Making Cris Wood’s Cinch Belt

Cris Wood is an American pattern designer known for her beginner-friendly, paperless, low-waste patterns. Her most well-known pattern is the Envelope Dress – on Instagram, seemingly everyone in the USA was making one in the hot summer of 2020 lockdowns.

I’ve never made one of her patterns (until now!) but have corresponded with her as she’s in my book, A Year of Zero Waste Sewing.

The Cinch Belt pattern is actually a free pattern, designed to pair with the Envelope Dress and other patterns.

I was needing a belt for the zero waste Petrea dress. It looks OK without one, however sometimes a belt makes things feel smarter. I have a non-existent waist, as I’m a “column”, but sometimes a belt gives the illusion of one.

A dig through the offcut box turned up a large piece of brown homespun and a smaller piece of blue linen. Which would look best, brown or blue? Maybe both.

It’s a very straightforward pattern, based on your waist measurement.

There wasn’t much of the blue, so I cut the belt narrower with narrower ties, and pieced a section at the back of the belt. The brown belt was made exactly as per the pattern.

For interfacing, Cris suggests iron-on interfacing, but I used a firm sew-in interfacing (on both sides, and none for the ties). Aussies: I used Shapewell, available from Spotlight.

This belt can be worn two ways: with the ties at the front, tied in a bow, or a bit like an obi belt with the ties at the back and brought around to the front.

I like the second way the best on this dress.

Verdict: easy to make and versatile to wear.

Cheers!