Hip Belt Ties

If you are making belts based on patterns on this site, the specific belt-instruction page will have the needed raw dimensions.

Fast Flat Ties

The goal: make two flat ties neatly and quickly.

Cut or rip the fashion fabric to the following dimensions.
- Length: The fastest way to make ties is to rip one piece of 42" - 54"-wide fabric selvage to selvage. This will be enough for two ties. If you are measuring: The raw length of each tie body will be the desired finished length of the tie plus one inch for seam allowance.
- Width: 2 x finished width of tie + 1" for seam allowance. Remember that you can put a tuck in the end of the tie attached to the belt to make it narrower so that the rest of the tie can be wider.
Sew your tie fabric the long way to make a tube. Use 1/3" seam allowance.
Press seam open with top of iron.
- Turn inside-out so that the right side is now on the outside.
- Position the seam so that it is in the MIDDLE of the belt, not an end! This will look much better.
- Press the seam allowance flat, then fold into half and press fold.
- Finish tie edges. If your ends are on a selvage and you like the way it looks, simply stitch the ends shut. Otherwise, turn the ends under 1/2", press and stitch.
- If you are making two ties at once, fold your belt body the long way, press the fold, and then make two rows of stitches, 1/2" apart, at the middle fold. Cut between the lines. Now you have two ties.
- Tuck raw ends to desired width as per belt instructions and stitch tucks into place.

This is the kind of tie used for the Toran belt. You will end up with a bound edge about 1/4- 1/3" in depth.

Cut or rip the fashion fabric to the following dimensions. If you are making belts based on patterns on this site, the specific belt-instruction page will have the needed dimensions.
- Length: desired finished tie length x 2.
- Width: 2 x desired finished width of tie.
Cut or rip the lining fabric to the following dimensions:
- Length: (2 x finished tie length) plus 3". Excess will be trimmed at end of construction.
- Width: finished width of tie PLUS 1.5".
Fold both belt and lining pieces in half and press a fold at the center.
Right sides togther, pin together at center and edges. The lining fabric should be 1.5" longer at each end.
Sew both long edges using a 1/3" seam allowance.
Turn. Press the belt so that the fashion fabric seam allowances are flat with the body. This, plus the longer lining fabric, creates the self-bound effect. For troubleshooting the self-binding, see the Self Binding Technique page.
Trim the tie Back fabric seam allowance to 3/4" at both ends.
Iron under 1/4" at the edge, then fold and press again to finish the edges with a self binding. Topstitch into place.
Cut in half to make two ties.
Tuck raw end to desired width as per belt instructions and stitch tucks into place.