FO: Quick 1950s style vintage belt

Apart from getting my Sew For Victory muslin finished this weekend, I also knocked out a quick little project - a 1950s style belt. 


The pattern, Stella, comes from Emma Brennan's Making Vintage Accessories, a book I've had for a couple of years and never gotten around to making anything from. The instructions were clear and easy to follow, my biggest problem was getting the  photocopier to scale up the pattern pieces in the correct ratio. 

I used some dark brown suede, which I picked up a while ago in a furnishing fabric store. My suede had a white thickish cotton backing on it, so I didn't bother backing it with felt as the pattern suggests. As a result the project was incredibly quick, from cutting out the pattern pieces to a finished belt within about an hour.



Although I wasn't backing my fabric I still put a line of stitching round the edge of the pieces, as I thought it would look nice. The buttons are from my stash, they are actually two of the same buttons but in different sizes, and sewn on facing different ways.

I'm really pleased with this project, and I think I'll certainly use it again. I feel a black leather version could be very useful. It would also be fairly easy to  change the shape of the belt, or the motif in the centre. Given the success of this project I think that I'd make something else from this book, there are a couple of other patterns that catch my fancy. Also, given that the projects tend to use small quantities of fabric, they would be a good way of reducing my stash. Which leads me to a tiny little confessions, contrary to my good intentions I might have bought some fabric on impulse this weekend, but it was from a charity shop and a bit of bargain, so I don't feel too bad.  


'Check' this out - any suggestions for what I could make? I'm thinking maybe a dress, possibly a shirt-waisted one, but I'm not sure if the pattern will work? Or maybe just some PJs, but that seems a little lacking in excitement.

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