Spider Web Quilt/Men’s Ties

As I’ve told you before I’m no photographer, but I hope you can see what I try to describe as we go along.

I’ve made three such quilts — one for each of our daughters and one for that great granddaughter, who was born out of wedlock and adopted.  We hoped that she would show up one day and I’d give her the third quilt; however, at this point that has not happened.  We’ve never seen or met this young lady, but we love her just the same.

Spider Web Quilt

Neckties were begged from lots of men — attorneys, preachers and business men.  One preacher turned me down and said, “My ties have so much gravy on them that I have to keep them in the refrigerator.” One special donor had worked for Chic-fil-et and lots of Chic-Fil-et ties are in the quilt, making it interesting as well as colorful.  Perhaps the biggest job was taking the linings and stabilizers out of the ties and what a mess that makes.  When I was working on these quilts the floor of my work room was a disaster.

It’s called Spider Web because the web is formed where the corners of the blocks join.  Look closely at the quilt picture and, hopefully, you can see the whirl of the web.  In the other picture I tried to make a picture of the quilt block itself.  To make a pattern for this quilt, divide a 12″ square diagonally into four parts.  Throw three sections away — using the fourth triangle add a 1/4″ seam all around it  — this is your pattern piece used to cut all the foundation pieces.  The quilt is pieced on a foundation fabric — I used some leftover muslin and then cut up an old worn out sheet for some of the foundations pieces.  Notice the piece that’s in the center of the foundation triangle –  it’s not a triangle — has four corners, but is not a square. (I think you can see this in the picture of the square.)  You can freehand the cutting of a pattern for that piece and then after that’s placed on the foundation piece just cover the rest of the triangle with various tie pieces.  The same shaped piece is put in the center of every foundation triangle as a starting point.

Spider Web Quilt Square center

I found it fun to piece — I did it on the machine and because of the weight of it, the quilt has to be machine quilted.  I used a black lining and black binding.  One time I did exit-polling for NBC at our local polling place and was given a beautiful wide, red  over-the-shoulder ribbon to wear — had NBC News on both sides. I cut it in half and attached it to the back of the quilt the girls took.  I also used some prize ribbons John and I had won at quilt shows and flower shows mixed in with tie pieces.

For me quilt making is one of the better parts of country living.