ToDo/NewDo Project: Barbara Kerr's Necktie Change Purse

The Change Purse in process

Creative Necktie Change Purse

by Barbara Kerr, Seattle Washington

Here is our first Todo/NewDo share. Barbara says:

In these uncertain times the very best thing to do is to focus our mind on something pleasurable. This little change purse is made from a vintage man’s silk tie.  A friend at a recent embroidery guild meeting taught us how to do it.

 General Info 

• The 9 inches for the bag are cut from the wide end, and 9 inches from another tie is for the flower 
• The flower's 9 inches are cut from the other end of the tie- 
• The interfacing from the bag is left in and is removed for the flower 
• The button was the last one on a card and was so perfect
• It is hand stitched and takes about 2 hours to make

The finished piece in use

A little bit about Barbara

Barbara is a retired Social Work Supervisor from Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in NYCShe moved to Seattle in 2012 where she lives with her daughter in a nice little house in West Seattle. 

Barbara shares her past...

When I was about 7 my friend and I learned to hand sew from her 2 young aunts. My aunt taught me to stitch on a machine and I sewed my wedding dress. I made all my clothes , my children’s clothes  and my husband’s sport shirts. 

I taught myself to knit when I was 17 and have knit almost every day since. I started to teach knitting, crochet, embroidery and English Paper Piecing in 2001 and taught at the Stitches Knitting Convention for the following 11 years. I still teach at Pacific Fabrics in Seattle (closing today for the next 2 weeks).

I belong to the Evergreen chapter of the Embroiders Guild of America, the Pacific Northwest Needle Arts Guild, and a knit /crochet  group that meets in a Community Center. I have 3 gals who come to my house every Monday for Embroidery and socialization.

Thank you Barbara for sharing your NewDo project. This is also an upcycle and sustainable item. Congrats to you and your creativity!