My husband Jeff passed away in 2020. He was a suit guy for many years of his professional life which he and I fancied up with cool and unusual ties. A few years after he died I was finally getting around to sorting out his ties. I decided to make a tie runner for my dining table or the top of my buffet cabinet. The photo of Jeff’s runner is in the upper left corner.
A neighbor heard about my runner and approached me about making a wall quilt with her husband’s ties. I designed more of a starburst pattern for her.
This last month another friend asked me to create a runner for her dining table, matching the unique green of her upholstered chairs.
I created these tie art quilts by sewing the background quilt with a blender fabric or subtle batik print as the top fabric. I did a very simple angled curved quilt stitch design to stabilize the background quilt. The ties were sewn on top of this quilt. I simply sewed around the edge of each tie piece after having arranged them artistically to create a unique and beautiful design.
Think creatively with the materials you might have. These tie art quilts create legacy art. I remember my dear husband Jeff every time the runner graces my dining table and it makes me smile.
I absolutely LOVE these art quilts! The starburst pattern is such a great idea and the other pattern reminds me of a man leaving work on a Friday afternoon, sun shining, winds swirling, and the promise of a fun weekend ahead! The design is playful and joyful, who wouldn’t love this?!? You have such a good eye!