We tie a lot of quilts for charity. Different people have different ways of tying and some do not stay. Others use a tying method that works great. I have a quilt on my daughters bed that has been washed 10-15 times and it is in just as good condition as when it was new. Ties are all in place and batting is intact. I have heard that the ties need to be 4" to 6" apart. As far as what is catching to my eye? I love a quilt that is hand quilted rather than tied or even machine quilted.