HSF challenge 24: All that glitters

I really wanted to finish the last HSF challenge of the year. In a way it would feel good to have done at least the first and the last of the challenges, and when I counted my finished challenges I realised that I had made 11, meaning that if I did the last one that would mean that I had finished half of the challenges.

The theme was "All that glitters", which in an ordinary time of the year would feel interesting and fun. Now with Christmas I realised that I had hardly any time, and I wanted to concentrate on other projects instead. I did ask for inspiration from the members of the HSF group and they suggested a lot of beaded things like reticules and headbands. They definitely put me on the path of making some kind of accessory. Then it was time to look in the stash to see what I could use. I had some beads, but I also found a really nasty gold fabric. I think I've bought it more than 10 years ago, it's stiff and definitely some kind of plastic, but it was gold and really shiny at that. That fabric meant that I didn't feel like making something old historical, since I would never wear it with my 18th century wardrobe for example, but something vintage might work. I went off on a search for 1920's and 1930's accessories and sewing patterns to see what I could make. I very soon realised that on all the 1930's patterns and pictures they were wearing some kind of narrow belt at the waist. I gathered some pictures on my pinterest board. Most were wearing some kind of big clasp at the front, and I knew that I wouldn't be able to find a clasp, but a few examples had bows instead of a clasp. Then it was decided I would make a belt with a bow.

The construction was fairly simple. I cut out a long 10 cm wide band of the gold fabric, a cotton lining and fusible interfacing, half as wide as the lining. I fused the interfacing to the lining and flatlined it to the gold fabric. I folded it all in half, sewed it together and turned the right side out. For the bow I made the same thing, but with only the gold fabric, no lining. I added a hook and bar to close the belt. Then I made the bow by simply folding the fabric together and handsewed it on. The bow was sewn on on the over the hook. I had to add a snap to make the bow lie flat against the bar side of the belt. I didn't have any metallic snaps, so I used clear plastic ones, something that also takes away from the accuracy of it all.

Finished belt

Close up of the bow

The closure and snap.

 I wore the belt for Christmas. I don't have any 1930's garments, but I felt that it worked well on its own. I did wear a 1950's inspired skirt and top, and then I just added bling, and the belt was definitely blingy.

Me and my sister on Christmas

The Challenge: 24 - All that glitters

Fabric: 20 cm of some kind of synthetic gold fabric, 150 cm wide

Pattern: None
Year: 1930's
Notions: Thread, hook and bar, plastic snap

How historically accurate is it? Style yes, material no, and I didn't have time to research period techniques, so I would say 20%

Hours to complete: 30 minutes

First worn: On Christmas Eve, with the family

Total cost: This was a total stashbusting project, and the fabric is so old that I can't remember what it cost, but since there were so little material in the project it ends up under $10