Adjustable strap tutorial

This is a new one... but a long overdue one. It's one of those things that is easier to show in ACTION rather than words and pictures, so I've put it off until now... but here goes.

I've made the strap in the tutorial a lurid green with black stitching to enhance the contrast... under normal circumstances I'd colour-match the fabric and thread.

HOW TO MAKE AN ADJUSTABLE STRAP....
The same rules of construction apply whether you're using webbing and plastic fittings or metal fittings and fabric.

1. Cut a short length of strap and thread it through a square ring, d-ring or o-ring.

2. Stitch the strap together (to hold the ring at the top of the strap loop). This can be done by stitching horizontally across the strap, stitching vertically along the edges of the strap, stitching an x in the middle... or a combination of all of them. Alternatively you could use eyelets to hold the ring in place.

3. Thread the end of a LONG strap over the middle bar of a tri-glide or slide adjuster (or buckle with the wire diddly bit in the middle wrenched off with pliers).

4. Fold the strap over the middle bar and stitch it back on to the long strap. If you have raw ends of fabric or webbing, you'll need to turn these under and stitch around to completely conceal them. If you've been to one of my classes, you'd have already learned a few tricks to keep these ends neat!!! ;).
5. Lay the tri-glide end of the strap on the table with the WRONG side of the strap facing up (the side with the turned under end). Thread the other end through the ring you attached to the shorter strap.

6. Thread the end of the long strap through the tri-glide.

7. It should look a bit like this on the UNDERSIDE (and the long end of the strap continues beyond the tri-glide).

8. Attach both ends of the strap to your bag in the usual way. If you don't know what "the usual way" is, I suggest you either buy a pattern or come to a class, and I'll show you!!

Copyright Nicole Mallalieu 2008

Happy sewing
xxn