So close - so far

 I have four blocks left to sew.  

 

My machine is telling me not now.  The top thread keeps breaking, making knots, etc.

So I am going to listen to my machine and say ok.  I'll do them tomorrow after I give my machine a thorough cleaning.

But in addition to the blocks on my design wall, I have these done.

 So I am doing OK.

Did I mention that I cut one half block 8 1/2" instead of 8 3/4"?  Fortunately, I have no shortage of neckties or batting so once I have the final count, I will see if I need to make more.  I also noticed that one of the ties had a cut so I'll have to replace that one too.  And did I mention that in some of the centres I sewed the interfacing to the front instead of the fabric?  It doesn't show so I'm leaving it the way it is. 

Stuff happens and artists improvise. 

Necktie Hebrew trivia

The word for necktie is עניבה (pronounced UH-KNEE-VAH).  Its root is Talmudic, referring to a knot. Also used for noose "anivat tliyah". Oy.

 

 

 

 

Did I Miscount the Squares or the Ties?

 I have just finished cutting out the white centres and the ties for the existing squares.  I have 11 ties (which I haven't cut yet) leftover.  Which means I either miscounted the squares or the ties.  Am I going to think about it now?  No.  I will start tomorrow sewing up the blocks and when they are finished I will either make more squares or figure out what to do with the ties, bearing in mind that I have enough tie pieces left over to make another 75 blocks...

In anticipation of the sewing, and seeing as I used this method before, I moved my sewing machine to my ironing surface.  I can sew standing up and thereby avoid the up and down each time I have to iron the fabrics as I sew.

This is the pile to be sewn. 

 

This is the new standing set up.

 

 And this orphan fell out from the pile...

Oh well.
 

Third of the Way There

 Well at least for the backgrounds.

 

Still Ties

 

 

 So I didn't actually do any sewing today yet.  After having ironed interfacing onto the ties I am using in my project, I was left with a bin of tie pieces.

  

My first piece of advice to anyone deconstructing ties, remove the guts, labels, and pointed end linings.  Do NOT separate the pieces of each tie until you are ready to actually use them.  I say this because I just spent a few hours matching up smaller pieces and seeing how many I have.

I now have a much smaller bin of tie bundles, each tie which has enough fabric (to do another round of what I am currently doing) is in a bundle.  I have a freezer bag with short on fabric bundles and another freezer bag with pieces which are not easily identifiable as belonging to one of the long enough bundles but I'm hanging onto them, just in case.

I also have a few polyester ties with which I am undecided what to do.  They are all striped except for one burgundy which I may use in my current project for the centre of the squares.

 And I just found one more silk tie to deconstruct... 

But I feel productive and am enjoying myself. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use It Up

 

 I have assembled photos here for a presentation to the Pomegranate Guild of Judaic Textiles, Toronto.

This is a bin with cut off batting which I have cut off during my approximately twenty years of quilting.  I had planned to make even sized strips and reuse as batting for other quilts.  Unfortunately, I did not mark the batting to show its type or make (e.g. Warm and Natural 20/80).  As different batts shrink at different rates, it is not a good idea to join different batts in one quilt.  So I kept them for "eventual" art quilts which shouldn't be washed so the problem of shrinkage is moot.

When I started quilting with neckties, I was gifted a large quantity of neckties which had already been taken apart and they were sitting in this bin.

 

In honour of my 75th birthday, I decided to embark on year-long project turning the batting and necktie remains into these 9" inch ish (closer to 8 3/4") squares.  The center is white ish and will later be embellished, collaged, etc.

 

I started by taking the batting strips and cutting them into 11"ish strips, then straigtening the edges so the widths were even.  So were 6" wide, some were 1 1/2" wide.  I zigzagged them together and ended up with close to 75 11" ish squares.  I did not have enough batting but I had white felt from Faigie's z"l detritus and cut up some squares from that.

The pile ready to start quilting.

I had purchased a few years back a roll of fusible lighweight interfacing specifically for use with lightweight fabrics such as the silk neckties.  The neckties are cut on the bias and tend to stretch.  The interfacing prevents the fabric from stretching but does not particularly change the hand of the fabric.

I cut the fabric into 2 1/2" strips the width of the interfacing.  I needed two strips for each necktie but found it easier to cut four strips at a time.

I then chose the necktie and ironed the interfacing onto the back of the necktie.  In some ties, the back and front are the same so it doesn't matter which side you iron onto.  In some, however, there is a difference in the pattern and colours so check carefully before ironing. (I some,  preferred the back rather than the front side).

Also - very important.  The interfacing has one side with glue on it.  It is barely discernable in this photo but it has a little sparkle.  Make sure the glue side is down on the fabric when you iron.  Otherwise the glue will stick to your iron and make a mess!  BTW, if your iron gets glue on it, iron over a dryer sheet a few times and the glue will come off.

Here are strips ironed onto the fabric.

 

I cut off the excess necktie and threw it back in the bin.  And below are two samples of the difference between the front and back of the

 

Now to assembel the block.  Trim off the fabric not covered by the interfacing and set aside.  I can be used to die silk to make silk scarves or challah covers.

 

You now have 2 15" strips.  Cut each strip so that you have one 5" and one 10" strip.

Take a 5" square of white-ish fabric and place it in the middle of the batting square.  I chose white because I wanted to use up some of white wedding fabrics and fabric samples I was gifted by the neighour (upholstery and drapes).  

Take the two 5" lengths of the necktie cutting and place on the left and right of the white fabric.  Sew a 1/4" seam.  Then do a 45 degree turn of the batting piece and sew the 10" lengths on the opposite side of the white square.

 

And my last word on this post (I think), you don't have to use ties or batting.

I made these two pieces from family fabrics - the pink and green is from the dress my mother wore to my brother's wedding and the beige, brown, gold is from a skirt I wore to my nephew's barmitzvah, a frum-ish affair form which I purposely purchased a skirt with fabric I knew I would cut up later to use in my fibre art.  And you could use old sweatshirts, blankets or fleece as batting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nearing the Batting Finish Line

I have finished the longer, not necessarily wider, pieces and am now working on the shorter ones.  It's like a puzzle, putting them together to get a 10 1/2" ish square.  This is the growing pile of squares

 and this is the pile of pieces left to join

u

 I think I will be short of 75 finished batting squares but fortunately I have Faigie's felt which I thought was batting when I took it.  For wall hangings, I can certainly use it.

So excited to almost be finished the batting.  Then onto the white centers - I will use upholstery samples I received and maybe use up some more of the wedding fabrics.  And then the final step before embellishing,  stabilizng, cutting and sewing the neckties.

I feel I am making progress. 

Batting Update

Batting bin is empty.

Bag of bits too small or unstable to use.

 Pieces 11" long to be sewn together.

Pieces less than 11" long to be sewn togther.

 

Current state of batting squares ready for ties.

 

 About 40 so far.

 I am pleased with my progress.