Memory Items from Old Ties??
 

A number of years ago, I made an "Ugly Tie" crazy quilt using primarily big ugly 1970s poly ties I got from thrift stores with wild textures and designs. I also had a bag of nice conservative silk ties from a friend's grandfather. For the conservative silk ties, traditional foundation pieced options like log cabin, spiderweb, or similar options are good. They were narrow and not much color range.

Downside to working with ties -- they are dirty even when they don't look like it. You should "gut" the ties removing the filling and was them before use. There is usually an easy to remove seam up the back of the tie, the filling was often sewn in. The poly ties washed pretty good! I was surprised. Because of the folds, you often don't get much usable fabric other than what you can see on the front.

Have attached a picture of the Ugly Tie quilt which turned out to be a favorite of my son. Picture was taken after maybe 10 years of heavy use. I put all the washed ties in a big black plastic bag, and then without looking grabbed 10 to put in a small lunch bag (again without looking). I had to use at least some of each tie per block. Some of the fabrics I expected to wear out didn't -- and some the fabrics I thought would hold up fell apart but I still had the foundation backing to hold everything together. It had a really great/horrible doubleknit as a back and I tied the blocks about every 6" with a heavy thread.

A friend recently started making quilts from old silk ties. She recommended this book to me. I bought it and scanned through it, but I haven't decided to take the plunge with actually making anything with ties yet. I was impressed with the book's detailed instructions for how to prepare the ties for whatever you want to use them for.

how many items does she want? It would be lovely to make her ONE something special like a really neat pin cushion but ties are like working with satin, once you cut them you pretty much need to stablize them if you want to make a quilt block.

I personally don't think ties wash well as far a quilts go, and they run and run and run.
How about an ottoman? just search tie ottoman, they are gorgeous and would make a wonderful conversation piece.
this is the largish one, but there are parts for a darling little one too, particularly for a hatpin collector :) I'm not sure but I think you could make this in a day and no really fiddly cutting.

Wow KalamaQuilts! That ottoman is spectacular!! If it was in my house, I'd disown anyone who put their feet on it tho.

The first thing I thought of was Dresden Plates. That could work very well for a cushion, and depending on the width of each blade, you might be able to use the wide parts of the ties for one and the narrow parts for another. I am looking forward to seeing what you come up with--if you decide to take on the project.

My first thought like Gingerk too was Dresden plates that you could make it to a pillow, or even a bag. But then I saw the picture of the ottoman, and wow 😯 that would be my pick. What a great idea, and unique.
Also if you search tie upcycling and look at the images, lots of neat ideas.🤓
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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.

This suggestion comes after seeing a friend struggle with a "memory tie" project she did just a few weeks ago. She is an expert quilter and a longarmer. One of her customers brought a pile of ties and a pattern from Pintrest to her and she proceeded to carefully take the ties apart and start the quilt. "YIKES", she cried! After about 6 or 7 ties, she reread the pattern and found that because of the items being cut on the bias and of soft slippery fabric the directions said, "Do not disassemble the ties!" She put them back together and the project turned out just fine. A weird pattern, I must say, but it was what the customer wanted. My hint is to read the directions of any pattern carefully but more importantly DON'T take the ties apart! Tee-Hee-Hee!

I like dresden plates for ties but am in love with the Ottoman!! !

Many years ago, purses made from men's ties, were a popular DIY project. I actually made one just to try. But Mr. Google shows many different purse and tote applications for men's ties. Another idea.

I love that ottoman! I am concerned about how many ties it would take and if there would be enough for that project.

Obviously it depends on the project, and I think being just one person's ties where you might want the lingering smell of cologne it might be different, but I can't stress enough how absolutely filthy my hands would get working with the ones I bought... After having worked with them, I wouldn't want my bare skin to touch an unwashed version. But again, these were from strangers and were decades old.

Other things to consider -- Depending on what they were lined with, several of the linings had disintegrated into dust. There is a LOT of variety between lengths, width, thickness and angles and how many ties it might take to make a circle. When we are used to working with cotton, yes ties are mostly slippery and mostly cut on the bias.

My plan with my friend's grandfather's silk ties was to make a rail fence variation, foundation piecing them onto woolen suiting, basically assembling the blocks in a quilt as you go variation. I had enough for a center, really too small for a throw and would have needed more ties or silk for anything other than a pillow. Turned out she didn't really want anything back, she had other items and memories, and with a young child she didn't want the care and maintenance of something that needed dry cleaning or being stored for years.

I gave the remnants and remaining ties to a lady I met at our farmer's market who made things from ties. Sadly, I can't quite remember the name and don't think I brought her card with me on the move. She made various things from purses and lanyards or zipper pulls to teddy bears and such.

Thanks Everyone, for your ideas and input.

Since I started the thread, I have done some googling and searching and along with your posts, have broadened my idea base to some projects that are intriguing and that I'd maybe consider. A lot more possibilities than I would ever even thought about, for sure!

In my stash, I have a bunch of ties that I've collected from different sources, that would let me do some trial runs. While I am getting kind of keen on it, the negatives have me very, very hesitant, so I want to know I feel good about it all before I even whisper the possibility. I know there are a lot of questions and missing info I need answered, but do not want to speak with this person until I am right and ready. I just don't want to get her hopes up, unless I am really ready to say yes.

Some questions and thoughts back to your posts ...

Washing? Drying? ...Would you toss them in the washer, warm wash? Put them in a pillow case, stitched up? to keep them from tangling or if they fall apart, would avoid a mess? Dry them in the dryer? or hang to dry? My allergies/sensitivities already are telling me that washing would be mandatory. Especially with IceBlossom'scomments.

Post-Gutting? ... Once down to the fabric, would it be advisable to stabilize the fabric onto a light fusible? Foundation piecing sounds like a good option, but might not work for all the projects. Have noted WMUTeach's comments above, but in a lot of the patterns, I can't see being able to work with the whole tie, as is.

Pressing? Best Press? ... Will most tie fabrics handle pressing OK? Likewise re Best Press? Of course, may have to keep temperatures lower, if silk and poly. I'm thinking here that Best Press may handle the slippery and bias issues?

How To's - Online/Book ... Amazon has the book recommended by Dunster. Of course, the Canadian price is inflated. Have found a plethora of other how-to's online, but if anyone has any that they specifically recommend, please share.

More? ... Please feel free to share even more ideas and in particular, more of the good, bad and ugly of working with old ties!

THANK YOU, One and All !!! :)

For washing, my poly ties behaved reasonably well in bunches of 10-20 which I would put in a lingerie bag preferably (mesh for lots of water flow), and secondarily in pillow cases. I'd do maybe 5 bags/pillow cases per load?? My normal wash cycle (which then was warm wash and warm rinse) with my usual scent free detergent. I'd throw them in with bits of regular laundry that wasn't picky, jeans, old towels, things like that.

I do a lot of small piece washed in pillow cases -- I use my hair pony tail bands to keep the pillow cases closed. I could tell a lot from the ties that raveled a lot... be prepared with a pair of scissors to separate the ones that didn't play nice. I'd make sure they weren't in a tangled mess and then threw them in the drier, still in their bags again medium heat. I don't use any spray starch or other additives. I was cautious but didn't have any major melting issues and found a lot of those ties could handle pretty high iron heat and a lot of them came out just lovely with no pressing at all. Some of those ravelly ones also needed so steam to press out issues. In good news, once they were washed dried they didn't wrinkle and took a lot of abuse being stored in a garbage bag for years before I gave them away and came out ready for use again.

We had a thread recently about "when was the last time you used pinking shears" -- this was one of those times. I think you might want to do some test batches of what works for you and your project. I was ok gutting them and washing them whole, but if I was to do it again, I'd simply use the pinking shears to cut around the main shape on the front and just ignore the neck and back unless I wanted a lot of 1" finished pieces. I did use the pinking shears where the lining was sewn into the point of the tie. While some of the poly ties were pretty usable at the side creases, the more silky ones typically had a lot of thread damage from the creases that didn't come out.

Fascinating thread! I don’t have anything practical to add regarding sewing the ties, but wanted to address your hesitancy to get involved lest you mess up, QuiltE.

If you decide to give it a go, it’s perfectly appropriate to tell your friend, listen, I’m willing to give it a try, I expect I’ll be successful, but honestly, I’ve never done this before and can’t promise I won’t mess it up. You decide, dear friend of mine, if you want to take that gamble.

She may say, heck they’re only ties, he’s not wearing them anymore, but let’s have fun with the process and if we get a great project at the end of this, that’s great.

Or she may say, these ties are my tangible memory of him, and I’d be crushed if they were ruined, so thank you, but I’ll find something else to do with them.

That honest conversation might help you both feel better.

IceBlossom ... I'm thinking of using re-usable mesh produce bags. Ironically, I have been using them for most everything except produce!! You mentioned laundry bags ... when I couldn't get lingerie bags, I started using knee high nylons or trouser socks. They work better, and last longer! Question ... A little foggy here with your explanations ... did you gut, then wash? or wash, then gut? For sure, I'll be doing some test runs! Just trying to start with good knowledge from yours and others experiences, and avoid re-learning what is already known.

LI_diva ... Don't downplay your info. You have some good specific, and practical advice. This person is more of an acquaintance through church and the community, than she is a friend. Other than having known her husband, again through the same connections, I really know little about her. They both always had a good sense of humour. But I have no idea as to how relaxed or uptight she may be about these prized possessions!! Also, I have no clue how many ties there are. He was known for his ties, but did they keep every one of those ties, forever? Are there a1000? Or did they clear the stash periodically and she just has 12? Too, no idea as to what quality, colour range, etc. Your thoughts are well taken and definitely fit with what I'd been thinking. Honestly, I'm not even sure as to what sort of a project she is really thinking about.

IF, and still a BIG IF, I decide to go the next step, my thoughts right now are to say, let's talk, with a show and tell of the ties. As you suggested, I'll be very open re my inexperience and the high risks; but also the risk of reward with something for her to cherish. I just know I have to feel really good about it, before I will go to the next step. I'm not rushing to any decisions. For now, the Christmas season gives some space, and time to consider.

I've made a couple of quilts from ties. The polyester ties will wear well; the silk ones will not hold up to any regular usage and the resulting quilt cannot be handled a lot. If you have a lot of ties, throw them all in the wash and just work with the ones that survive, If you only have a few, wash on gentle with cold water and hang to dry. Don't bother with any red ties-the color will run like Hussain Bolt. The non-polyester ties will have to have interfacing because they are very wonky. You can also foundation piece them, if you like. I preferred the foundation piecing. I just cut the ties into strips and sewed them to muslin blocks. I thought working with interfacing got messy with my iron melting things I didn't want melted. Just let me know if you have any more questions.

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This is a tie quilt that I made for my nephew last year. This is foundation pieced.

Oops! That picture didn't copy to this post. I'll try again later.

Here is the thread with one that you started last year -https://www.quiltingboard.com/vbulletin/pictures-f5/christmas-presents-t319782.html with the quilt at https://www.quiltingboard.com/attach...223_170437.jpg

1. To wash delicates, I place into a pillowcase and tie a knot before washing in machine.
2. The one time I used satin in applique, disaster when washed. I think silk will do the same. The weave is too loose.
3. I do like the tie quilt, Buckeye!

I washed my ties by hand then drip dried them in the shower on a rack.

to gut them quickly fold at seam and rotary the seam right off. They will be very hard on your rotary blade and mat, use an old mat or the backside of one. The little bit of fabric you lose isn't much use anyway.

Yes your fabric will need pressed. I don't know how dry cleaning works, but if I were doing it again, I'd just take them all to the cleaners.

Check your library for a book on making quilts with ties. When I made one, I hand washed, line dried, and used fusible on the back of each one to deal with the bias stretch of ties. Most of mine were polyester. I used the book Daddies' Ties by Shirley Botsford? She had a teddy bear pattern that I wanted to attempt.

I don't know if this comes too late to help you, but Nancy's Notions has a free apron pattern made with men's ties:https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/02...f?v=1697137667

That’s a neat pattern Sue and doesn’t require a whole lot of ties.

Thank you! Someday I'll get the hang of posting pictures:)

Oh, I wish I had seen this post before starting an apron for my SIL. Her husband had decided to weed his collection of ties so she gave me a whole shopping bag full. I shared about half with a guild friend, and yesterday, I used a butcher-style apron as a pattern, cut out a piece of fabric for the back, stuck interfacing to its back, and started layering on the ties which I had cleaned and taken apart. It's working out OK, but this pattern seems so much easier. The only caution I would offer is that no two ties are the same width. And the slinky ones are hard to work with. Will try to post a photo when I finish.

KalamaQuilts- that is absolutely awesome. There must be memories in some of those tie pieces.

Finished the tie apron and I like it. But I'll never do another! Too much work! I was just about finished when I noticed a big stain on one of the ties. Hence, the pocket. I think the recipient (who gave me the ties in the first place) will enjoy it, though, and that's what really matters.

A few years ago my quilting group had a tie challenge. I collected tie’s from everyone I knew. Took them apart and washed them. They washed up pretty good. Made a crazy quilt wall hanging from them. Used the tags to decorate each block. Lots of fun.

My friend made a log cabin with ties. It’s nice.