I wasn't sure I was going to get a quilt into the festival this year, but the rain has held off long enough for me to
take pictures of the quilt!
I am highlighting the I'm a Fan of Father's Day Ties quilt.
Many years ago, I made a similar quilt for a friend. She wanted a quilt to commemorate her father's retirement, using his ties. I loved the idea and wanted to someday make one for me. Since I was not doing much quilting at that time, I didn't quilt the quilt, I only tied it with buttons.
Our quilt guild's show theme this year was Holidays, so I thought
I could make a quilt commemorating Father's Day
as my Holiday quilt.
I started collecting ties from thrift stores as my Dad is not retired yet and the Army Guy wouldn't let me touch his collection of ties. I also bought up men's shirts to use for the backgrounds of the blocks. I rounded out my fabric choices with a length of chambray that I also found in a thrift store. I used buttons in my cornerstones and a couple scattered here and there
about the quilt.
I used the book Daddy's Ties by Shirley Botsford for my inspiration, but most of all for how to use the ties. She has great instructions on preparing the ties to use in other projects.
Working with silk, wool, cotton and polyester ties is not as easy as working with quilting cottons. They pose great challenges, especially as they are all cut on the bias - and fan blade pieces are also bias cuts. The pieces were always pulling this way and that, choosing to be wonky more often than not.
The shirting fabrics weren't too bad, but two of them were thin and hard to work with. The Chambray, that was a bugger. It was not a great fabric, but I was determined to make this quilt completely from thrift stores, so I worked with it. It went wonky on me even though I starched it heavily. I think I know why it was in
the thrift store!
This quilt was quilted on my old Bernina 930. I still can't do consistent straight lines on my Voyager, so I wrestled with this one under the arm of my sewing machine. My walking foot was invaluable in getting this one quilted.
To see all of the wonderful quilts in the Blogger's Quilt Festival, click the button below:
10 comments:
Great quilt and a wonderful concept for a man's quilt.
I love this! So masculine. I want to try making a quilt from mens shirts. Yours turned out beautifully!
Great quilt, Joy! Thanks for sharing it.
Beautiful quilt, congratulations:)
Fabulous idea, and beautiful quilt!
What a lovely quilt, Joy. My dad passed away in March 2008. I was in Germany when he passed away and I wasn't here when my brother got rid of my dad's belongings. My dad was a car salesman and wore ties every day. All that I got was his ties. I wasn't informed when they got rid of all his stuff, and wish I had known they were going to do it. I would have flown home so I could get some items that reminded me of him. He had a favorite shirt he liked to wear. Every blue moon I'll see a man with a shirt on that's similar to my daddy's and I get such a wave of longing that takes over me. I didn't make it back from Germany before he passed away. He knew I was trying to get a flight out, but it was Easter weekend, and all the flights were booked, and I was having an L of a time. Mom said he was in really bad shape and he asked if I was here yet, and Mom told him I wasn't that I was still trying to get a flight out of Germany. He said, "Tell her I love her," and then he passed away. Mom said she thought he was holding on with all he had until I got here, but he just didn't have the strength any more. He passed away 2 days before my twin daughters 31st birthday.
I've been searching for a quilt to make with his ties, and haven't come across anything that made me think of my dad. But your quilt does.
Did you write down your pattern when you made your quilt? If so, would you please share it with me? I'm new to quilting, and I know trying to duplicate the pattern would totally be over my head. I'm proud of the fact I can even sew the 1/4" seams with any accuracy.
Anyway, if you can share the pattern as well as any tips/hints (like did you wash the ties, and did you "open them up"), I'd really appreciate it.
Thank you so very, very much.
This is a question from an older blog on FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2011 Blogger's Quilt Festival
Was this pattern in the book Daddy's Ties by Shirley Botsford? Or did you just use her instructions on preparing the ties? I really love this quilt! I've been buying ties up at estate, garage, yard sales and have a couple hundred ties now, just waiting for the right pattern to come along and this is it! I found the book on Amazon but wasn't sure if I should get it or not, it has no discriptions on how many/what patterns are in the book.
Thanks you
I am just looking for a pattern of this quilt ...you must have used the 10 degree wedge, what size were your blocks and what size did you make the wedges? Thank you. I have made a tie quilt previously, although it was not like yours. Looks lively!
I did use Shi9rley Botsford's Daddy's Ties book for how to treat the ties. I modified the Dresden block to have pointy Dresdens to make them more obvious as ties :)
My blocks are 6" blocks. If using a Dresden Ruler, you will need an 18* wedge :)
This is really beautiful. Was just wondering if you quilted each of your block then pieced the blocks together?
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