When I made my first belt, it was simply to see if I could. I have always loved to cross-stitch, and it did not seem like it would be a difficult thing to do. Wow, if the learning curve didn't slap me silly. Planning the pattern was something that I had done many times in the past, but I had never tried any sort of leather working. So, I started with what I knew and figured that I would handle the rest when I got there. A 1.5" belt was the request, so that was the plan. It should have been a slam dunk. Going 1.5" tall meant that I could do well-defined letters and still have space on the edges. Once the stitching was complete, I finished the edges using a "belt stitch." One thing I did not account for was that final edge stitching in the finished size of the belt. His 1.5" belt turned into a 1.75" belt that he can only wear with jeans. He was kind about it, though; so, I tried again. For the second belt, I used a very similar design and just shortened it up two rows. It turned out better in some ways and less-well in others; now I'm hooked.
The First Belts
