How to Make a Vest from Old Neckties

You've probably heard about tie-skirts (skirts made from neckties), but how about a tie-vest? A friend of mine, who likes to give me interesting craft and sewing commissions, recently gave me a bagful of beautiful vintage cotton neckties and asked me to make them into a vest for her. Here is how to do it.

The materials you will need: nine ties, about a yard of lining material (I used cotton, but linen or polyester lining fabric also work) and the same amount of interfacing; a vest pattern, either commercial or traced from an existing vest. Buttons are optional.

First, take your ties and turn them so the seam is on top. Unpick the stitching that holds them together at each end, remove the lining tucked into the wide end, then unfold the tie and press it flat. Once you've pressed all your ties, lay them out in a "dovetail" pattern, with the wide end of one next to the narrow end of the next.

Now take your pattern pieces and lay them over the ties. Decide which ones you want in each part of the vest: the two front panels and the back. You may need to rearrange them, both for design and for shape-for the back of the vest I needed to arrange the ties in more of a sunburst pattern, with one wide tie-end forming the center, and two narrow tie-ends on either side of it. The front panels don't need to match; if you have a jumble of different patterns, arrange them the way they look most appealing for a crazy-quilt effect. Be sure and angle the tie points along the bottom hems of the front panels.

Once you've decided on your layout, stitch the ties together in this pattern, either by hand or by machine, depending on your preference (I did mine by hand). This will give you three solid pieces of fabric made of ties. Lay each pattern piece over the appropriate tie-fabric piece, pin, and cut. Be sure to let the pointy ends of the ties extend down past the end of the vest patter-that's what gives the vest its distinctive quality! Using the tie-fabric pieces as your new patterns, cut out the lining and interfacing. Baste each lining piece to the interfacing.

Now you're ready to assemble the vest. Sew the side-front seams to the side-back seams, on the tie-fabric and lining/interfacing layers, press flat. Lay the tie fabric and lining/interfacing pieces with the good sides together, and assemble. Sew everything except the shoulder seams, then turn, press, and stitch the shoulder seams together. Add buttons or other fasteners after the final garment is finished and pressed.