Necktie quilts for Dad

Happy Fathers Day ! The silk necktie has achieved notoriety as the traditional Father's Day gift to Dad from his family. But what if Dad already has a closet full of ties?  Some quilters have turned neckties into brilliant works of art.   We hope you will enjoy these creations as much as we have. (This is a photo-intensive post... photos may take a minute to load!)

Recycled Silk Ties - No Necks Needed by Virginia Anderson (Washington)

This stunning quilt was made entirely from recycled silk ties and silk tie remnants from the Robert Talbott Tie Company.  Virginia Anderson says:  "I have been working on this quilt off and on for over 10 years ! I am happy to have finally finished it. It was great fun collecting all the silk ties. Piecing with silk is definitely a challenge!"  Her perfect piecing can be seen in the close up photo below.

We loved Virginia's selection of patterns and colors, with the primary red, yellow and blue hues dominating.  For the design she used the "Untitled" quilt pattern by Karen K. Stone.  Recycled Silk Ties was machine pieced and machine quilted and was exhibited at the 2013 Houston International Quilt Festival.

close up, Universal Ties by Nancy Ota (San Clemente, California, USA)

Nancy Ota's Universal Ties is a gorgeous tumbling blocks quilt that was English paper pieced, hand stitched, and hand quilted.  The close-up photo above shows the way in which Nancy incorporated stars among the tumbling blocks, and the beautiful hand quilting.   The photo below shows the full quilt.

Universal Ties, 63 x 88" (2001)  by Nancy Ota

Universal Ties was shown in a special handwork exhibit at the 2013 Houston International Quilt Festival.   Nancy Ota says,  "Silk neckties gave me the opportunity to work with luscious colors and the richness of silk.  Using the English paper piecing method allowed the silk to be managed.  I love handwork as it is both meditative and creative."  Here are some more close-up photos.

We've admired this quilt on the web, and it was wonderful to see the precise piecing and hand quilting up close. These silk tie prints are so much fun; in the photo below, note the American flag print which is next to a golf-themed print.

Nancy Ota has taught her English Paper Piecing methods to many other quilters; for more information see her Lectures and Workshops and her upcoming Schedule.

Fan Wheel or Wheel of Fortune quilt, 88 x 90", circa 1950

Recycling neckties (and other clothing) is a tradition among quilters.   This huge 1950's silk/satin necktie quilt top, seen on Ebay,  is impressive. The Fan Wheel / Wheel of Fortune variation starts with a Dresden Plate in the center.  Tie tails were used in the middle wheel, and the main ends of the ties were used in the outside wheel.   Two edges of the ties were rolled over with a hand sewn blanket stitch.

Carnival quilt, 58 x 58", by Stacey Sharman at Peppermint Pinwheels (California)

Stacey Sharman's spectacular Carnival quilt, made from tie silks and silk dupioni in every color of the rainbow.  On her website, Stacey explains: " I love mixing both vintage and new fabrics to create quilts that are simultaneously modern and traditional and are also absolutely unique."  Carnival was based on a pattern by Norah McMeeking from Bella Bella Quilts.  

Silk Orange Peel quilt, 63 x 63", by Stacey Sharman at  Peppermint Pinwheels

Stacey Sharman's Silk Orange Peel quilt was based on the contemporary Indian Orange Peel pattern by Karen K. Stone.  The silks were either samples or remnants - approximately 4.5 x 12" in size - from a factory that makes neckties.  Stacey says: "Foundation-pieced is the only way to go with silk quilting."

Grandfather's Flower Garden, 42 x 42", by Margit Kagerer (Arizona)

This original and beautiful necktie quilt won third place in the Theme category at the 2014 Arizona Quilters Guild show.  Margit Kagerer says: “Grandfather went through his stash of neckties and revived them as flowers. He arranged the tips in hexagons like grandmother did for her garden.”  For more information about Margit Kagerer see Margit's Fiber Art.

Father's Day 1976 by Bette Haddon at Studio ArtQuilts (Florida)

This fascinating wall hanging was created by Bette Haddon, an award-winning quilt artist who lives in beautiful DeFuniak Springs, Florida. She used whole ties along with tie tips, labels, and buttons to create a highly textured surface.  We counted over 200 buttons and labels.

Ira's quilt by Bet Ison,  Home for Wayward Babydolls (Kentucky)

Ira's Quilt by artist Bet Ison was made with denim, velveteen, neckties, and brocade. The quilt uses the golden mean to make a Fibonacci spiral.  For more information on Bet Ison please see our 2011 feature article, Waste not, want not: a quilting tradition.

Necktie Wall Hanging, 16 x 20", by Nancy Gamon, as seen at Nancy Gamon on Flickr

 

This original wall hanging was made with about a dozen vintage neckties arranged to create a three-dimensional surface on a pieced background. Nancy Gamon is well known for creative use of recycled materials; at her online boutique at Etsy you can find ruffled scarves made from neckties, mixed media artworks and other creations.

Tie Repeat quilt by Louise Silk at Silk Quilt

Tie Repeat by Louise Silk is a wonderful work of textile art made with strips of neckties.  The emphasis in Tie Repeat is on the artistic juxtaposition of the patterns, colors and values of the silks, which are arranged in repeating sets of light and dark.

Judge's Ties by Louise Silk at Silk Quilt

This intriguing and dignified nine-patch quilt is enlivened by the stripes running vertically and horizontally through the blocks. The black squares in each of the nine-patch blocks "tie" the whole composition together.  You can see more of Louise Silk's creations, including many items made from reclaimed clothing, on Flickr and at SilkQuilt on Etsy.

Power Ties in Bloom by Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood at Craft Sanity

For Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood's  Power Ties in Bloom series, silk neckties were donated by West Michigan business men and community leaders.  Jennifer used the ties to create five different quilts with colorful, hexagon-shaped blooms. The series was exhibited at ArtPrize 2010.

Tie Quilt, 35 x 45", by Renay Martin at Purse Strings Patterns

Renay Martin wove together 56 different blue and red ties together to create this Memory Tie Quilt, then hand stitched them in place. She removed the labels from all the ties and re-applied them in various positions on the front of the quilt.  This quilt was featured by Deb Rowden at Deb Rowden's Thrift Shop Quilts.  Renay has developed a pattern for her technique; you can purchase it at Purse Strings Patterns.

Tie wall hanging by Nancy Sturgeon

Nancy Sturgeon created this lively wall hanging with twenty-four different ties. The shirt stripes used on either side of the ties create spinning pinwheels.   The tie labels were sewn along the border.  The block design is from a pattern in an out-of-print book, Quilts for guys: 15 fun projects for your favorite fella (edited by Cyndy Lyle Rymer; check for copies at Amazon). Nancy also made the beautiful quilt shown below.

Nancy Sturgeon's Tie Quilt, 52 x 52",  includes almost the entire necktie (tip, label, lining, and fabric) from 100 different ties.  Also, 140 tie tails were used to create prairie points along the edge.  It is fun to see all the different patterns and labels in this quilt!

If you are inspired to begin a necktie project you may be able to collect ties from friends, family,  or your local thrift shop.  A good source of neckties is Ebay, where you can find whole collections of vintage neck ties such as this one:

Image credits and links: Photos of  the quilts by Virginia Anderson,  Nancy Ota and Margit Kagerer were taken by Quilt Inspiration.  Quilts by Bet Ison, Nancy Gamon, Nancy Sturgeon, Stacey Sharman, Louise Silk, Bette Haddon and Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood  were previously featured at Quilt Inspiration with permission of the artists.

River City Quilt Show - Day 2

Welcome to Day 2 of the   River City Quilters Guild show in Sacramento, California.  This guild has many talented quilters, as you'll see below !

Cinco de Mayo, 60 x 73”, by Charlotte Westlake, quilted by Michele Simes

Charlotte tells us, " [I ] took a class at Quilters’ Corner from Ellen Garner and Peggy Clark. A new experience for me using brilliant colors – enjoyed every minute making this quilt." This New York Beauty pattern with its exuberant swirls of warm and cool hues does indeed remind us of a giant, very fun fiesta. We recognize "Cinco de Mayo" as the pattern on the cover of the book by Karen K. Stone; Charlotte's version has sashing between the blocks.  Some of these blocks have over 100 pieces.

Red Banana Plant, 16 x 22”, by Mary Upham

First Place award winner for an Appliqued Miniature Quilt, Mary writes, "I designed this quilt as part of a “Whisper Challenge” for the Studio Art Quilts Association. My inspiration came from a photograph, and the quilt is an original of my own design" Using a variety of different patterns and shapes for the red blossom gives it an exotic, tropical look, which helps to create a dazzling focal point against the green and taupe foliage.

Creativity Untamed, 48 x 48”, made by Debra King-Abraham, quilted by Laura Jansen

Debra notes,  "Creativity untamed [means]  the limited use of rulers and cutter. [This pattern is] a Split Log Cabin – Gees Bend design,  taught by Stacey Sharman at New Pieces Quilt Store in Berkeley, California."

Close-up of Creativity Untamed

Notice how the large, bold,  eye-catching geometric patterns are enhanced by the vertical parallel quilting lines for the larger blocks.  This sophisticated, balanced design creates a very striking contemporary effect.

Deep Blue Sea, 40 x 28”, by Marcia Richards

 Marcia writes, "I took a class with Marjan Kluepful using her hand-dyed fabrics. This was a lot of fun to make." The hand-dyed fabric in the background appears to us as sunlight streaming into a captivating world of life beneath the ocean.

Close-up of  Deep Blue Sea 

These sequined and beaded sea creatures, including the large blue fish and the little sea horse on the right, really provide a glittering effect to this fascinating underwater scene. Notice how Marcia has used coarse textile threads and fibers for the waving seaweed in order to create an interesting three-dimensional effect.

Winter Wonderland, 61 x 61”  by Shirley Duncan, quilted by Phyllis Day

Shirley notes, " [This quilt project was] a challenge for a quilt retreat at Zephyr Point, Nevada." Shirley has done a great job in creating a work that depicts a restful, snowy day in deep winter, amidst the pine branch motif of the inner border. We recognize this as the "Ice Dreams" pattern from the book, Quilts of the Winter Solstice, by Jason Yenter at In The Beginning Fabrics.

Close-up of Winter Wonderland

Here's a close-up of these pretty snowflake blocks, with their points gently reaching towards each other. If you're inspired to make this quilt yourself after seeing Shirley's fine work, then you'll  find the "Ice Dreams" fabrics designed by Jason Yenter, as well as an entire quilt kit online at Quilting by the Yard.

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.

All tied up ! Quilts made from neckties

We're wrapping up our tie quilt series (and tying up the loose ends). Here are the fantastic quilts we've shown over the last two weeks, along with some invaluable resources: books, patterns, websites, blogs, and tutorials (whew !)

Row 1, L-R: Ira's Quilt, and Key Quilt, by Bet Ison at Home for Wayward Babydolls; Silk Orange Peel and Carnival, by Stacey Sharman at Peppermint Pinwheels.  Row 2: Tie Quilt by Bette Haddon at Studio Art Quilts; TieBurst by Matthew Spong at mspong.org; Corporate Attire, by Dale Fleming at dalefleming.com; Unwinding the MBA, by Caryl Bryer Fallert at Bryerpatch Studio.  Row 3:  Power Ties in Bloom, by Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood, at Craft Sanity; Movement, by Louise Silk, at Silk Quilt; Tie Quilt by Renay Martin, at Purse Strings Patterns; Wedding Quilt, by Matthew Spong, at mspong.org. Row 4: Power Ties in Bloom, by Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood at Craft Sanity;  Tie Repeat, by Louise Silk at Silk Quilt; Silk Tie Quilt, by Nancy Goodman, at nwgoodman.com; Tie Quilt, by Nancy Sturgeon, at Threads Through Time.  Row 5:  Catch, by Nancy Gamon, at nancygamon; Small tie quilt, by Nancy Sturgeon, at Threads Through Time; Silk Tie Quilt, by Nancy Goodman, at nwgoodman.com; Necktie hanging, by Nancy Gamon, at nancygamon.

Patterns for Tie Quilts

Row 1: Pieced Silk Tie Quilt from 1865, Shelburne Museum collection, pattern at Hoopla Patterns; "Untitled" and "Enticement", by Karen K. Stone (these out-of-print patterns can be found at Embroidery Etcetera).  Row 2: Making Memories, by Deb Rowden; Quilts for Guys, by Cyndy Rymer; Daddy's Ties, by Shirley Botsford.  Row 3:  Indian Orange Peel quilt, in Karen K. Stone Quilts; and Bella Bella Quilts by Norah McMeeking.

Memory Quilts: see Alix Joyal at Mamaka Mills (and her tutorial, how to sew a memory quilt using a silk tie); Lori Mason at Lori Mason Designs; Connie Bloom at conniebloom.com; and Cheryl Kirk at Sweet Dreams Quilting.

More necktie quilts and interesting blogs:  See "I've been working on the railroad", by Nann Blaine Hillyard, at With Strings Attached; Silk Treasure, by Barbara Hruby, at the Northern Lake County Quilters Guild; Sewing with Neckties and Woof Nanny are blogs written by Barb Lawrence.

Tie quilts and Peppermint Pinwheels

Now producing sophisticated,  modern designs, Stacey Sharman started sewing at age 8 on a treadle foot-operated sewing machine.  She opened her Peppermint Pinwheels quilt business in Berkeley, California in 2009.  She refers to herself as a "textile junkie", and she often mixes vintage and new materials.  Today, you can see that Stacey has ventured into the world of silk necktie quilts with really spectacular results.

Carnival quilt, 58 x 58", by Stacey Sharman, at Peppermint Pinwheels

In an interview at the Fat Quarterly Blog Stacey says, "You can’t go wrong with colors and fabrics you love. Value really is one of the most important aspects of having an interesting quilt, so pair the fabrics you adore with fabrics of a different value (light, medium, dark) and don’t be afraid to throw in a touch of something wild." In this case, one of the "wildest" and most interesting aspects is the choice of ruby red to accent the circular design, which highlights the precise border of geometric diamonds.

This "Carnival" quilt, made from tie silks and silk dupioni, was based on a pattern by Norah McMeeking from Bella Bella Quilts. Norah's book,  Bella Bella Quilts: Stunning Designs From Italian Mosaics, is an example of how tile patterns from floors and walls of past epochs can be incorporated into modern quilt making.  Stacey has taken these classic designs to a new level.

Silk Orange Peel quilt, 63 x 63", by Stacey Sharman, at  Peppermint Pinwheels

These silks, which reflect the light so well, were either samples or remnants - approximately 4.5 x 12"- from a factory that makes neckties. Stacey has blended the muted, yet eye-catching colors into a sparkling rainbow palette. Her "Silk Orange Peel" was based on the contemporary "Indian Orange Peel" pattern by Karen K. Stone. Stacey notes that "All foundation-pieced is the only way to go with silk quilting."  The results are gorgeous, as you can see here ! 

Stacey Sharman has interesting and useful quilting information at her blog, On the Design Wall, along with works in progress . We think you'll love Stacey's photos of her original, modern quilts on her Flickr page and the Peppermint Pinwheels store website.

Additional resources:  Images are shown with the generous permission of the artist. In addition, please see more information about Stacey Sharman and lovely photos in an interview at the Try Handmade blog.