March 1st seemed like a good day to plan a project using a donation from Eastbourne of a large bag of stunning silk ties, bought at auction, to make a ‘house coat’.
Choosing which ties to use was fun – but there was competition for the prettiest ones!
None of the configurations that I tried quite worked – but inserting some dark strips provided a good contrast and, as the ties were simply joined, only the sleeves of the garment needed lining.
Despite the large range of ties to choose from (including top designers and chain stores), many did not chime with my colour theme and charity shops in Norwich, Shelford and Cambridge enjoyed my custom – for pure silk ties, I paid from 99 p to £3.99. Sourcing suitable complementary fabrics to complete the garment was also a challenge – some were found in the family ‘stockroom’ but a trip to Goldhawke Road in Shepherd’s bush (see April post) was necessary.
So, the final garment (which weighs a ton), cost around £60 in materials – but is certainly unique!
