modern looking obi belt -now with mini tutorial

[tomatedepingles]

heres my latest obsession: modern looking obi belts

various tidbits
the saturday night fever dress is from the era i was born (circa 1977); its thrifted, cost me 1$!!!!
i didnt like the belt that came with the dress (just a plain thin black skinny belt) : it made the dress poof in the middle and was quite unflattering

now about the actual obi belt:
-black jeans outer shell and geometric pattern synthetic inner lining
-the jeans is fab, i bought the whole roll!
-the linig was not so fab rookie error: it was so stretchy compared to the jeans ... so it made my life hell  
-the lining is a dress that didnt fit me anymore i had saved for some obscure reason
-this obi belt is actually just a practice for the next one i'll be making: it'll be in black leather (linning still to be determined)
-original pattern by .me. !

close-up shot

comments well appreciated!

heres a mini tutorial

its fairly simple to do   

i cut two pieces for the central part, 1 of lining, one of exterior fabric, that where 6 inches wide by an undisclosed number of inches long he he its my waist size so say your waist is 32 inches, add 1 inch for the seem
those two pieces are rectangles

then i cut 4 pieces, two linings, two exterior shells, that where 2 inches wide by the same lenght as the center part of the obi (so 33 inches if your waist is 32 inches)

the rest is simple stitching, really

first you stitch the lining to exterior shell (right sides together), for all three pieces
leave an opening to turn it inside out
trim the 4 corners

turn the 3 pieces right side out, press, slip stitch the opening closed
 
then you attach the 2 belts to the larger obi belt
i made the mistake of stitching them as close to the edge as possible, but if you would like it to overlap a bit, which makes it look less frumpy, i would recommend sowing them on at least 4 inches away from the side of the belt

the fact that its 3 times your wastes sizes makes it possible to wrap it all the way around

voilà!

i will make at least another belt, so i will try and remember to take pictures of it as i do it... so my tute can be illustrated!

oh one last thing: i was told that prostitutes tied the belts in the front, for easy access vs geisha's and other women tied them in the back, the proper and correct way

[hobijack]

Wow! Very nice as is.
I wouldn't worry about the lining as it doesn't show. I like that it looks understated with clean lines and dressy enough for work or other occasions without looking like it's part of a costume. Good job!

[Katxena]

It looks really great.  I agree with Hobijack about the lining, but if it does bother you, you could use a lightweight fusible interfacing on the lining fabric to prevent it from stretching.

[tomatedepingles]

thanks! 

and thanks for the info!
but now that its done, the fabric doesnt bother me at all
it was a hassle to sow, though, because it would tend to stretch or, even worse, bunch up

for the next one, i'll use silk... or grosgrain cotton... no more stretchy synthetic for me 

[OriginalYouth]

That's fantastic!  I was just thinking of what I wanted/needed in a wide belt, but nothing too sexy or corset-y.  This is great!  I'd love to see a quick diagram or tute if you get a chance!

It' looks really amazing on you!

[mmd32]

I second the request for a tut if you get the time!!! I LOVE that one!!!

[dropdeadred77]

That's really beautiful - I love the way it looks! I've tried a few wide belts and they didn't look right, but now I think I'll have to try again.

[tomatedepingles]

wow thanks!
I'm blushing 

[minouette]

That looks awesome and very hip!

[tomatedepingles]

heres a mini tutorial

its fairly simple to do   

i cut two pieces for the central part, 1 of lining, one of exterior fabric, that where 6 inches wide by an undisclosed number of inches long he he its my waist size so say your waist is 32 inches, add 1 inch for the seem
those two pieces are rectangles

then i cut 4 pieces, two linings, two exterior shells, that where 2 inches wide by the same lenght as the center part of the obi (so 33 inches if your waist is 32 inches)

the rest is simple stitching, really

first you stitch the lining to exterior shell (right sides together), for all three pieces
leave an opening to turn it inside out
trim the 4 corners

turn the 3 pieces right side out, press, slip stitch the opening closed
 
then you attach the 2 belts to the larger obi belt
i made the mistake of stitching them as close to the edge as possible, but if you would like it to overlap a bit, which makes it look less frumpy, i would recommend sowing them on at least 4 inches away from the side of the belt

the fact that its 3 times your wastes sizes makes it possible to wrap it all the way around

voilà!

i will make at least another belt, so i will try and remember to take pictures of it as i do it... so my tute can be illustrated!

oh one last thing: i was told that prostitutes tied the belts in the front, for easy access vs geisha's and other women tied them in the back, the proper and correct way