This silk flower is fun to make and it’s a great way to use unwanted neckties!

Supplies needed are:

one silk twill or silk brocade necktie, (The best is a wider tie made of silk twill. A silk brocade tie also works but it is a stiff weave so it’s a little more difficult to work with.)
all-purpose thread,
2 feet of embroidery floss or yarn,
2” square of craft felt,
standard long hand sewing needle for the thread
large( doll-making sized) needle for the floss or yarn,
seam ripper,
fabric scissors,
large safety pin if you are making a brooch or a barrette if you are making a hair accessory.
Before you start, pre-wash the necktie if needed, with water and dish soap and hang to dry.

Step 1

Step 3

Step 4

Deconstruct the necktie by removing all the threads, interlining and lining.
Determine the widest width of the tie narrow end of the tie and trim the rest of the tie to this width.
Hand sew ¼” long running stitch or machine sew a basting stitch down the center of the tie.
Pull the thread so it gathers the tie tightly. Don’t cut the excess thread yet.

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Step 8

5. Roll the gathered tie strip so the stitching runs down the center of the roll.
6. Wrap the excess thread tightly around the center of the roll so it covers the stitches.
7. Thread some of the excess threads onto the long sewing needle and make several stitches through the center of the roll.
8. Cut about 2 feet of yarn or embroidery floss. Wrap the yarn or floss around the tip of your index finger several times leaving 3 or 4 inches of excess yarn or thread on each side of the wrapped circle. Now wrap the free ends through the center of the wrap a few times to secure. Tie the free ends together.

Step 9

Step 10

Viola!!

9, Thread the ends of the yarn or floss circle through a yarn or doll needle. Push the needle through the center of the flower until the yarn circle is flush with one side of the flower. Take a couple of stitches with the yarn tails near the center back of the flower to secure it in place.
10. Center a safety pin on the back of the flower. Cover with a small square of felt. Hand stitch the felt all the way around the edges to secure the safety pin in place. You could also use a barrette if you’d like a flower for your hair!
Voila!! You have a beautiful accessory.

Here’s why: One reason is shopping is just not a fun experience right now. This season might be the biggest season for homemade gifts in a very long time, maybe since I was a kid, which is a very long time. :)

We are all seeing the benefit in slowing down and spending time making. Maybe it just started with dinner in, instead of dinner out.

In a few weeks we will start sending out classes, and ideas for gifts that you can make instead of just purchasing already made. Really, nothing beats a "You made this?".
Most of these ideas will be time spent with us getting started, and then you can finish at home. Unless it is a surprise...then we will help you keep it a secret, even if that means storing it at our shop until you finish, and it gets wrapped.

But I do want to mention a new class, Linda Leviton's Machine Felting. This is NOT getting wool wet to shrinking it to make 70's felted jackets! This is using very fast machines that will allow you to get a taste of how wonderful embellishing fabric can be. Take a minute to check out the Youtube video on our home page to see one at work.
Linda is bringing these machines to class for each student to use. Below are two examples of sweater embellishments that she created in a very short time. The real value in working with Linda is her creativity. Sometimes we get stuck just starting. I do. I want it to be right, so I am stalled by all the possibilities. Linda can provide guidance on what will work to create the perfect accents. She has that gift....it's her Super Power.

Some samples Linda whipped up as experiments.......

A wool sweater that Linda added some plaid wool we had in the shop, some felt squares and felted the two top pieces onto the sweater, hanging it from ordinary to extraordinary!

A cashmere sweater that Linda found in a consignment shop that had a hole in it. She felted over the holes and now has a one of a kind beautiful sweater. You can not see a where one fabric starts and the other stops. They are beautifully blended. These pieces are at the Studio for you to stop in an see.

We are now open Thursdays from 10-4pm, with a mask please.

Best,
Gail