularity of home sewing, I am sure that covered buckles would be a popular notion to bring back!

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  2. Cute belt. Sometimes you can find kits at vintage fairs but it would be nice to get these in your local haberdashers again.

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  3. Please do take on this as a campaign! The absence of decent belt making materials when there is so much interest in all things vintage and dress making is strange.

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  4. I have used up all of the button and belt cover sets I brought back with me from the old country (Fargo, Ben Franklin Stores, 1972) and have scraped all the yard sales and thrift stores in a ten mile radius for many years. I'm only slightly kidding; it's the thing I always look for wherever I go. Last ones I found in Australia in 1989. The double button cover sets I squandered as a youth....

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  5. lovely belt. A coordinating belt really makes an outfit. For many years I keep a lookout at thrift stores for nice belts - or actually - belts with nice buckles so then I can just use the buckle and make the belt part. Didn't Fashionable Stitch sell these? maybe she still does.

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    1. I have definitely done the same thing at thrift stores - a great buckle is a terrible thing to waste!

      Sunni did sell buckle kits and Maxant still makes them, but they require adhesive and the back piece of the buckle never wants to stay put. The metal is rather flimsy and I have had inconsistent results.

      The teeth and the snap on back portion of the Prims make all the difference! But I suppose I should be happy that something similar is still being made . . .

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  6. I've never made a coordinating belt, but this makes it look much easier than I thought it would be! While I have ghetto-rigged one (it was really quite terrible, looking back), I was under the impression that it was too difficult for me to do. I'm going to have to keep my eye out for some of these little kits you speak of!

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  7. Oh, whoops - I just noticed your comment above - Lacis carries the Maxant buckle kits - yes the metal is rather thin so it's not something I would put in the wash. But the first buckle I made with it looks fine. I guess I'll have to see how long that lasts! ;)

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  8. I hit publish before I realized I forgot to mention that your belt looks great and I'm sure it'll look fabulous with the dress. I love that dropped waist silhouette!

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  9. All of these elements are wonderful separately but all together they make your outfit sing!

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