I have officially reached "that age". The age in which I have had all of the babies I'm apparently gonna have and the left over baby belly I'm still toting around with me is forever. I guess. I have fallen in love lately with the styles that have the skinny jean and tunics - anything to hide my ever expanding backside. Can I hear an amen from the choir? And I love the belted look! Each time I think I'm going to buy one of those wide adorable belts I cringe because ouch! $30 for a belt! Or more...I'm way too cheap for that. I came up with a few different fabric versions I think you'll enjoy too. I'm sharing the first one here today. They are lightweight and so comfortable that you don't even know you have it on which is a huge bonus over the leather ones that cut into you a bit.

And this project is super easy and FAST! I always tell everyone, I'm a naptime sewer - gotta stitch fast while Sprout is snoozing so this is a perfect project to get done in that blessed hour or two in the afternoon.

Here's what you need to get started:

1/4 yard of cotton fabric, not too lightweight. You want it to have some "oomph" so I would stick with a regular quilt weight cotton.

1/8 yard of heavy fusible fleece interfacing.

Coordinating thread, sewing machine and your iron.

Ready? READ the entire project instructions before beginning. Use 1/4" seams throughout.

step one Start by printing out the pattern here. {click on it and then print image - it should print full size which is 12" in length} It should print on a legal size sheet of paper. Cut 2 from your fabric. Cut 1 of the interfacing from this pattern making the interfacing 1/4" smaller on all sides than your full size pattern piece. Fuse the single piece of interfacing to one of the fabric pieces, following manufacturers instructions.

step two Custom size your belt. The angled part of the belt from our pattern above sits in the front. You will be adding to it the remainder of the belt that wraps around your waist. To determine how long to make that, measure your waist where you want your belt to sit and measure OVER THE TOP of your clothing. This is where your belt will sit so you want it to be a little fuller. The first 12" of your measurement is the equivalent of the pattern piece above. That remaining number PLUS 2" is the length of the belt you are adding to the pattern piece. Am I making any sense?

For example, 12" (the pattern piece) + 27" = 39" or the exact waist measurement where you want the belt to sit on your hips. Add to the 27" + 2" = 29". (the 2" addition is to account for our seams) 29" is the length of the belt piece that wraps around, attaches into your pattern piece. I'm really bad a math so I hope this makes sense to you...

Cut 2 - your custom belt length (our example was 29") x 2 1/4" wide (2 1/4" wide should be the same width at the narrow end of your pattern piece).

Cut 1 - interfacing same length and 1 3/4" wide. Fuse interfacing to one of the long belt fabric pieces per manufacturers instructions.

Still with me?

step three Cut 2 - ties. 2" x 22".

Let's sew!

step four With right sides together, pin your wide angled belt pieces together. Sew around 3 edges leaving the small end opposite the wide end open. Clip your corners and turn right side out. Steam press.

step five With right sides together, pin your long belt pieces together and stitch down both long edges leaving your short ends open. Turn right side out and press.

step six Creating your ties. Press your 2" wide pieces to the center and then again in half - to create the ties. At the ends, I fold them in to create an angle end. Then stitch along the long edge.

step seven On your angled belt piece, turn in the narrow open end and place the long belt piece inside, about an inch. Pin and topstitch opening closed, attaching the two belt pieces together.

On the other end of your open long belt piece, turn it in about an inch. Place your two ties inside the opening, pin and stitch closed.

Using the mark from the pattern, mark your belt for a 3/4" buttonhole. Stitch buttonhole. Put your belt on, pull the ties from the back to the front through the buttonhole and tie in a cute bow. If you make your buttonhole too big, your bow will pull through it. Hope that all made sense...it is a very quick and easy project and super cute! I'm going to do a patchwork one next! And I have a few more designs I'm mocking up too...you'll see those appear sometime before summer!

I added a cute fringed flower and I'll show you how to do that this weekend!

Sew away dear friends!

xoxo,

Trish