Making grosgrain ribbon belts... help!

Hi everyone-
I've gotten into making ribbon belts from 1 1/2" wide grosgrain
ribbon, but I'm running into some trouble. As simple as the procedure
to make the belts seems, it's still giving me grief! Basically, my
method is to take a cut of grosgrain, lace two dee rings "through" it,
sew the open ends together, flip the ribbon inside out (so the sewn
ends are now on the inside of the belt, then sew the sides together.

My major problem so far has been trying to keep the edges lined up so
when sewn together, it looks like one seamless piece of ribbon. The
other major problem is that the ribbon bunches up and creates these
little pockets that makes it look very wrinkled. I've tried using pins
to hold the sides together while sewing (doesn't work very well) and
ironing only removes some of the wrinkles.

I would love any advice on how to make a more 'professional looking'
belt! I would love to sell these eventually, because they're all the
rage at my college. Also, my mom is thrilled that I've gotten into
sewing and is even letting me use her precious Bernina, so all the
better.

Thanks a million!

-KC

KC wrote:

Hi everyone-
I've gotten into making ribbon belts from 1 1/2" wide grosgrain
ribbon, but I'm running into some trouble. As simple as the procedure
to make the belts seems, it's still giving me grief! Basically, my
method is to take a cut of grosgrain, lace two dee rings "through" it,
sew the open ends together, flip the ribbon inside out (so the sewn
ends are now on the inside of the belt, then sew the sides together.

My major problem so far has been trying to keep the edges lined up so
when sewn together, it looks like one seamless piece of ribbon. The
other major problem is that the ribbon bunches up and creates these
little pockets that makes it look very wrinkled. I've tried using pins
to hold the sides together while sewing (doesn't work very well) and
ironing only removes some of the wrinkles.

I would love any advice on how to make a more 'professional looking'
belt! I would love to sell these eventually, because they're all the
rage at my college. Also, my mom is thrilled that I've gotten into
sewing and is even letting me use her precious Bernina, so all the
better.

Thanks a million!

-KC

Have you tried hand basting with a silk thread (remove later - a bit
tedious, but it works!) or basting spray glue? This from the quilting
shops...
--
Kate XXXXXX
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.diceyhome.free-online.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

KC wrote:

Hi everyone-
I've gotten into making ribbon belts from 1 1/2" wide grosgrain
ribbon, but I'm running into some trouble. As simple as the procedure
to make the belts seems, it's still giving me grief! Basically, my
method is to take a cut of grosgrain, lace two dee rings "through" it,
sew the open ends together, flip the ribbon inside out (so the sewn
ends are now on the inside of the belt, then sew the sides together.

My major problem so far has been trying to keep the edges lined up so
when sewn together, it looks like one seamless piece of ribbon. The
other major problem is that the ribbon bunches up and creates these
little pockets that makes it look very wrinkled.

I gotta agree with Kate - glue. Heck - you can even use a regular
gluestick. Just let it dry befor you sew, and if you hand-wash them
afterwards it will all come out.

Long lines of grosgrain ribbon trim are authentic for some Elizabethan
clothing, and I use this method to get it to stick in place long enough
for me to stitch it evenly. Pinning allows it to wobble around too much
and results in uneven-looking lines.
------------------------------------------------------
Wendy Z Chicago, IL (Moo)
Wench Wear Costumes http://pages.ripco.net/~zski
Minstrosity www.minstrosity.com
Wench #525 AIM=wendylady525
http://www.livejournal.com/users/wendyzski/
"Though she be but little, she is fierce"
"It's the little ones you have to watch out for..."
"I'm not short - I'm concentrated"
--------------------------------------------------------

On 25 Mar 2004 14:18:15 -0800, KC wrote:

My major problem so far has been trying to keep the edges lined up so
when sewn together, it looks like one seamless piece of ribbon. The
other major problem is that the ribbon bunches up and creates these
little pockets that makes it look very wrinkled. I've tried using pins
to hold the sides together while sewing (doesn't work very well) and
ironing only removes some of the wrinkles.

Let me guess... you're sewing down one side of the ribbon, and up the
other side. Instead of that, sew from the ring end down to the other
end on one side, then break your stitching, and start again on the
other side from the ring end. This is one sort of directional stitching.
One of the feet with a little rudder
on the bottom of it (an edge stitching foot or a joining foot) can be
a big help in keeping the stitching even.

Unless you've got an even-feed foot on the machine, or unless you're
used to feeding the top and bottom layers of fabric evenly by manipulating it
in hand (see Margaret Islander's videos, or Jeffrey Didach's article
on sewing without pins in issue 87 of Threads magazine (Feb/Mar 2000),
you're probably seeing the bottom ribbon feeding faster than the
top ribbon, thanks to the feed dogs.

Personally, I think learning the pinless methods of sewing are well worth
while, but you might want to consider glue basting your layers together --
Elmer's school glue or one of the washable glue sticks will do a decent
job, but you'll need to wash it after you get


I would love any advice on how to make a more 'professional looking'
belt! I would love to sell these eventually, because they're all the
rage at my college. Also, my mom is thrilled that I've gotten into
sewing and is even letting me use her precious Bernina, so all the
better.

Thanks a million!

-KC

I have a beautiful little silver belt buckle that is calling for a funky
grosgrain belt. I have been pondering how to do it as I walk our
equivalent of High Street home, and the ribbon edge alignment has been
bothering me. The other issue has been substance, for lack of a better
word. I can't get into the shops (they're all closed by the time I head
home from work, I've been working too hard lately) but it appears to me
they have something in between the ribbon exteriors. Possibly nylon or
cotton webbing? I should think that the ribbon might bunch under the
belt loops unless there were something there. Perhaps a heavy enough
ribbon would prevent this - we get heavy satin ribbon to avoid it for
our pointe shoes in ballet.

ANYWAY, I was thinking that perhaps something like WonderUnder would
solve both problems. It's a two-way fusible interfacing that would both
add strength without much bulk to the ribbons and also keep them
aligned. I will be certain to sew both edges in the same direction,
that's good advice.

KC- thanks for posting a question I've been thinking about! Maybe I'll
manage to get this belt made. Where are you getting your grosgrain?

Thanks,
Charlotte

Charlotte - I get my ribbon either on eBay or through some online
shops. Try Les Bon ribbon (www.lesbonribbon.com), Ribbon Girls
(www.ribbongirls.net), or SewBiz
(http://www.sewbizfabrics.com/trims-grosgrain1.htm). The acetate
ribbon can get relatively pricey (~$2.75/yard), so hence my desire for
these belts to be clean looking! I can't afford to make many mistakes
on the expensive stuff!

I spend many many hours online looking for grograin, so if anyone
knows of a site that carries belt-worthy ribbon, please let me know!


Thanks for the tips, everyone!

-KC

On 26 Mar 2004 15:36:47 -0800, (KC) wrote:

Charlotte - I get my ribbon either on eBay or through some online
shops. Try Les Bon ribbon (www.lesbonribbon.com), Ribbon Girls
(www.ribbongirls.net), or SewBiz
(http://www.sewbizfabrics.com/trims-grosgrain1.htm). The acetate
ribbon can get relatively pricey (~$2.75/yard), so hence my desire for
these belts to be clean looking! I can't afford to make many mistakes
on the expensive stuff!

I spend many many hours online looking for grograin, so if anyone
knows of a site that carries belt-worthy ribbon, please let me know!


Thanks for the tips, everyone!

-KC

The ribbon you're using is 1.5 inch grosgrain? Will polyester rather
than acetate suit? If yes, try the following two sites, entering
'grosgrain' in the search box or looking for it in the index list.
Both have 1.5 inch in 50 yd reels for prices ranging from $7 to $20
per reel; the higher prices are at CheepTrims for fancy prints. JKM
has a great selection of solid colors.

www.jkmribbonwarehouse.com
www.cheeptrims.com

Please check out our web site; www.stranodesigns.com.
We pride ourselves having a large collection of striped grosgrain
ribbons.

thanks
lou

Thank you for posting this link. Grosgrain ribbon is getting SO hard to
find these days, striped or otherwise.

wrote:

Please check out our web site; www.stranodesigns.com.
We pride ourselves having a large collection of striped grosgrain
ribbons.

thanks
lou

Dear Karen and All Other Belt Makers,

First, you can go to hatmaking websites, and ask for petersham. It
looks like grosgrain ribbon, but is made of rayon and cotton, so that
it can be steamed into curved shapes for hats. Because of the fiber
content, it would be perfect for beltmaking as well.

A piece of belting could also solve the problem of puckering, along
with Kay's excellent suggestion of sewing both sides in the same
direction. It gives the belt more substance, and keeps it from
wrinkling when being worn.

Teri