75 Blocks in 75 Days at 75 Years Old

In March 2026, I turned 75.  I didn't do anything earth shattering to celebrate.  In the past two years, I have faced physical challenges - not life threatening but hand mobility challenging putting a cramp in my textile art activity.

In honour of my 75th, I decided to start winding down my textile practice.  Now, this isn't a terribly slow process since I have enough "stuff" to keep me busy for quite a while...

I decided to start with this box of batting scraps.   

 I had been quilting for 20 years and accumulated many scraps from the batting cutoffs once the quilt is quilted.  I have tried different kinds of batting over the years and my favorite brand is "on sale".  I did not, unfortunately, mark the batting type as I cut them off so I had a bin of various types and while batting of similar types can be sewn together and reused in a new quilt, different types cannot (different rates of shrinkage).

They can, however, be sewn together to use in art quilts which generally are not washed hence shrinkage not an issue.

So on March 7th, I started sewing them into approximately 10" - 10 1/2" squares and ended up with this pile of squares.

 

I was a little short of 75 squares so I cut some more from Faigie's fabric which was either batting or wool felt.  Since it isn't being washed, it didn't matter.

This was the first necktie quilt I made (made either 2005 or 2015 - can't remember and too lazy to check right now) from my cousin's late husband's ties.  I did the Dresden Plate 9 patch and the border braids, but Carmit (my daughter) finished putting it together and quilting it.  Our first collaboration.  This king-size quilt resides in Israel.  There were 90 ish neckties used and because I needed 108 blades, some ties were in there twice, once on the front of the tie and once on the reverse side.

 

 It was a labour of love but once finished, I said that I never wanted to look at another tie again.

The next time neckties were offered to me, I said it's just silk fabric.  You can treat it as silk fabric.  So I accepted the neckties - they were/are beautiful - and while deconstructing them thought about the man from whom the ties came.  I picked them up from his widow knowing nothing about him.  I read the comments on the funeral home website's obit and learned that he was active in his synagogue and many people mentioned the ties he wore to shul.  I thought that the ties had probably heard all of the Torah readings.  And so my Torah Tie Project started.

I have written about it in my blog but these are the finished Torah Tie Quilts.

 

 

    

  

 

So I am no stranger to ties.  And my friends kept bringing me ties...

So I decided to use this bin of ties for the 75 project.

 

The ties had already been deconstructed before I received them so I just had to iron them and then attach lightweight iron on stabiliser to them.  But before I could do that, I had to decide on a pattern.  My neighbour, who is an upholsterer, gave me some books of fabric samples.  Many of them were white, in different materials and textures.   For most of them, I could get a 5" square.  This became the centre of the block.  I cut out the 5" squares, ironed on stabiliser and placed them onto the centres of my batting squares.

  Then I cut out lengths, 2 1/2" wide of stabiliser.  I needed two 5" lengths for the sides of the white squares, and two 9" lengths for the top and bottom of the squares.

 Then I ironed the stabiliser onto the back of the tie and cut.

 I should have paid attention to the placement because the pattern is off kilter but in the big picture, it didn't present a real problem.

Then I sewed two 5" pieces on the sides of the square, one on each side. (I know: explaining "one on each side" may be overkill but not everyone can read IKEA instructions). And ironed the seams open.

Then trimmed  and got an 8 3/4" ish block.

I admit that occasionally I sewed the centre square with the interfacing facing up instead of the fabric, but I didn't notice it until the embellishing part.  Not that noticeable either.

Repeated 75 times.

And then the fun and/or anxiety started.  How to embellish the centre squares?  My first four were easy - I had originally crazy quilt pieced them.  So I did my usual embroidery, beads, findings combo.

Then I remembered that aside from the white upholstery/drapery fabric sample I had received 

 3 1/2"  X 10" silk samples in many colours.  I figured that if I placed one 3" ish square in the middle of my 5" (now 4 1/2") square and layered another smaller square in the middle of that, they could look nice.  And if I used a fabric which is intentionally frayed, it adds texture.  And with beads, buttons, findings on that - well, you get the picture.

I did however want to do some embroidery.  And each time something embroidered popped up on my feed, it found its way onto a piece.  I also wanted to try needle lace embroidery.  And I did.  Not as fancy or even stitched as Sarah Homfrey, but good enough for me.

I also tried a couple of little quilted vignette making,  

In short, I finished 75 squares in just under 75 days.   I shared progress with the Pomegranate Guild along the way.

 

I had originally planned to finish each block individually, hoping to exhibit them at some point.

After I (almost) finished the first one, my inner lazy self cried "too much work".  So I decided to join the blocks and make them into wall hanging quilts.  3 of 12 blocks or 5 of 15?  I decided on 5 of 15 because I can manipulate them more easily on my sewing machine.

 I made a temporary design wall in addition to my permanent one so I could see all the blocks at once and move them around to make the wall hangings so I could spread out the different techniqued centre squares and try to avoid having all the embroidery or collaging in one place.

Sneak preview:

 

I put them up, made my choices and took them down to sew together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ten Blocks to Go

To anyone who has been following, I have not given up on the project but have not been diligent about posting my progress.   Probably because at some point, I mixed up the already posted blocks with the unposted and was too lazy busy to sort them.

I now have 10 blocks left to embellish and at the rate of 1 or 2 a day, I will be done in about a week.  Then I have to figure out how to back them.  I have an idea to use the leftover necktie pieces on the back.  The front is attached to the batting so I just have to add the backing.  How to sew the necktie pieces together?  Probably onto fusible interfacing.

And then how to attach the backing to the front/batting.  My original idea was to pillowcase them rather than bind or face.  I was worried about the delicate beading/binding/findings getting caught when I turned them inside out.  Reesa suggested that I make the backing from two pieces which will make the turning inside out easier and then I can just use a little fusible to rejoin the pieces after sewing.

I also had to figure out a hanging sleeve.  I usually do triangle corners but if I want to gallery hang these, they should all have a hanging sleeve.  OK.  The top of the sleeve will get sewn by machine when I sew the pillowcase seams.  And then the AHA moment.  If I use ribbon (of which I have plenty of wide ribbon), I can machine sew the bottom onto the back before I pillowcase thereby eliminating hand sewing.  

So I am going to finish my last 10 blocks, prepare the backs with the ribbon sleeves and give my idea a try.  Hopefully successfully.  And then photograph the blocks one by one, perhaps with commentary on how I reached each decision.

Have I mentioned that 1" painters tape is my friend?

 

 

Progress Despite Lack of Postings

I haven't been posting daily but I have been stitching daily.

  

  Just finished # 40!  For those you us keeping score, that's more than half-way to my goal of 75.

I haven't done the stats, but most of the pieces are collages.  Some are "finished" but may be revised when I finish them all.

I am now dealing with backgrounds which are fairly dark so I think I'm going to try my hand at sashiko stitching with weaving.

I tried a miniature embroidered landscape.  Might try another.

Having fun for the most part although I am sometimes frustrated when a piece doesn't turn out as nicely as I would like.  I keep reciting my mantra "the big picture"... 

 

 

20 Done-ish

With the addition of these

 I have reached 20 blocks.

Done-ish because the top one whose pattern I saw briefly on a Facebook reel had a black centre for each intersection.  I tried various stitches and beads but did not like the look.  So I set it aside.

 Done-ish because the middle one when viewed from afar seems empty on the right side.  I will revisit later.

The last one, I couldn't find a green fabric to match the perimeter's green so I used a bit of the same tie from the cut off pieces.  Kind of like the effect.

I figure that if I do one or two blocks a day from now until I finish I should be ready for the Pomegranate Show and Share in June.  Maybe. 

Also working on the leaves for the POM Temple Emanuel project.  The quilt is being quilted this week and hopefully we will be able to attach the tree and leaves before the end of the month.  Don't know what I'm talking about?  I'll review the project with photos when the quilt comes back from the longarmer. 

One more in progress

I perhaps should have documented my process.

\

 I started with a burgundy tie as background and gold centre square.  Did not like it.

Then tried a goldish orange linen look background and burgundy background.  Did not like it.

Then a burgundy duppioni background with gold centre.  this was better.  I tried embroidering the burgundy perimeter with gold fly stitches.  Did not like it.

Finally settled on this gold silk background from upholstery samples and burgundy duppioni from my stash.  the central finding is from one of my recent trips to Israel.  I have now used up all of these particular findings of which there were originally six.  Unfortunately, the guy I buy from in Tel Aviv does not have a website or do online selling.  I'll just have to travel again...

In the meantime, I am mimicing the blue colour in beading from one of Inbal's deconstructed jewellry pieces.  My hands are not cooperting with my beading right now so I'm setting it aside.

I do want to try some shibori embroidery and may even venture out to the library to see what they have to offer in the way of books.  There is plenty of stuff on youtube but I'd like to see a few patterns at the same time. 

Three More

 

Picking Up Steam

I have, until today, completed - ish 10 blocks.

I say completed - ish because after I complete the 75th block, I may revisit and decide if I want to continue.

Here are the blocks I've done so far:

I try to let the necktie fabric dictate the colours, styles and techniques I will use.  Often my original idea does not end up happening and something else does.  I am using up the bits and bobs I've accumulated over 25 years of quilting/embroidering/sewing etc. and am rediscovering stuff I made for other projects which were abandoned which now find a place.

I'm also getting to review what I have and declutter at the same time. 

 

Blocks - Continued

 Although I determined I should photograph the block before embellishment, I forget until I had done the first seam.

This is the 2nd of the crazy quilt centres.

And the finished, block.

 

Ran out of sparkly thead at the bottom of the vine...

Hands were shaking a I attached to chamsa.

I think that the spider in teh bottom right doesn't match the rest of the block but can't decide whether to leave it or what.  Just had an idea.  I may replace it but not today.

I have two crazy quilt centres left - I will wait on them and try some of the other blocks.  But not today. 

First Blocks Done

 I have started embellishing the blocks.  If you think assembling the blocks was time consuming, you have no idea how the next process works.  It is so hard to decide how to embellish.  Stitches go in and I don't like the result.  Unstitch, keep stitching?

The first two blocks are done, I think.  I started with a crazy quilt block.  I should have photographed it before I started but I didn't.

This is the finished I think block.  I think because I'm not sure if it needs anything else.

 The frame is the last of Mel's ties.  The white fabrics are family wedding dresses or fabrics.  The threads, beads and findings are those I have amassed over the years.  I am also trying not to buy anything for this project but I think I may need to - I am letting the frame tie colours dictate the white sections embellishments.  My next crazy quilt frame is primarily dark blue with hints of gold and green.  I have next to no gold threads.  I will see.

The second block is one of the ties I received from Brenda, or perhaps someone else.  This time I remembered to photograph a "before".

 

 And this is the after.

 

 Imagine it rotated left so the feathers are hanging.

The burgundy is duppioni silk from a sample from my neighbour, the upholsterer.  

For this one, I tried several things and this is how it ended up.  

 

I don't have to be in love with each piece, just to do my best to finish them estheticly. 

 

 

Now What

 

This pile has 75 8 3/4" squares with 4 1/2" white centres.

Thanks to blogging, I know that it took me 18 days to make the squares.  An auspicious number, no? 

My next step is to embroider/bead/embellish/stitch in the white centres.   This step will take longer.  Do I want to do it by myself or with friends? Do I want to work with a theme or just wing it?

How much of the white do I want to cover?

Do I want to set myself a time limit (e.g. 75 blocks in 75 days?)

I am hoping to exhibit them which will directly affect how I back them and a hanging system.

I am taking a day or two to think about it. 

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.