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Mary Whitt transforms ties into purses
Gainesville woman deconstructs men's apparel to create woman's accessory
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Mary Whitt shows off a purse she made from ties at her Gainesville apartment. Whitt has made more than 200 purses in less than a year. - photo by Erin O. Smith
Mary Whitt is all tied up — in making purses. Less than a year ago, the 80-year-old retiree from Aiken, S.C., started using her sewing skills to construct small purses out of men’s ties. Currently, she has sold more than 250 bags and stockpiled more than 100 ties to repurpose.