"What to do with 19 ties and a yard of knicker elastic?!"

Author - Caroline Jones

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"What to do with 19 ties and a yard of knicker elastic?!"

Well make a dress, of course!

I have a collection of ties, mostly donated from a year ago when I was making waistcoats out of them, but some bought in charity shops. I was having a tidy up in my fabric stash the other day when I came across this tie collection. I fancied using some of them but didn't really know what to make. 

I had a rummage and found that I had a dozen or so in a soft silky fabric so thought I'd make a skirt. Ties are cut on the bias so drape very well. So having selected the softer ties I took them all apart, it's amazing how much fabric is in a tie when it's pressed flat.

I then arranged them in a pleasing sort of order, keeping bugs bunny away from the pub frog! and proceeded to stitch them together along their length keeping the bottom front edges together. This gave me a big panel that was wider at the bottom, ideal for a skirt. 

Having set my dressmakers dummy to my size I started draping this panel on the dummy to see what I could so with it  and came up with a strapless sundress affair. Looking good so far but quite liable to fall down in an embarrassing manner so another rummage found a quantity of pink knicker elastic ( you have to acquire these things when available and cheap!! I have about 10 yards of it!!) ideal to stitch around the inside of the dress to hold it up.

Elastic stitched in and a halter strap made from another tie later I have a slightly, OK very, eccentric sundress to wear when the sun comes out. It's not quite finished yet, a few loose ends to thread through and the hem to finish but then the sun isn't shining is it?

It's amazing what you can make from scrap fabric when you have a needle and thread to hand.

Of course I also do conventional dressmaking with fabric and pattern for those of you who don't have 19 ties and a yard of knicker elastic!

Find my details on the CAP Business Clubs member listing.

or at www.fashion-revived.co.uk

Caroline Jones, dressmaker in chief at Fashion Revived

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