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.

 

When you iron it open you should have something like this which can then be trimmed down. 

And this is the block ready for embroidery, embellishment, collage, etc.  Once the block is finished, a backing can be attached, envelope style so you don't have to worry about binding.  And you can incorporate triangle hanging corners when you sew the envelope.  If you need clarification or help, ask me.

 

BTW, it took me less than 15 minutes to trim the centre square (because it is transparent, I put interfacing on it), trim the necktie strips, cut them to length, assemble and sew the tie sides, and trim the piece to 8 3/4".  

 

And I have enough ties and Faigie's felt and white fabric but if anyone wants to join me on this journey, please let me know.  

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. 

 

 

Stashbuster

Although I have not purchased fabric in a long time (unless it was for a specific project for which I did not have suitable fabric in my stash), I still managed to accumulate a fair amount of stuff, either leftovers from previous projects or things received from others.  

I am reaching a landmark birthday and have decided to declutter by making new art.  Smaller pieces since I have difficulty and am no longer able to make larger quilts.

My first  project is turning this bin of batting cut offs

 

into these 

Unfortunately, I did not mark at the time what kind or brand of batting I used so I could not sew them together to reuse in quilts (since different battings shrink at different rates).

I am making 10 1/2" squares which I will use for these (planning on 75 small art pieces)

to be made from these 

leftover ties.  And I have another two bags of ties which I haven't gutted yet.

Needless to say, I will have enough to keep me occupied this year.  I will hopefully post as I go along.

 

 

 

Fabric scraps, battting scraps

 

My next project is to  use up batting scraps and fabric scraps to make a floor mat.  I will sew the batting scraps into a 2.5" "jelly roll" and then attach fabric scraps as per some youtube videos I have watched.

The youtube videos mention buying the 2.5" wide batting rolls.  Ha - like that is going to happen. And the fabric used is purchased from commercial jelly roll fabrics.  Ha ha again.

This is where I am starting.   

 Updates to follow.

 

 

 

 

Out with the Old In with the New

My first finished 2026 project.

I started this one in December.  Matty gave me four of Mel's z"l ties.  I used the same pattern from "Necktie Quilts Reinvented" as I used in the quilt of Marty's z"l ties.  My hands weren't shaking when I made Marty's quilt.  

I had four ties to work with.  Three I used for the petals/blades and the fourth for the binding.

I sewed the blades down onto two layers - top fabric and binding.  Then I sewed the blue lines from the bottom with the thicker blue thread in the bobbin.  Then I added the backing and quilted over the blue line in one of the machines embroidery designs in a grey thread which is not terribly visible. 

I also didn't realize how difficult it would be the do a binding with an interfaced tie.  And I didn't have enough of the tie to go around so improved with the gold tie on the top edge.  At any rate, I couldn't get the corners to miter properly and there was some exposed fabric at the corners.  After auditioning all kinds of ribbons, buttons and beads, I used flower shaped findings and beads at the corners.  Not perfect but OK.

All in all, I am fairly happy with how it turned out and especially happy that this small (18" ish) wall hanging can be returned to Matty.  I also have some leftover tie pieces which I hope to make with Alissa into silk scarves for Sari and Johanna.

The future will be challenging with my shaking hands.  Hard to thread needles, put together fabrics to sew by machine, etc.  I will do my best.
  

Phew, Finally Finished

This one was hard.  Although I made the quilt top quite a while ago, I just recently got to quilting it and binding it.

I had real trouble manoeuvering the quilt sandwich on my domestic machine.  I used my walking foot which was a bear to attach with my shaking hands.  And the vibrations caused the needle to fall out.  Which was, again, a bear to reinsert with my shaking hands.  I had used a duvet cover for the backing but after auditioning all of my fabrics, couldn't find something suitable for the binding.  I went to Sew Sisters and found a fabric which wouldn't compete with the batik frame and wouldn't compete with the may coloured scrap pieces.  

Cutting the 2.5" strips was not a problem.  But then for some reason when sewing them together, I sewed on the diagonal in the wrong direction.  Seam ripped them out, and again had to stop because of shaking hands.  I machine sewed the binding onto the back of the quilt, and then machine sewed it onto the front.  I struggled with the corners until I came to the last corner where I had to rip out the stitching.  I only had about 12" left to sew but again, shaking hands.  I finally finished the last stitches this morning. 

So the quilt is finished and so is my large quilting "career".  And this quilt is fitting as it is made from scraps of 20+ years of quilting.  I can recognize fabrics from the various quilts I have made over the years.  So it is quite meaningful in that it represents the many quilts I have gifted over the past two decades and it is my final quilt gift to my niece.

Now onto smaller creations.