MY continued love (hate) affair with silk neckties

A week or so ago, on one of our weekly POM Zoom meetings, I showed this scarf which I had dyed from necktie bits and pieces leftover from the Torah Tie Project, currently known as Of Biblical Proportions.

Any references to that project can be seen at thetorahtieproject.blogspot.com.

I volunteered to show the process.  Here goes:

I was left with a bin of tie bits.

I spent three days ironing and sorting them.  And this is what I got:

 

 

I used this 11.25" wide by 60" long 5 mm pongee silk scarf which I bought at G & S Dyes.

 

 

I cut a piece of cotton fabric (i.e. old sheet) slightly larger than the scarf and laid it out on a flat surface.

I then laid the silk scarf on top of the cotton piece.  The chopstick marks the half-way mark of the scarf length.

I decided to use odds and ends bits instead of strips this time.I then laid the random sized pieces of silk tie bits on the silk scarf, up to the half-way mark.

Folded the second half of the scarf back over the first half, removing the chopstick...

Folded the second half of the cotton piece over top of the scarf.

Rolled the cotton-scarf combo from the narrow open end into a roll.  Roll from the open end otherwise the rolling motion will push the pieces out from the scarf.  Ask me how I know...

 Tie the roll with string, thread or bits of ties so that the roll is tied at both ends and once or twice in the middle.

I decided to use odds and ends bits instead of strips this time.ade

I decided to also experiment to see if the dyes from the ties would dye cotton.

Same procedure as for the silk scarf roll.

Bring a pot of water to a boil.  This has to be a dedicated pot, not to be used for cooking foods.

Add either 3 teaspoons or 3 tablespoons of vinegar as a mordant.  I just glugged glugged some vinegar into the pot...

Rolls ready for immersion.

Rock for stone soup or for holding the rolls under water...

Simmer for 20 minutes.

Place old towel on flat surface.  Protect surface under the towel, if necessary.  The cotton, scarf and tie bits may still be hot.  Carefully remove the tie bits.  Et voila! 

Et voila!  Hang the scarf to dry and when dry, heat set with iron on silk setting.

This dyeing method is apparently not as successful on cotton.  The colours were not as vibrant and some pieces didn't show dye at all.  Can't win em all.