Belts and Buckles

Inkle bands make great belts! But traditional belt buckles are not the best to use on your woven bands. They are hard on the fabric as you poke the metal tongue through your woven web.

Over the years, I  have found some nice alternatives. 

Please click on the photos to make them larger if you want to see better detail. 

This is what I use most often. I have been calling it a T-buckle because of the shape of the one end. However, the company I purchase them from now calls it a cinch buckle. Since I get asked this question often, here's my source: Ohio Travel Bag. They have so much hardware! Because they are a wholesaler, they have partnered with an affilliate to provide smaller quantities at retail. Here's the link: https://hardwareelf.com/

Recently, I was asked to make a copy of this belt which is worn by a TV character. 

The show is called "Stranger Things" and the character, "Eleven".  The belt is 1 1/2" wide and this nifty buckle was also purchased from Ohio Travel Bag. 

(If you are interested in buying one like this, please send an email to me at: iweavestraps@gmail.com).

Using two D-rings or O-rings is an easy solution. The one below uses D-rings and is 1 1/2" wide. 

This beautiful Navajo silver and turquoise belt buckle was purchased a few years back at Ortega's Weaving Shop in Chimayo, New Mexico. I've used it on a western style leather belt, but decided that I wanted to use it on a woven belt. 

(You can see me wearing it in the last post when I went to the White House.) 

I asked Mike of Stone Canyon Leather in Albuquerque to make me a leather piece for the front

 of the belt to accommodate the buckle. He stitched the woven band between two pieces of leather. 

It worked great! 

I have done something similar in the past by taking apart thrift store belts and re-using the leather piece at the front. I simply cut the stitching, opened up the two layers of leather, removed the webbing and replaced it with my own woven belt. 

I stitched by hand using the existing holes in the leather. This belt was made for my oldest daughter about 25 years ago when she was in the local 4H club. 

I also  have a number of sashes which I wear. They are woven extra long and tie together. 

No hardwared needed!

The photo below is of one of my hemp collection sashes that I'm adding to my Etsy shop here.