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Tie Belts made from Indian Toran

This is a supplement to, not a substitute for, the page on Tie Belts. Make sure you understand the tie belt construction described on that page before using this one.

Torans are the hangings used in South Asian doorways to make the guest feel welcome.

Easiest: attach a scarf to the back of the toran and stitch.

Best: disassemble the Toran (it is not hard) and then reassemble it as though you were creating a Tribal Belt with tab panels. This page presents a straightforward way to make over the Toran so that you have a body that can be darted and tie ends that match the body.

Choose your Materials

Your Toran:
- Torans are usually decorated with lots of embroidery and mirrors and bound on all edges with contrasting seam binding. These instructions are for that kind of Toran.
- You are going to have to remove any mirrors or other unsewable decorations that fall in what will become the seam allowances on the top, bottom and edges.
- Torans come in 30" to 40" lengths. If you need a longer belt, buy two of the same kind.
Belt Back, Underlining and Tie fabric:
- Purchase fabric that matches the color and texture of the BINDING around the Toran body and panels. Piecing the back to make it long enough is okay.
- For the back: a piece of fabric that is as long and wide as the Toran body + 2". For many Toran conversions, this will be a piece 36" long and 6" wide. But measure YOURS. If you plan on joining two Torans together for one belt, double the length.
- For the ties: a piece of fabric as long as the Toran body and 6.5" wide.
- For the underlining: a piece of woven fabric, same size as the Back. This fabric will not show. A scrap of broadcloth or muslin will do fine.
- The fimal dimensions of the underlining and lining fabric will be determined by the size of the raw Toran body after it has been disassembled.

Disassemble the Toran and prepare the pieces for Re-assembly

Remove the seam binding from all four edges of the Toran body, but NOT from the edges of the panels. This is usually not difficult, since the thread used is often basting thread and the stitches are large. A judicious use of a seam ripper to start and then pulling the binding off with gentle tugs should work.
Separate the front from the back.
The decorated Toran body is now the belt body. The Toran back will be used in the belt ties. The Toran panels remain panels.
Remove the panels from the bottom of the Belt body.
Lightly press the belt body, the belt tie fabric, and the panels on the wrong side.
Trim the uneven edges at the top of the panels.
Trim uneven seams on the belt body just a bit without being too fussy. You want to keep at least 1/3" of seam allowance between the embroidered edges and the raw edges.
Removing mirrors:
- You will probably be able to do this without cutting any embroidery threads.
- Simply stretch a corner of the embroidery holding the mirror down out towards the perimeter of the mirror with your thumb nail. The mirror thread is cotton and will stretch to a gentle push.
- Once you get a small bit of the mirror out, the rest comes easily.
- Lay the belt body, face up, on a table.
- If you are going to make two Torans into one belt, decide where you want to join them together and remove the mirrors for 1" at the proposed joining line on both pieces. Then sew them together and topstitch the seam before proceeding.
- If your Toran needs to be shorter (see length calculation in Tie Belts page), trim the belt on one or both sides (decide what leaves the best pattern) after removing any mirrors in the way.
- Decide where you want your darts to go. Remember that we don't have to fit to your specific shape, just a generic female shape, so we have quite a bit of leeway on where to place them. Avoid the pieced seam from the previous step if you are connecting two Torans into one belt.
- Remove the little mirrors from the location of the proposed darts.
- Remove any little mirrors within 1.5" of either end.
We are now going to applique short pieces of the bias binding we removed during disassembly to the ends of the belt body so that the finished belt will look like it has binding all around the body while minimizing end seam bulk and hassle.
- Cut two pieces of binding slightly longer than the width of the belt body.
- Press them flat.
- Fold the edges back over and press again. The resulting strip should look about 1/4 - 1/3" wide. Do not fuss over this. If the best you can do is 1/2" so be it.
- Mark a line 3/4" from the raw edge of each belt body end.
- On the left belt edge, lay a piece of bias binding on the right side of the line. On the right edge, the bias is on the left side of the line. The goal is to keep the bias OUT of the seam that will connect the ties to the belt later on. Too much bulk.
- Top-stitch both pieces into place. Don't get too fussy, just stay on the correct side of the line.

Add the Underlining to the Body

Follow the directions on the Underlining Technique page.

Create the Belt Ties

The ties will be self bound with the purchased fabric that matches the bias binding on the belt body. Follow the instructions for Self-Bound ties in the TIES page. You will need the following dimensions for your fabric pieces:

Cut or rip the fabric that once was the Toran back to a width of 4.5". This one piece will turn into two ties.
Cut or rip the purchased fabric to a width of 6.5" and a length equal to the Toran back fabric plus 3".
When the ties are complete, reduce the width on the unfinished short edge by putting a tuck in it that reduces width to 3".

Assembly:

We need a lining! Create a lining by pinning the belt Body face up on the purchased belt lining fabric. You want the lining to be the length of the belt Body but 3/4" wider, since the lining will be self-binding the belt on the top edge. Using a ruler, mark the extra seam allowance on the fabric and then cut the lining out.
Time to add panels.
- Make sure you have trimmed their tops so raw seam allowances are even. Lay them out on a table below the belt body. Match the outside edges of the end panels to the outside edges of the seam binding appliques on the body so that visually they are in a straight line at the outside edge.
- It is not necessary to use all the original panels or to re-attach them in the same order. Just be congnizant that the elephant on one panel may be facing right, the elephant on another left, and make sure you order them the way you want them.
- Pin panels in place and then stitch to the bottom of the belt body with a 1/3" seam allowance.
Pin the body to the lining at the bottom edge and sew, using 1/3" seam allowance. Backstitch at both ends for strength.
Pin the top of the belt body to the top of the lining. This will enclose the panels. You may need to fold and pin the panels in half first to keep them out of the way. Sew, using 1/3" seam allowance. Backstitch at both ends for strength.
Turn and press. To troubleshoot self-binding at top, see Tie Belt page.
Attach the ties:
- Right sides together, pin tie and belt together and then stitch belt top to belt tie. Stitching in a complete circle around the side belt oppening will be helpful if you can do it.
- Topstitch the belt using thread that matches the binding and belt back.
- Add the darts.

Enjoy!