Get The TechniqueToday's guest post is from Penelope, a Senior Research Editor at Living with a great craftover idea up her sleeves:
"My husband, Mike, is a pretty dapper fellow—he loves to get gussied up in a suit and tie. And for a while now, he has really liked the look of skinny neckties. But he really didn't want more ties, just different ones. So I thought maybe I could skinnify some that he already owns. After hunting around online a bit I came across a great post on Gabrielle Blair’s Design Mom blog, which showed me exactly what to do. The best part: You don't need a sewing machine or much skill as a sewer, for that matter. A little off the sides really freshened these babies up!"
1 Before
2 After
3
4 Carefully undo stitches with seam ripper.
5 Unfold the tie, and pull out the liner. Using a skinny tie as a template (I pinned the tie to the back of a cork-lined ruler), use a disappearing-ink pen to trace along its edges. Or trim the equal amount off each side.
6 Trim the silk.
7 Press down one side, then the other. Ideally the top fold should align with the center of the tie.
8 Stitch the pressed sections and liner together with a loose invisible stitch.
9 Some of the skinny ties from Mike's ever-expanding collection.
10 Looking sharp!
From: Laura | 2/8/11 at 11:37 am
I never would have thought to do this. thanks!
From: Amy | 2/8/11 at 5:56 pm
Wowza! Great idea and he's not too bad either
From: Rusha | 2/9/11 at 11:50 am
This is fantastic! Thanks, Penelope.
From: Marion Wood | 2/9/11 at 12:35 pm
My husband has a ridiculous number of ties, and I have frequently wondered how one could transform the wide ones into skinnier ones--or into belts for me. I was a little intimidated by their internal architecture, but no more, thanks to this article.
From: Brooke Lovett | 2/9/11 at 2:48 pm
I love this idea & it looks easy enough that I will actually do it! Thanks for posting this how-to. My husband has tie rack filled with what were once favorites... and they will soon be favorites again! This is a creative & simple way to update the wardrobe for him. I might even do it to the tie he wore on our wedding day.