Ooops, I did it again

Necktie Projects  (1 of 5)

The thought of using men’s ties for quilting never occurred to me until I began noticing the occasional tie quilt at area quilt shows. For me, it exemplified the quilting tradition of re-purposing fabric to create something new. It was intriguing.

When my Dad passed away in 2015, I requested his ties with the vague plan of putting them to good use and creating something in his memory. My mom brought me a bag of 36 ties and they sat in my guest room for 2 years. Then, browsing the books at my local JoAnn’s one day, I found just the one to inspire me (see Books for Quilters in sidebar). Finally, it was time to do something with his collection.

Of course, this project requires more than just cutting up a fresh piece of fabric to start sewing pieces together. You begin with deconstructing the tie; pulling out the seams and separating the valuable, usable silk from the insides, and lining. 

                                         These are the ties pressed out and ready to begin.

This is really time consuming, but if you know the owner of the tie, it’s an intimate glimpse at his tastes and habits. The worn edges in the area where tie rubbed against shirt fabric, the smell of dry cleaning fluid, the fading that suddenly appeared when the tie was laid open, all told the story of favorites and comfortable “go to” dress accessories. Moth holes, pin holes, worn areas, distorted, buckled fabric and random stains would be obstacles to a large fabric cut. They were also as much a story of his professional life, as were the novelty ties of his Alma Mater, the Navy and the projects he had shepherded. 

So, it became a visit with my Dad.