This is going to be my first tutorial, so please be patient. A friend of mine who lives out of state want to know how take a men's tie and change it into a boy's tie. This is really easy, I just hope I explain well enough. If you have any questions let me know. First off, I did not come up with this, my talented SIL taught me how to do this!!! Thanks Jen!!! Here is what you need:
One men's tie-- Take one of your hubby's old ties that he doesn't wear.
Matching thread-- it doesn't have to match exactly, the collar covers all of it.
Sewing needle
Velcro - 1/2 inch
Stitch Witchery -I buy the kind that looks like a roll of tape
Iron
Tape measure
First measure your little guys neck. You can use his Sunday shirt and measure around the collar. The add about 2 1/2 in. The 2 inches is for the overlap for the Velcro and the 1/2in is for a seams allowance. The bigger the boy is the less space you have to play with, if you have a boy around a year you can add more inches to allow them to wear it longer. Then cut it off the skinny end.
This piece will be your neck piece.
Peel back the material and you will find a thick piece of interfacing. Cute about 1/4 inch. Enough for your hem. Do this to both ends. This makes it thinner and easier for you to sew later.
Fold it in half and tuck the raw ends in and pin in place.
Then sew around the three sides. Now it is time for your Velcro.
Cut about 2 inches of Velcro and pin on opposite sides of your neck piece. Then sew around all four sides of the Velcro.
It should look like this when you Velcro it together. Now your neck piece is done. See I told you it was easy!
It is helpful if you have a tie that your already knows fits your boy. You then line up the with of your tie with the tie that you are making. If not you estimate how wide you want the tie and how it will fit on your boy. Sorry, I don't have directions on how to do that.
Then cut about an inch or two below where you want the tie to end.
You then make an "A" shape using your neck piece and the tie piece. Fold the tie piece in half, make sure that the bottom seam is pointing up on both half's. Then lay your neck piece over the top. See picture, if that is confusing.
Then take one end and fold it up over the neck piece and through the loop on top.
Then do it to the other side. Your tie should now look like this.
Tighten your tie up. You might have to play with the different pieces to get them to lay how you want them to lay. Make sure the front is longer than the back.
This is what your tie should look like from the back. Keep your tie turned over. We are now going to work on getting those ends to look better. It is helpful to work on the big piece first because you have more space to work with.
Grab out your iron. Remember to set it on Silk, you have silk tie. You can use a spray bottle or the steamer part of your iron. You will also need your stitch witchery at this time. Have them all out and ready for this next part.
Again pull back the fabric an cut the interfacing down about an 1/2 inch or so. It's better to less than more. You can always cut off more later.
Then cut a point in your interfacing. You can make it as wide or pointy as you want. Remember less is better.
You are then going to fold it like a present almost. You fold one side over and then the other side. Until it looks good. You might have to cut your fabric down some to fold nicer. You don't want it too look bunchy.
It should look something like this. You can then iron it in place. If you don't like how it looks re iron it until you like how it looks on both sides. Front and back.
Now that it is all ironed in place and you like how it looks. Cut small pieces of your stitch witchery and place it under your folds and iron in place. You press for about 10 sec. for it to stay. Find all the different places you need the tie secured and keep ironing the stitch witchery in.
This is what is should look like from the front. I can never get my point perfectly straight, but my boy never stops moving, so you can't tell.
This is what the back looks like. You do the same thing with the same end of the tie.
So now your tie looks like this.
Turn your tie over and pull out your need and thread. You are going to secure your tie. So your it stays together and nice and tight.
When you are done it looks like this!!!
Now you are done!!!
You now have an adorable tie that your little boy will love! Yes, I know he is in his underwear. He was getting ready for bed, and I wanted to post this tonight.
This is what the back looks like. It stays nice and tucked in the collar of your little boy's shirt.
So Handsome!! See!!! Really easy, and hardly any sewing!!! Let me know what you think, and if this all makes sense!!!
