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.

Some 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.

A 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.

As the snow falls along with the temperatures here in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, my imagination moves me into warm gentle ocean currents where mermaids swim and beautiful underwater scenes fill my head. I loved the colors in this art piece and had fun overlaying it all with sparkling netting, strand after strand of green seaweed like strings dripping with shiny glass beads. Look closely and you’ll see some beachglass peeking out as well. It will be a joy to begin putting together the larger mermaid artwork, working it’s way around my head from glimpses of her reflection within the blue-green waters of Lake Erie. Perhaps now is a good time to test out ways to dye fabric in the snow, using the cold ice particles as a means of drawing batik-like swirls in the pieces used later for her image. The collection of driftwood and other beachglass is waiting to be put into use as well this cold January evening. Patience . . . Patience . . . is what the sea teaches as “Gifts from the Sea” remarks. Patience in the depth of winter to know that summer will arrive after the long wait.

Created as the centerpiece quilt art for the Quarryville Library exhibit, this exciting collection of windows protrude from the leather-bound book images of the piece. Catching the eye with the brilliant blue waves/planet to the sultry exotic tropical fish, there are “worlds” for everyone: Imagination, Travel, Philosophy, Music, Art and more. Embellishments include gears, beach glass, fishing lure jewelry, keys, glittery strands of threads and more. Lots of fabric tabs and much more to keep your mind moving and your imagination soaring. What other worlds do you explore in your own library?