Recently a client requested a special quilt to honor their partner’s father, and shipped me two large boxes of gorgeous silk neckties. After some research, I decided to make this project my first foray into millefiore paper pieced, hand sewn quilting. I’ll periodically update this blog with progress news and photos.
First, I began to carefully unpick the neckties and detach them from their linings and interlinings. I then press them to maximize the amount of usable yardage. I’m still a bit nervous about having enough fabric for some of the larger rosettes in the series, but I think it will be okay.
As I’ve dreamed of doing the famous (infamous?) La Passacaglia quilt for some time, I had already purchased both the book with pattern and instruction, and a kit with acrylic cutting templates and ready-cut paper pieces to affix the fabric. I have to step away from quilting for the next week or so to do some corset commissions, but I couldn’t resist starting the first rosette:
Every stitch of the quilt top (and likely all or most of the quilt back, they really sent me a lot of ties) will be hand stitched from a beautiful vintage silk necktie. I can’t express how excited and honored I am to begin this project (which will seriously take me a year or longer to complete as I will be working on it in the evenings and off days).