two things jump out at me here...my family totally differentiates between quilts and comforters... a tied quilt was a comforter and was often used to give new life to a worn quilt... they were tied because inside was a worn out quilt so you couldn't 'quilt' thru it...it had to be tied.. my mother delighted in searching out comforters in thrift and second hand stores, trying to decide from the feel if there was a quilt inside.... they all got opened up and removed if she proved to be successful... to tie a quilt securely, use a 'polyester' or 'surgeon's' knot... "left over right, right over left TWICE" (one loop, twice thru, not two loops)... pull tight and it will never come undone...it's the type used on monofilament and dacron threads that are so slippery that they come undone by themselves... try it sometime, it's wonderfully secure.