Birthday Tie for Jesse

I made Jesse a tie a couple years ago and haven't made anything for him since (besides some minor suit alterations and patching a few holes). I've been planning on making him a tie for a long time. This new tie is long overdue.

He has been wanting some new ties recently, so I figured I would make him one or two for his upcoming birthday!

He has been noticing that bright floral ties are very popular lately. His tie he got from my brother is colorful and has some leaves and snails on it, but he has never had a floral tie.
I wanted to ease him into the floral trend with something fun, yet subtle.

When I said "subtle" I meant it! Hardly any flowers visible

My mom brought this fabric back from her recent trip to India. She got me a yard or two in a few different fabrics that are all so beautiful.
I've been waiting for the perfect project for this teal fabric.

The tan floral fabric I used for the lining was also from my mom's India trip

I used the same pattern that I have used for all of the ties I've made, including Jesse's first tie I made him. I think it is a great width for a tie.
I hand stitched the lining to the tie and also hand stitched the back closed. The reinforcement on the inside of the tie was from an old tie I got at a thrift store. I love to buy old, ugly ties and take them apart to reuse the interfacing.
I have grown to really like making ties. It only requires a little bit of hand stitching and some pressing and pinning. I will be making a trip to Goodwill soon to get some more old ties to reuse.

Clayton Clothing

My brother Lane is a very talented seamster (male form of seamstress? Maybe correct?). In his free time, he makes ties for himself, stuffed animals for his nephews, and beautiful custom pieces for friends. He is also an entrepreneur and is always coming up with business ideas and putting them to the test. 

He and his good friend started a business called Clayton Clothing. They sell handmade, stylish ties and have managed to keep very busy doing so. They even do custom orders for wedding parties.
I know from experience that ties are not easy to make. The pattern, cut, and assembly have to be perfect to get a symmetrical and straight tie.
I'm really proud of them and very impressed with all of their hard work.

Jesse sporting his handmade Clayton Clothing tie on Easter Sunday

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Cape Verde Tie

A couple of years ago my brother, Lane, went on a service trip to Cape Verde for two weeks. When he came back he brought a strip of brown and white fabric and a yard of fabric for me. I made a baby quilt with my yard and Lane requested I make him a tie with his small strip of fabric (not sure why, because he also sews and the ties he makes are flawless!). 

I recreated the same pattern that I used for Jesse's tie. In my opinion, it is the perfect width!

One trick I've used a few times is using the lining and structural reinforcement from an old tie for my new ones. I go to thrift stores and buy a few ties for dirt cheap and then take them apart.

The old tie I took apart next to the new fabric

Here is the project almost completed with maroon lining. 

One huge mistake I made with this project was not leaving enough fabric as seam allowance in the back. If I had left it as it originally was, It would have been a much thinner tie, but I didn't want that. I added a strip of fabric and tacked it onto the back to cover both raw edges. 

It made the tie a little bulkier and I bet my brother kind of regretted asking me to make it after seeing the outcome!

Baby Bow Ties

For our wedding, I had a very specific idea of how I wanted everyone to look (pretty standard for one's own wedding). I didn't want anyone to match, just coordinate. There is a HUGE difference.
However, when it came to my two sweet nephews, I wanted them to match! I imagined them in tan pants with a blue collared onesie and a bow tie. I searched and searched for the perfect little shirts and finally found them!
Their bow ties are made by me. I was a little nervous because they turned out MASSIVE, but they looked so stinkin' cute.

Jesse and I feel lucky because we have a special bond with all of our nephews: We were dating when Henry was born, we were engaged when Luke was born, and little Fredrick was born a week ago! I'm so lucky to have such adorable nephews and such awesome sisters who keep having babies! 

A Tie for Jesse

One of my favorite things about Rexburg, the small town in Idaho where I went to college, was the thrift store, Deseret Industries. I used to shop for clothes there and every once in a while I would find something I liked. Eventually, I would go straight to the unorganized shelves in the back and search for bunches of fabric. Most of the time there was nothing but old sheets, but every now and then I could find a bundle of super cool, unique fabric.

This green/brown fabric is from the DI. It is really thick and has fibers of green, brown and black in it. I knew immediately that I wanted use it to make a tie.

The floral cotton lining is so beautiful and there was just the right amount for this project.

To make the pattern, I traced a tie of my brother's that, in my opinion, was the perfect width. Pattern making has become one of my favorite steps of the process. Having the skills to draft a simple pattern makes me feel as though I can make anything!

From our engagement photoshoot (Allie Lindsey Photography)

I gave the finished tie to my husband a few months before we got engaged. He still wears it all the time and it makes me so happy!

This last Christmas (and just in the nick of time) I made ties for my father and father-in-law with the same pattern. Someday I'll master a 100% handmade Christmas! Someday.