Thanks for all of the great info. I had not thought about it tearing or about all of the washing that especially a baby quilt will require. I think that I will either quilt it myself or hire someone else to quilt it.

Sorry not to have answered earlier, I've been digging out fabric for the BOMs. I have made many many baby quilts and some I've hand quilted, around the embroidered or appliqued pictures, etc. Some I've tied. What I've found that worked well was crochet thread, bedspread weight. Now maybe it's my Boy Scout Leader training but when I tie them with a square knot, they don't come undone. The trick is to NOT tie it to tightly. The normal wear and tear of use and washing will tear anything, including hand quilting if it's not done consistently and evenly throughout the project.

Hope you have fun and know that the baby is blessed to have your work to be wrapped in.
Sharon
ps I usually make my baby quilts a little bigger than the hang down on a crib mattress. I like to give the baby and toddler as long a use of it as possible. :wink: That way you may get a chance to see the baby adopt it for a favorite. :)

You can fix your broken quilt by NOT looking for the same fabric. Utilize what you have on hand. It will give the quilt character and a longer life. That way, you will always have your memories at hand. I have done this in the past and feel like it started another chapter in the quilt's history. Good Luck! :D

Hey - I taught knot tying to my Girl Scouts. One of my favorites is the 'Surgeon's Knot'. It starts with the proverbial - right over left - but you do this twice, THEN left over right once. Also, I find worsted wool yarn holds tighter and seems to wear forever. That is what I grew up on. It is true not to tie the knot too tightly, pulling the fabric which causes it to rip eventually. The above knot is super on packages also. -- Pat

I have a quilt (my second bed-sized quilt made) that I made in 1989. It is on my bed almost every day since and has been close to 18 years. It was tied with embroidery floss. I have no tears where the thread cut the fabric. I have tears where the cat jumped up and caught a claw, or somebody sat on it and then scrunched around and snapped the seamline, but no tears from tying it. The thing gets washed about once a month, tossed in the dryer, and then put back on the bed. It is starting to get ratty--not from it coming untied, but just looking a bit 'old' and worn. I should fold it gently and put it in the cedar chest for posterity, but I love the thing so much.

So, I think that whatever method you use can be effective. I really believe the better the fabric, the less chance one has of it tearing.

Anita

with a baby quilt that will be washed alot, it might be better to do a stitch in the ditch around your seams. It will hole together better that way. It isn't that hard and one needs to start somewhere.

I think it has to do with the fabric, the knots, the yarn, or cotton thread, how often washed and thread sewn with, cats dogs, kids and assorted people........I think these quilts were used and loved'''''''''''''could just pack them away.......but I love the soft comfort of an old quilt

great reply...and so creative!!! I've done this for many of my clients!!!

I agree about the fabric, yarn used, distance between ties, backing, batting, and the whole thing. A baby quilt will be washed a lot. I wash the old ratty one on my bed because we have a cat and a dog and I am allergic to the dog, and he is allergic to the cat.

The old ratty one was tied with a surgeon's knot using #8 perle cotton. The fabric was 100% calico. The backing was muslin. The batting was polyester, but I haven't a clue what weight it was. Remember, I was just learning then.

I love the softness of this quilt. It could be used as a 'cutter' for me to preserve some of it, and for me to keep a record of what I have used since I started quilting. I could also fix any torn seams, and then make a nap quilt out of it!! Gee, I just talked myself into doing that once I get the one I am making finished!!

Thanks, gals (and guys), for getting the creative juices going a bit faster.

Anita