It’s that time of year again – Easter is around the corner, so it’s time pick up an official Briston Family Silk Tie Egg Kit! This year, ditch the Paas and give silk tie eggs a try! If you’ve never seen what silk tie eggs look like, here’s a great example:
http://www.silktieeggs.com/images/web-eggs7b.jpg
You wrap eggs in remnants of silk ties, boil them, and watch as the colors and patterns transfer onto the egg. Makes for some serious things of beauty.
The only problem is coming up with the silk – you need to butcher up some nice ties in order to get enough. Plus, you need to cut up cotton fabric, measure out just the right amount of vinegar and gather up a bunch of rubber bands to hold the whole thing together…
Or, you can head over to www.silktieeggs.com and pick up everything you need in one package! My wife and I have spent the past year gathering up every silk tie would could lay our hands on and making these kits containing everything you need to make dozens of beautiful egg designs. Check 'em out!
Those look awesome!
Does it work with wool ties?
Nope – it has to be 100% silk. We’ve even encountered the occasional silk tie where the pattern refuses to transfer to an egg at all (which is why we always do a test batch with little pieces all the various ties – gotta stand behind our product!)
Ordered mine! My daughter was just telling me about this technique this morning and talking about wanting to try it, but I’ve looked for silk ties in the thrift shops around here and knew we’d have problems…this is going to be fun! Now I have to start emptying eggshells, because if we do this I want to have them for a few years! Hmmm…should I tell her it’s coming, or let her be surprised? Decisions, decisions…
They’re on their way! I picked up a new bunch of ties this week, so since we’ve been busily cutting them up, I threw a couple of extra tie parts in the envelope – call it the “Doper Bonus”. 
Enjoy!
Just noticed this part – if you’re talking about making hollow-egg ones, you’re getting into “proceed at your own risk” territory. I’m not saying it won’t work, but I’ve never tried it.
The trouble is that you wouldn’t be able to secure the silk and outer wrap with rubber bands, as they would crush a hollow egg. However, if you used thread to bind it securely but not too tight, then that very well could work.
Either way, I’d love to know how they come out!
Would it work to hollow out after?
I’m ordering my kit, too. These are beautiful!
Hmmm…I’d doubt it. Part of the dyeing process involves boiling the silk-wrapped eggs in order to transfer the pattern. The egg hard-boils during this process, and I’m not aware of a way to remove solid egg from the shell without breaking it.
There was some discussion last year about blowing out the eggs before starting the process, so you’re only working with the shell. The problem with that would be keeping the shell from collapsing under the strain of the rubber bands (used to keep the silk tight against the eggshell). I proposed carefully wrapping the silk around a blown egg and securing it with thread rather than rubber bands. I haven’t tried this idea yet, but if you decide to give it a go, I’d love to know how it comes out.
And thanks for purchasing – the kit will be in the mail in the morning!
I’ll take pics and let you see. I’m up for the challenge.
I successfully did this with hollow eggs.
The problem was not rubber bands, etc… The problem was that they initially float!
What I did was to put the eggs in a large pan, filled with water and the vinegar, then placed a smaller pan on top of the eggs to push them down below the water.
I was even able to use the rubber bands without a problem.