Crafting Adventures: Double Bow Tie

 My two oldest kids go to a school that requires uniforms- rather formal uniforms, including ties for the boys.  They have a sort of Spirit Week coming up next week where they get an out-of-uniform day, plus several themed days where they get to wear dress code-breaking accessories.  One of those days is red-white-and-blue themed, and so I decided to whip up a quick red, white, and blue bow tie for my Kindergartener to swap out for his regular uniform tie.  Also, it just so happens that Project Run and Play is hosting a Sew Your Stash link-up, so I was inspired to dig through my stash- specifically my scrap fabric pile from past projects- rather than buying new fabric.  I did have to buy one notion for this project, which is the bow tie clip set that I'll show you later in the post.

I have made many a bow tie in my day, including a set for all the men in our wedding party.  I've made several bow ties and regular ("fake") neck ties for my little man, too, using many different methods- snap tape, buttonhole elastic, Velcro... But I've never used an actual clip set to make a "real" clip-on tie before, and for whatever reason, I decided THIS project required one.  Honestly I'm so glad I did it though, because the whole thing looks much more professional than any tie I've made in the past, and the best part is I can swap out the bow and always use the same neck piece (unless I want a different color, of course).  And it was SO EASY.

For this quick project, you need:

-fabric for your large bow

-fabric for your small bow

-fabric for the loop around the middle (this can be the same as one of the bows, but for mine it's different)

-fabric for the neck piece (again this can be the same or complementary)

-a bow tie clip set, which can be found at JoAnn or other fabric retailers

-lightweight fusible interfacing

1. To start, cut your fabric as shown in the image above.  You need 2 large rectangles, 2 small rectangles, 1 neck piece, and 1 center piece for the bow.  I used 10.5"x4" for the large bow, 8.5"x2.5" for the small bow, 18.5"x2.5" for the neck piece, and 2"x4" for the bow center.  (Note that I took this photo with the original pieces of fabric I cut for this project, sorta eyeballing it, but later realized my center piece was too small and had to cut a new one.  The dimensions listed here are the ones you need although the actual piece of fabric shown in the image is obviously smaller than the listed dimensions.)  Finally, cut one piece of interfacing for both of your bows- I went with 5"x3" and 4"x2".  Apply the interfacing to the wrong side of one large and one small rectangle.

2.  Next, lay your two large rectangles right sides together and stitch around 3 sides, leaving one short side open, using a 1/4" seam allowance.  Turn right side out and press.  (To get really crisp corners, clip the corners before you turn it out.)  Repeat with the small rectangles.  

3. Next, take your large rectangle and fold it in half with the wrong side on the outside, lining up the short ends.  Sew those short ends together with a 1/4" seam allowance, press the seam open, and then turn your newly-created loop right side out.  Position it so that the seam is in the center and press flat into a rectangle.  Repeat with your small bow.  In the image above, the small (blue) bow is shown face up and the large (red) bow is shown face down.

4. Take your tiny rectangle, which will be the center loop holding the bows together.  Fold it in half, right sides facing, so that the long edges match up.  Sew down the long edge with a 1/8" seam allowance.  Turn right side out; you will have a long tube.  Fold that tube in half so that the raw edges are together, right sides facing, and sew the raw edges together with a 1/8" seam allowance.  Turn right side out, and press flat so that the seam is in the middle.  You'll have something that looks like the image above (only larger, because this one was my mistake piece).

5.  Place your small bow on top of your large bow and squeeze them into an accordion shape.  Slide the little loop over both bows.

6.  Take your neck piece and fold it in half, right sides facing, so that the long edges match up.  Sew down the long side with a 1/4" seam allowance.  Turn the loop right side out and press flat with the seam running down the middle.

This is the bow tie clip set I used.  I found it at my local JoAnn- I ordered curbside pickup so I wouldn't be tempted to waltz through the aisles grabbing more fabric I don't need- and the package comes with simple instructions on the back.  You can also find packages of bulk sets that will make several bow ties, but I just wanted to make one first to make sure I could handle it.

7.  Follow the instructions on the package to attach the hardware.  I highly recommend putting everything on and PINNING IT first, then attempting to hook it together, BEFORE you sew it in place, to make sure you have everything facing the right way.

8.  Slide the neck piece through the back of the bow tie loop and you're done!  The little slider bar that comes as a part of the hardware set can be used to adjust the strap, so this should grow with your child for quite some time.  I can't wait to see how he looks next week!

I'm entering this post into Project Run and Play's Sew Your Stash linkup.  All of the fabric came from my stash- my scrap stash, that is.  The red fabric was used in this past year's Christmas outfits, the blue fabric was used in my Nutcracker costume, and the white fabric had been hanging around in my stash forever until it finally became the lining in some of our Hobbit costumes.  All of the fabric is from JoAnn.

Made anything for your little guy lately?  Have you ever sewed with a bow tie clip set before?

Much love,

The Geeks