Preparing Neck Ties
I really save money using men's ties for sewing and crafts. Recycled ties are very inexpensive and a good source of quality material for trim. The fabrics used in ties are so beautiful! It seems many people have never given much thought to them for trim. They are certainly a lot more beautiful than any commercial bias trims I've ever seen!
Also, I use men's ties to make covered buttons. When using a small-scale print center the motif on the button. There is a link to my instructions about how to make covered buttons on my Tips & Pattern page.
When preparing ties for use in patterns I, first, wash the used ties on delicate and dry them. It is better to wash used ties in hosiery bags to keep them from getting twisted up. If your ties are hand painted or made of high quality pure silk it is better to hand wash them.
Then take the ties apart, iron them flat and store them until they are needed.
When I use a tie to make piping, I cut the tie into strips about 1 1/2" in width and cover the proper size cord. For binding application use strips 2 1/4" to 2 3/4" wide depending on the amount of stretch in the binding material.
When I use a silk tie to make a vest I interface the tie before cutting out the pieces for the vest otherwise the silk may not keep its shape.
Note: always check to see if a tie is colorfast (doesn't bleed colors) before using it in a sewing project. It is especially important with hand painted ties.
