You have seen them all around. Online or in department stores. Needlepoint belts. 

Sometimes it seems hard to find the right design that fits your own fashion aesthetic, or you want to make one for someone and you really want to personalize it.  So I have started this little needlepoint belt series to get us all excited about needlepoint belts. 

Here is a quick measuring guideline. 

1. Measure an already existing belt from the top edge of the belt buckle to the most comfortably worn hole on the belt. 
2. A belt with leather on each end, should have a stitched portion of canvas 4 inches shorter than the belt measurement.
   
   For example: for a 38 inch belt size, stitch 34 inches of canvas.
   
3. There should be at least 2” of plain stitched needlepoint background on each end of your work so that no meaningful pattern will be covered. If you are doing a small key fob then 1" is okay. 
4. So for that 34" inches of stitched canvas you have 30 inches of design space centered on the canvas to add your own elements of pizzazz. Or if the pattern is repeating by all means take it all the way to both ends. 
5. When you have completed the belt a binding stitch is recommended, this gives the edge a finished look and a some reinforcement. Or you can also just add two extra rows at the top and the bottom for folding in the edges. 
6. Blocking is always great but not a requirement.