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From: knbquilts
Date: 10-24-2006, 12:28 PM (1 of 7)
Help!!!! I am a Project Linus Coordinator and someone donated a box of ties and wants me to make quilts out of them. Has anyone done this before. If so, can you give me some pattern ideas or pictures. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Nell
User: knbquilts
Member since: 10-14-2006
Total posts: 2
From: lendube
Date: 10-24-2006, 02:24 PM (2 of 7)
Boy, that's something I want to do. My Mom made the most beautiful Dresden Plate quilt square pillow out of her Dad's ties when he passed away. That pattern seems to lend itself beautifully to ties.

I have my Dad's ties now that he passed away and am anxious to do the same.

I can only advise that this particular patttern is a good one for ties. My Mom took the ties apart and used the lower half to make the pieces that come out from a center circle.

My Grandfather had beautiful silk Italian ties in pastels. I'm not so lucky with my Dad. His ties are some silk but a lot of polyester from the '70's and '80's in some really nasty colors that were popular at that time. It's still a very sentimental project.

Good Luck and hopefully you can post a picture to inspire us all.

Lennie
User: lendube
Member since: 08-06-2006
Total posts: 1548
From: Patty22
Date: 10-24-2006, 04:05 PM (3 of 7)
Nell, correct me if I am wrong, but aren't the quilts for project Linus to be made out of fabrics that can be washed (and let's face it) take a good loving?

Silk, although beautiful in quilts, is not the most durable of quilt fabrics.

Having said that, I did make silk "rememberance" quilts. I was called by a woman in Washington, DC whose husband was retiring and wanted her three girls to have a quilt to remember their father (he was still living). She sent 60 of the most beautiful ties I had ever seen as he was a very established professional and seasoned traveler.

I did a square within a square pattern (foundation pieced on muslin to give extra support) 3" finished block. I went to NYCity and purchased three extra silk fabrics to extend the ties (3 quilts remember) and in a light border going around the quilts I embroidered biblical verses in their mother's hand writing (which was very distinguished and beautiful. She picked out different verses for each of the girls. I then embroidered their name on the bottom border). It was backed in burgandy/black irredescent silk velvet that she purchased from G Street and I tied the quilts in hand dyed cotton thread to match some of the silks.

If my scanner were working I'd get a photo up, but alas, it doesn't.

You could really make any pattern with foundation piecing utilizing even the smallest pieces of silk.

Hope this helped you out ................ but again, I wouldn't use it for little tykes.
Patty
User: Patty22
Member since: 03-29-2006
Total posts: 1194
From: Bama
Date: 10-24-2006, 05:05 PM (4 of 7)
I made a crazy quilt from old neck ties. Before I cut them up I machine washed and dried them. (even tho they all said dry clean only) I got some interesting textures that way and now I'm not afraid to wash the quilt.
Hope this helps.
User: Bama
Member since: 03-21-2000
Total posts: 2116
From: MaryW
Date: 10-25-2006, 09:57 AM (5 of 7)
Sure, give them a good wash and dry. I know some quilters take out the interfacing first.
MaryW
owner/editor of Sew Whats New
User: MaryW
Member since: 06-23-2005
Total posts: 2542
From: LeapFrog Libby
Date: 10-26-2006, 05:49 PM (6 of 7)
Silk is washable.. It is the notions and accessories that are not.. My Dear Mom always washed our silk garments.. The silk was washed before construction, and only washable notions, etc were used.. She did not like the smell of cleaning fluid, so we washed everything.. (except fine woolens) I still do..
Sew With Love
Libby
User: LeapFrog Libby
Member since: 05-01-2002
Total posts: 2022
From: JoanieB
Date: 10-28-2006, 06:18 PM (7 of 7)
A friend and I went to an estate sale a couple of years age and they had hundreds of men's neckties for sale. By the last day of the sale they were going for 10 for a dollar. I really racked up. I am planning to make a crazy quilt some day with mine. I spent hours and hours sitting and taking them apart. If you've never done that before you would be amazed at just how much fabric is in some ties, especially the ones from the 70's that were REALLY wide. HAHa

Joanie B
User: JoanieB
Member since: 01-28-2005
Total posts: 68
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