The lovely, long, yellow caftan is too long! Dress of the day 547 - How to make a belt, neck tie and headband from the hem of a shortened caftan dress


 The Hem

Cut off the hem. The hem now has one side already machine sewn. 

The cut off hem. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

The piece you cut off will have straight or slightly curved edges. I had two long wide pieces, from the hems at the front and the back of the caftan. I made one into a scarf and the other one into a belt. (Or a hairband and a shorter belt.)

The Scarf

You only need to hand or machine sew one long side and two short ends for a scarf or tie belt. You now have a wide piece for a scarf. 

The Belt

Fold it in half lengthways to make a belt. The belt can, in theory, be sewn inside out. Leave one small end open and pull it through with a safety pin. The sewing is then on the inside with a hidden seam along the long outside edge.

Cut two slits at waist level for the belt to pull through. Tie it at the front, so that the back of the garment hangs free. If you wear a jacket, the slits cannot be seen. You must need to reinforce them so that the slits do not split further.

You could sew two halves of the belt at the side seam and tie the half belt at the back. That leaves the pattern of the dress clearly visible at the front, as well as saving half the length of the belt.

You could thread a ribbon through as a belt and use the fabric for a neck tie or head band or both.

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