Tonight I’ve been watching the Iowa State vs. Iowa football game (Go Cyclones!) and got to thinking about how it’s like the Tartan Ties vs. the Traditional Ones. Usually a log cabin block has lights posed against darks in this “Barn Raising” pattern but when you have tartans (plaids) and traditional, well, it just seems like they should play against each other instead. Do you ever wonder what makes it a “Plaid Kind of Day” to wear a tie? Is it a more relaxed and fun day vs. a formal one? Hmm . . . I loved the way all these tartans worked with each other in the design despite the coloration differences. As I noted earlier about the clans they represent, maybe when it comes down to it, they all end up unified into a strong “Plaid Kingdom” both worldwide, in Scotland, and in this quilt! When you lay the individual blocks down, the pattern created is “Barn Raising” because the darks or plains start to build a line around the lights or plaids. In a bigger quilt, this is very pronounced but here, it adds a surprising touch of another pattern appearing within the design. Back to the sewing room again . . .more to finish this week.
The Plaids chase the Traditionals around the Texas StarThe first group of repurposed mens ties headed into a quilt block known as the “Pineapple”. At the center is a mini block out of golds and browns (geographic colors) in the Texas Star or Lone Star pattern. It’s an old pattern, often referred to as the Mathematical Star because it’s like something from geometry class. Remember all those fun designs we got to create in school? The owner of these ties was born in Texas so this seemed very appropriate. It’s also the quilt block that says “Hospitality” which also represents him. Swirling around the center block are all the different fabrics represented in each of the ties. Much like our lives year after year, this block builds layer after layer as it goes around. I actually haven’t decided when to stop because it’s so much fun making the 8 sided block. Just a note on this process, though: Because the strips are small, I decided not to quilt over them pattern but am doing a “quilt in place”. This means, the strips are added on to a backing, batting and a gridded light interfacing to keep me balanced. It’s really easy to find yourself getting unbalanced if the angles aren’t just perfect. I like the way the Tartans are chasing each other in the design. Or, maybe the traditionals are chasing the plaids?
The unstructured ties traveled back to Pennsylvania where they were carefully pressed, lightly interfaced, cut into 1-1/4″ strips and hung onto my old quilting frame. What a great use for this! Lots of repurposing going on in this project. Actually, it’s sort of fun seeing them hanging freely relaxed in strips, rather like a special decoration in the room. Sewing them into their patterns soon somehow seems to be tieing them down. Is that a pun? Anyway, tip here is to treat them very carefully because they are fragile due to being narrow strips and they are bias which can cause stretching. Different fiber contents make pressing and interfacing variable since the heat setting varies slightly. At this point now, just like a freshman heading off to college, they may find many new paths that they can travel. Instead of being a Doctor, Lawyer, Nurse, Teacher, like the college student, these little eager strips will become part of a log cabin block, a pineapple block, piping, borders or even binding.
Tie Drying at the LakeSome of the ties, despite being carefully taken apart and gently cleaned, refused to let go of old ways despite hanging in the wind to dry. Doesn’t this remind you of some people too? No matter what the circumstances or what they encounter, they resist change and return to old habits. Maybe that’s good in that predictability can be helpful at times. Other times, well, it would be great to see that they grow with the experience. Anyway . . . Some tie fabrics relaxed and enjoyed the ride (Wind in their fibers!)…Many of the tartans or plaids were hanging together and, I’m not entirely sure about this, but I sensed that the McPhersons and the McDuffs were hitting each other. Do Scottish Clans still do that? And I noticed that the Royal Stewart Tartan stood aloof, enjoying its own space. But, my favorite was the Pierre Cardin Silk tie. When released from the stitches, it immediately lost any tie feeling, loved the wind drying it’s lovely lustrous fibers and seemed to say “Merci! Merci!” Free at last!!! Since I had just recently returned from Montreal, Canada, I am suspicious that this particular tie’s spirit might have had connections to Quebec. So . . . Understanding their characters better and how they handled the gentle cleaning process helped in the planning of the Quilt Tie Project.
The Ties ArriveA brown paper bag of mysterious neckties and a challenge to create something totally memorable began the challenge. When you look at a tie up close and personal, you discover incredible fabrics, unique designs, special understitching constructions and a bundle of questions all rolled into one little bias neck statement. Who wore this? When was it selected? Was it a special occasion? What memories does it hold? Why was it worn on one day and not the next? What was the person who owned this like? The questions kept coming up . . . Pulling in my brain quest search and putting together a design or two that would meet the goals of making a memory statement and meet my own aesthetics really started the actual “Make it Work” activities. Gently taking the stitches out . . . feeling the fabrics and how they handled beneath my hands . . . observing the colors and how light reflected or was absorbed . . . And, always, remembering that these ties belonged to someone very special, someone who wore them as part of his life, and respecting the memories that they held.
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