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Tutorial: How to Add Adjustable Straps to Bella

Hi, Chauncey Williams here from Rare Bear Bows & Clothes and I am excited to be guest blogging for SLPco.  I’m a stay at home mom.  My days are a blur of therapy appointments, snacks, and potty training. The only time I find to sew is late at night while everyone else sleeps. 

It was 11pm and I was working on a Cinco de Mayo themed Bella for my daughter when I got to the strap length measurements.  I had forgotten to measure my daughter before putting her to bed!  She’s a solid 9/12m bodice and 18/24m length so I was unsure what strap length to go with. Panic started to set in.  I wanted to get this finished before morning and there was no way I was going to risk waking the little sleeping tornado.  Then it hits me: adjustable straps!  I had some plastic slide adjusters leftover from some bowties I made for a friend.  I dug them out and got to work.

The first thing I did was add 3” to the 9/12m strap length from the chart.  I figured this would give plenty of wiggle room.  Once you have your straps cut you need to weave one end through the slider. 

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Fold the raw edge to the back and sew along the edge.  This will hold the slider in place. 

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Next I cut (2) 2” pieces from an extra strap I had made.  I pinned each of the small pieces in a u-shape side by side along the center crease of my back bodice main fabric. Baste in place. 

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Now pull your strap though with right side of strap facing right side of bodice main and slider at the top.

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Fold the bottom end up and weave through the slider over the raw edge you stitched.