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Charlie's Tie Quilt
by
Margaret E
(IC: homeowner)
Last fall a close friend who knows I recycle/upcycle thrift store finds into new useful things gave me a bag of her late father's neckties. I already had a copier-paper box full of thrift store ties; I wasn't sure what I'd do with more. Then I went to a local antiques market and found a crazy-quilt top made of neckties and knew exactly what that bag of neckties would turn into. The ties in the antique market quilt had been taken apart and ironed flat. The blocks were 18-inch squares which looked like they'd been sheets or thin curtains before being cut up for this quilt, a total of 20 large squares.
Back of sample quilt - the backing fabric was an assortment of faded prints and several colors. Each square measured 18 1/2 inches.
As you can see from this close-up of a block from the antique market quilt top, the center of each block is the "large end" of an opened-up tie, and the block is built up by sewing pieces of other ties around it. My friend gave me about 25 ties, several of which were solid colors. I picked patterned ones for the 20 block centers.
Here's the finished quilt, draped over a beautiful antique chair I'm lucky to own. After taking pictures, I signed and dated one corner of the quilt, then folded it up and gift-wrapped it to deliver to my friend.
Charlie's house is full of antiques and primitives. I knew this quilt would be right at home on one of her antique beds, and she sent me a photo once she had it home. (after showing it off to just about everyone at work, and sending photos to her sons!)
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Published May 1st, 2015 8:43 PM
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2 of 19 comments
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Laurel Bracey on Oct 13, 2016Ah, hard decisions; you are a trooper; hope she appreciates your sacrifice and you are rewarded in keeping peace and harmony. Seriously, your love is priceless.
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Margaret E on Oct 30, 2016Thank you, Laurel.
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