The Tie Project [Pt 3] — Prototyping the Exterior

Proof that main pieces of my tie purse pattern can "work"...

In the previous installment of As the Tie Turns (aka, The Tie Project [Pt 2] — The Design Process), I left off with the idea that I would see if my muslin pieces sewed up into something resembling a tie purse.

So here you have it in the picture above... the only sewing I did here was to attach the gusset to the two front and back panels. Then I pinned a couple of 1/2" pleats on both sides, folded down the top seam by that same amount, and added a faux flap. The result is a good approximation of what the final product will look like.

The second step was to take some muslin pieces — in the same shapes that would come off my actual tie — and sew them together.

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Before I show you that, though, let's take a step back. I had suggested that these blog posts would ultimately become a quasi tutorial, so let me share a few photos of what I did to get to this point.

I decided that — to make the most efficient use of the tie material — I needed to make actual paper pattern pieces. I could then place and move them around on top of the tie to be certain that everything would "fit". So I slipped some scrap paper underneath my fabric and traced around the main and "missing" areas. (I placed a ruler on top to remind you to account for the seam allowances needed to sew the pieces together.)

Creating a paper pattern piece for the missing "edges"...

I ended up with seven pattern pieces in total: two large pieces for the middle of each body panel, two side edges for each of those, and the gusset. When tracing and cutting these, be sure to mark which side is up! Also, depending on whether your tie has an obvious directional pattern, you may need to ensure that your left and right side edge pieces are oriented the same way.

You can see here how I placed these pattern pieces onto the tie. In my case, I managed just to "make do" by moving the gusset piece up and placing the other large edge piece at the bottom, tapered end of the tie. (By the way, if you're wondering about my scrap paper, this is what I do with shareholder AGM notices of poorly performing stocks...)

Lay out your pattern pieces to ensure they can fit onto your tie!

Okay, so now I knew that I could harvest the required pieces from that tie. Therefore, on to step two: create the muslin equivalents and assemble those pieces into a prototype.

Muslin pieces required to make the first (top most) body panel...

After cutting my fabric, I pinned appropriate pieces together to prepare for sewing.

Here you see the two side pieces pinned to the second body panel...

So, here are my two body panels, after the three pieces for each have been sewn together.

Sewn together, trimmed and pressed...

And here is the completed exterior of this muslin prototype; i.e., after the gusset has been sewn in, the pleats pinned and top seam folded down.

Prototype number two...

I'm sufficiently convinced that I can move forward with an actual tie. I will experiment with one of my eBay ties before I cut up this one (that I stole from hubby's closet).

In my next update on this project, I'll cover off how to finish the purse in terms of the lining, pockets, closures, etc.




Celebrate National Sewing Month (September) by entering to
win a Bernina 215 sewing machine (plus more)!
Get the details here from my AllFreeSewing post...