My dear friend whos husband had died wanted a table runner made for her living room coffee table where she could see it everyday. We used the ties in their original form and machine appliqued them to blocks. The block orientation was alternating so no matter where you looked at least a tie was right side up. We did a simple straight stitch 1/4 inch around the tie for the quilting. The runner was put together "pillow case" style, so no binding. My friend who was not a great seamstress helped with design, the ties used, their placement, and sewed the blocks together making her feel like a part of the process. she loved and enjoyed her runner until a few years later when she died of brain cancer. Sometimes something simple works best.