Sew a Stretchy Sequin Belt

CEFR Level B2-C1

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I prefer my clothes to be comfortable. Some people seem okay with wearing things for their looks. I try, but prefer comfort. That doesn’t mean I only wear elastic waistbands, though! It does mean that I use my sewing skills to make what I want. A stretchy sequin belt is one example.

Stable belts (e.g. leather) never fit right. They don’t conform to the vertical curves of my body (e.g. back curve). I’ll wear them, but I much prefer a stretchy belt. I know these were popular for a while, but again, I wanted to customize the width and fabric used.

I had a length of sequined elastic ribbon. I think I got it from a costuming section. Anyway, the original reason I bought it is long in the past. I had this length, which was just long enough for a belt without any overlap. I had leftover hook-and-eye tape from bra-making. Ta-da! A stretchy sequin belt!

Except, one edge of the hook-and-eye tape was unfinished and started to unravel. Or at least, I was worried that it would, despite my zig-zagged edge finish. I used Fray Check glue. That solved the unraveling problem, but left a white residue on the black fabric. I turned the closure to my back and pretended the white wasn’t there while I gave my brain time to come up with a solution.

What if I could snap on a covering that would also let me use brooches to represent a belt buckle? I tried, but couldn’t get it how I wanted it, especially since I wanted to wear this with pants, which means the belt needs to unclasp easily. I did interface the scrap of black jersey that I used to make the rectangle cover, but I made the cover a bit too small. I tried multiple times to put a snap on each corner, which would have allowed the cover to hold the weight of a brooch, but I could never get the snaps in the right place and the glue residue always showed. ​

In the end, I left the black rectangle to cover the hook-and-loop closure, but it isn’t sturdy enough to support the weight of a decorative pin. I sewed one edge of the cover to the hook-and-eye tape and left the other edges free. I was worried that the cover would flap open, but it seems to stay in place, at least when I wore it to a mostly-sitting event. Overall, the belt looks better and I feel better wearing it. Even if I didn’t get exactly what I wanted, I’m happy with the result. 

This is my "almost Christmas" church outfit. I made the red long-sleeved t-shirt, the black wool jersey skirt, and the stretchy belt.