Transforming Neckties into Works of Art
A few years ago, one of my clients asked me if I’d ever made anything with men’s neckties. I replied “yes, but I’ve only made small items.”
After a few more questions, my customer explained that she wanted a special, commemorative style jacket. This way, she could keep her two sons and husband with her wherever she went. We met and I was amazed at the number of neckties she had. If I had to guess, it appeared that she had kept almost every tie the boys had worn throughout their academic studies and early professional years. Her husband’s ties were a similar time capsule that seemed to cover his entire life. We strolled down memory lane as she recounted stories attached to specific ties. I asked her which ties were “must haves” for her jacket and she quickly selected a handful of ties that were the most memorable and meaningful. I then looked through the mountain of ties set aside and selected more that looked like they would be good blenders for the piecework. My challenge was to balance the patchwork so that it didn’t overwhelm the jacket but met my client’s expectations. After a few more careful selections, I thought we had a good sampling to move forward.
A few days later I began dismantling the ties and determining which colors and prints worked best. Some of the prints clashed when laid side by side, so it was important to move them around until I had a nice blend of colors and prints and there were no distracting parts. The layout process took time but once completed, it was time to begin sewing everything together.
The patchwork was only used on the lower portion of the jacket, so I carefully cut vertical strips of black silk to achieve the correct fabric length for the jacket front piece. After the jacket front piece was created, I cut out the other jacket pieces including simple matte satin cuffs and collar. My client requested ‘timeless elegance’ so these were ‘must have’ elements. Once those important items were sewn, I quickly completed the jacket assembly. (The jacket was lined with lightweight silk to protect the patchwork and prevent unnecessary fraying) Button selection was left to me. I chose a simple black and gold button that complemented the style.
I notified my client it was finished, and we set up a convenient delivery time. When she opened the garment bag, she gasped and began to cry. I asked her what was wrong, and she said it was perfect. She and her husband loved it. Not only did it fit perfectly, but it memorialized her family and special moments.
If you ever have the opportunity to create your own memorial jacket with ties, start by selecting ones that hold the most meaning. You can then prioritize other ties that would work as blending or supporting fabrics. Carefully inspect each tie for stains or snags since you will need to only use the least damaged parts of each tie. One other idea would be to incorporate buttons from a loved one’s favorite jacket or shirt if you are making a garment to wear.
If a jacket isn’t something you want to create, here’s another idea. You can create amazing decorative pillows with one focal tie and complementary blending fabrics. Just try to select the same fabric type. For this project, my client requested a decorative pillow using a red-colored Jerry Garcia tie. She loved it and said it would fit in perfectly with a friend’s new house décor. (this commissioned piece was a gift) The challenge: the pillow couldn’t look like a necktie sewn on a pillow.
I opened the tie and noticed that the pattern could be complemented with some metallic thread and strategically placed stitching. I laid the tie atop a diaper flannel and carefully highlighted the print with a few different colored metallic threads. I complemented the piecework with a perfectly matched red silk charmeuse and purple silk dupioni fabric. Since my customer wanted ‘bold,’ I blocked off each pillow section with a simple braided black trim.
My customer loved it and reported that her friends went wild when they received it. They couldn’t believe it started out as a necktie!
This project was fun to make and was a great idea for creating fun and decorative accent pieces.