beaded belt buckle

[Suzizila]

I just bought a couple of belt buckles at Tipton, Ind., so I could try beading them. What's the best way of putting a beaded belt buckle together (after the beading is completed, of course!) ?

[powwowbum49]

So you came up for Tipton and didn't bother to stop by my booth and say hello huh....I see how you are now! Did you stay until this morning? We packed up in the rain and our camper was sitting in 4" of standing water. Did you dance Saturday night? My wife, kids and I all danced Saturday night.

As for your new buckles...best way is to trace the blanks shape onto your beading material and applique (you can loom or lazy stitch also though, if you prefer) you a nice design that is slightly smaller than the blank shape. Then cover the back of the buckle with leather and the sew the beadwork and leather back together. Then finish the edge by looping beads over the edge kinda like lazy stitching.

Hope that helps!

[WolfTears]

PB your information is always price less. :D

[Suzizila]

Hey there PWB49! I was there for the later part of Saturday evening and for the craft contest on Sunday. (How did the 49 go on Saturday night? I would have liked to stay, but had to go bac to Kokomo.) Most of Saturday was spent writing down prices of beadwork, so I would know what a fair price to charge when I eventually sell my own work. Due to a situation at work last week, it was necessary to do that. There were a lot of people I missed out on visiting. :( (Perhaps we'll run into each other at another time.) I did dance a little bit, but just had my shawl.

Did you make it around the craft contest entries on Sunday? I had about 8 items entered & did pretty well this year. All during that time, I was getting strong messages from people that I should be selling my work, so that is what I will attempt to get started with. (I've got plenty of time until I find a new job.)

As for the belt buckles, I was looking at some and asking questions about the construction. Somebody told me that he did his beading on canvas, glued it to the buckle, and added the back.
I noticed that on some the area under the loop on the back wasn't stitched up. For some reason, I thought it was usually stitched up. Does this make any difference in the construction of the buckle?

[wyo_rose]

If you're gonna bead on canvas, edge it with bias tape FIRST.

I don't recommend doing lazy stitch on a buckle - it gets to much wear and tear. OR loom - looks tacky. (OK attack me all you loomers :p)

And I think it should be all sewn up. If they left it open under the loop, they don't know what the heck they're doing.:(

[powwowbum49]

Suzizila

My wife and I made it up there to the craft contest and display around 11, what items did you have entered in the contest? As for Saturday night ... we had the whole family dressed and dancing. My wife was in her new set that is posted in the 'F' word thread, the baby was in her Southern cloth set, my son was straight dancing and I wore my tradish clothes. I would post a pic but I got up to the area and got ready to take some pics and found out I had left the memory card for the camera in the computer so no pics for me...LOL...oh well.

As for your new buckles, I did forget to mention gluing the beadwork and backing to the buckle. Now if you want to stitch up the slit that accommodates the loop there is nothing wrong with that but since the backing is usually glued down you don't have to. I checked all my many beaded belt buckles and not a single one is sewn, and wear these things constantly. By the way, I do not own a single buckle I have made myself, I give those all away so the buckles I mentioned were all purchased or given to me. Also remember the slit for the loop can be cut to sit under the loop or out from each side of the loop to the edges. The latter of these 2 ways is often a shorter distance and does not get the wear from the belt like a slit under the loop does.

Hope that helps

[Suzizila]

wyo_rose......Thanks for your help. I checked in a Sadie Starr book (part of a two volume set) to see if belt buckles were listed. The beadwork for the buckle in the book (directions for construction are in vol. one....which I don't have) was done on layers of pellon. I'm just wondering if this starched felt that people are marketing as "beading foundation" would be good to use. I've used this stuff in making my dance purse, hairties, and barrettes.

************************************************** **

PB49.......These are the things I had entered in the craft contest.

a traditional doll with beaded hide dress
a set of hair ties with a tipi design on them
a belt bag with the same tipi design and flags on the flap of bag
a knife sheath with SEPT. 11 2001, a turquoise cross, and
waving flag on it
a pair of baby moccs with tipi designs on the toes
an adult pair of moccs (my "PADRE" moccs ....personalized for
Jesuit friend of mine)
a dance purse (eagle in an 8 point star)
and a rosette necklace (eagle with flags)

I was set up with in the last row of tables between the person with all of the rosettes and the person with the finger woven items.

Was your booth set up in the Traders' building? I completely missed one corner of that building because I was writing down prices. :( After I made my last purchase before leaving on Sunday(right as the gourd dance session was getting started), I just happened to glance over to that corner and saw where Jim and Maureen were set up. (I also found out that I had paid two dollars more than what they were selling their big cones of thread for. :( )

Hopefully, I will make it back to Tipton next year......with more things to enter in the craft contest of course, since I have a bunch of projects planned to work on between now and then. :)

[wyo_rose]

Pellon would probably be ok, but I would edge it with bias tape anyway. And handsew the bias on, so it lays flat. I've never seen starched felt, but check it by sewing a piece of thread thru it once, and pull the thread to see if it stretches. If it does, don't use it.

For the slit, cut from the sides of the loop out, and sew it back together while on the buckle from the backside so you can't see the stitches. PWBum49, maybe that's why your's don't looked sewn. ...maybe...

I discourage glueing either your beadwork, or backing to the buckle, having repaired many over the years. I fixed one that was glued and had to replace the backing cuz the glue made it yucky.

Good luck.

[Suzizila]

Thanks wyo_rose. Just so I get this straight, once I make the slits from the sides in to where the loop is, do I slide that part of the backing through the loop & then sew up the sides? Stitching on the opposite side (the one facing the buckle) won't be a problem. I'll just put some clear fingernail polish on the stitches to reinforce them. That makes more sense than cutting a long slit to put the loop through.

[wyo_rose]

Wow, Suzizila, that's it exactly! I don't think you're gonna have any problems at all.

[spottedeagle]

Alright Wyo, I let you slide long enough......WHAT YOU GOT AGAINST LOOM WORK??????:Mad :Yell :Yell

You knew it was coming, so I couldn't disappoint you. Just wouldn't be right!!!!!!

[wyo_rose]

Ah yes....I was awaiting this.:Chatter Somewhere I have some pics of a loomed buckle and you'll see what I mean.

Don't get me wrong. Loomwork has it's place - can't beat it for harnesses and the occasional belt or hatband.:p

But on a buckle???? Please don't!

[Tibiki Kinew]

Buckle.............

Originally posted by wyo_rose
Ah yes....I was awaiting this.:Chatter Somewhere I have some pics of a loomed buckle and you'll see what I mean.

Don't get me wrong. Loomwork has it's place - can't beat it for harnesses and the occasional belt or hatband.:p

But on a buckle???? Please don't!

I agree free hand stitching agrees with me too, loom is passay and forget that I ever used that word. (Loom) I doo all my beading freehand now. Tossed the loom away ever since I started usind the old Hiawatha Belt Stitch known as the wampum or ladder stitch,,,, juck to the loom. On a loom if you get one bead wrong you have to take out the whole row. On the stitch I use you can change just the one bead!!!!! Think how they changed wampum belts in the past, one fight with a neighbour and the belt was changed,, all because of the first original Hiawatha Belt, and it is now being used as the First United Nations Belt by the 5 Nations Conferacy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[wyo_rose]

Yep, Tibiki Kinew, I think free hand just looks nicer. Looming is good for beginners.

But I have to admit I am going to loom my next big project - a women's breastplate with crow beads.:p

Can you elaborate on the Hiawatha belt stitch? Maybe that would be a better stitch for my breastplate.

[Tibiki Kinew]

Hiawatha Stitch

Originally posted by wyo_rose
Yep, Tibiki Kinew, I think free hand just looks nicer. Looming is good for beginners.

But I have to admit I am going to loom my next big project - a women's breastplate with crow beads.:p

Can you elaborate on the Hiawatha belt stitch? Maybe that would be a better stitch for my breastplate.