Tied by Heartstrings

Sometimes I wonder how my mother had time to do what she did when we were little.  We were busy kids, with busy schedules, and busy bodies.  If we wanted to paint, we got out the Crayola watercolors and painted.  If we wanted to play with play dough, my mom would make a fresh batch of it from flour and salt (and other goodies).  If we didn't get our piano lesson done, my mom would sit by our side, helping us (sometimes for hours...heaven forbid we leave the room before everything on our lesson was complete).  She did so much for us, as well as others.

My mom was always (and still is) serving...her siblings, her children, her husband, her ward family, & her neighbors.  I honestly don't know where she found the time to make us things...because I really struggle finding time, and I only have two little ones at the moment...soon to be three.  I'd like to think that I CAN and WILL make time do do special things for my family, but let's face it...sometimes the cobbler's kids just don't have shoes.  I've been so busy sewing for 'everyone else', that my little family has been neglected.  I don't know if they even care, but I have fond memories of the things my mother did for us, and I would absolutely love for my children, even my boys, to have similar memories of their mom.

Those of you who have boys know that it can be tricky to find cute ties, for any occasion...and I've been wanting to make my boys ties for a year or so now. 

Friday morning the tie-bug bit me.  The pattern I used is from Purl Bee, and while it looks complicated, it was very simple, and I am pretty sure I'll do it again...and again...  I have enough stabilizer for at least half a dozen more ties.  *oops!*

I had to make a few adjustments, like placing the pattern on the crosswise grain, instead of on the bias, but for little boys, it works (and it was nice on my checkbook, too!  One quarter of a yard vs. a yard and a half of fabric). 

This is the finished result:

The polkadot tie pictured with the shirt will be worn by Taylor and his blue & navy sweater-vest, and Tanner can pick from the green paisley or the blue and lime motif tie...though he'll most likely wear the blue one, just because it's his favorite color. 

Can't wait for Sunday!!!  Hopefully their white shirts and missionary ties will help them to be more reverent and behaved.