From Neckties to Keepsakes: Turning Dad’s Ties into Pillows for His Granddaughters
Father’s Day is right around the corner!
If you’ve got a stash of neckties tucked away—maybe from a beloved dad or grandpa—and you’re wondering what to do with them, a patchwork pillow might be just the project you’re looking for. It’s a beautiful way to honor a loved one’s memory and give new life to those pieces of clothing they’ve left behind.
My dad passed away just over a year ago, and among the things I held onto were his silk ties. Each one seemed to tell a little story about him—his style, his humor, even his stubbornness. Recently, I decided to turn those stories into something tangible for my daughters: pillows made with love (and silk!).
Each of them picked out a design from my book Patchwork Luxe. Sewing with silk can be a slippery challenge. It frays, it stretches, and it definitely doesn’t behave like quilters cotton. So, traditional patchwork methods? Not your best bet here.
That’s where fabric foundation piecing comes in. It’s one of my go-to techniques when working with delicate materials like silk. Sewing onto a cotton foundation keeps everything stable and precise—like giving your silk a firm handshake and a pep talk!
Hannah’s Pillow: A Stripey Celebration in Green and Blue
Hannah went for a simple yet striking layout of strip-pieced blocks in her favorite colors: green and blue. I used a striped quilting cotton as the foundation and let the printed stripes guide my seams, which gave us these playful, diagonal bands of color. It’s a method I explain in detail in the chapter Alternative Fabric Foundation Applications (page 54).
Siân’s Pillow: Flying Geese and Sentimental Threads
My younger daughter, Siân, chose a design featuring large and small flying geese (you’ll find it on page 66). I drafted the foundations on muslin, just like I describe in Traditional Fabric Foundation Piecing (page 37). Siân had one request: “Use as much tie fabric as possible.” Challenge accepted.
Typically, when I make flying geese, I like to maximize the value contrast so the geese are clearly visible. I often mix in a solid fabric to really set off the neckties. My dad’s collection of ties was pretty dark and conservative, but I positioned the blues, greens and reds with care, and found one tie with a gold motif that stood out from the others. I like the result!
Small Details
I backed both pillows with a subtle navy cotton print that went nicely with the dark necktie fabrics. On each back I stitched a couple of the neckties’ labels, referencing places that related to each daughter and where she was born, or where she’s traveled.
A Memory You Can Hug
Both girls are so happy with their pillows. What pleases me most is that my Dad’s ties are no longer waiting in a bag, in the back of a dark closet. They now take the form of beautiful pillows, and catching sight of each paisley and polka dot reminds us of Grandpa.
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This blog post was written by Julia McLeod.
Born and raised in England, Julia McLeod earned a degree in textile design and worked in the British textile industry in Yorkshire and Scotland. From a design job on London’s Savile Row - the heart of the men’s tailoring industry - she relocated to New York City for a menswear career there. America has been her home ever since.
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