I was wondering if you wash the men's ties before cutting and sewing them together? If so, do you use hot or cool water and do you put them in the dryer? What other process would you go through before cutting them into strips or what ever design you choose?
By Carol F. from Mesa, AZ
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I would go by if they had been cleaned and never worn again. Many years ago my late aunt made a gorgeous quilt out of men's ties. I don't know if she washed them or not, but I know if she did, it was by hand and at that time she didn't have a dryer. She also ironed them.
All she used was the wide front part of the tie and in the sewing process she laid one tie one way, and then the one beside it she laid that one so that the wide part of it was next to the narrowest part of the first tie, that way she kept the shape of the quilt in a square shape, when she got the quilt the size she wanted it, she feather stitched around each piece in varigated colored thread.
I make tie skirts from ties that people give me, and ties that I buy in thrift stores. Since I don't know how clean they are, I hand wash them in detergent and warm water by soaking them in small batches for a half hour in a basin, then rinsing until the water is clear.
I usually fill the basin for rinsing and empty it about 3 times. Then I take the dripping wet ties and finger smooth them and drape them over something where they can drip and air dry. The horizontal grab bar in my tub works well for this. When dry, I press with a press cloth if needed, then sew. Most of the time, the weight of the water pulls then smooth enough, especially if there is polyester in the fabric. Have completed 12 skirts to date, some to wear and some for gifts. Hope this helps.
Always check the fiber content of the tie; some are silk some polyester, etc. wash in cold if possible and line dry. some fabrics may stretch when washed. Good luck!
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