LIKE YOU, I ALSO USED TO HAND QUILT EVERYTHING, BUT AGE IS CATCHING UP WITH ME. MY HANDS WILL NO LONGER ALLOW ME TO HAND QUILT, AND I DON'T LIKE TO MACHINE QUILT SO I TIE ALL MY PROJECTS THESE DAYS. I NO LONGER MAKE LARGE QUILTS - JUST LARGE THROWS AND BABY QUILTS. LIKE YOU, I MATCH THE EMBROIDERY FLOSS TO THE FABRIC AND USE SQUARE KNOTS. MY GRANDS HAVE USED THEIRS FOR MANY YEARS, AND THEY ARE JUST FINE. JUST COMPLETED 2 WALLHANGINGS FOR AN ABUSE RESOURCE CENTER AND TIED THE 3" SQUARES ON THE BACK. MATCHED THE FLOSS SO CLOSELY THAT YOU CAN SCARCELY SEE THE STITCH. TURNED OUT BEAUTIFULLY.

I have tied many utility quilts and they seem to have held up well. If one side is pieced, I will put the tie on the back so the piecing shows and the ties don't. I use 3 strands of embroidery floss in a matching color.

I like this idea, may have to try it. Thanks! humbird

Dina:
I hand tied my first 2 quilts years and years ago. I made 6" square jean quilts for both my kids. I used 'Red Heart' yarn that someone gave me. I used a large eye yarn needle & tied in the 'almost' center of the square. Reason I said 'almost' is because I had no instruction on how to even quilt.
Anyways; most important thing to remember is to use a 'square knot' for tying & it will never come undone. At least the kids' quilts haven't yet and over 30 years old.
Square Knot....right over left ... then left over right.

I've only tied a wall hanging and was not happy with the look. I haven't wanted to do another one since.

I tie mine because I don't know how to quilt them, and it cost to much to have them quilted. I said I would one day when I felt my quilts were good enough to pay the money, that day hasn't come yet. I don't like the yarn, I tie mine with crochet thread. The next one I do is going to be the invisible tie. No ties showing. Wish me luck.

Rita

I hand quilted my first quilt, and tied the 2nd.
It was 5260 1" squares in a very odd design (my own) in the early 80s
I loved that quilt and slept under it for many years til it began to fall apart. Too much laundering. In those days I even prewashed fabric.
When you tie you can use a higher loft than I would for hand or machine quilting, so it's a nice warm winter quilt.
Mine was a double and awaits my using it as batt someday.
My ties were on top; I think if I tied another it'll tie on the back with Xs showing on the top.

I tie most of my quilts. I use crochet thread to match the blocks & like it very much they stand up very well & are fluffier. I also tie my baby quilts with narrow ribbons they also stand up well havent had any problems with the ties just knot them well, the new mothers love them

I love this discussion as I was thinking of hand tying a couple of quilts I'm working on. Anyone got pictures of where they have hand tied?

I would love to have some of my quilts machine quilted but the expense is not possible. I've tried hand quilting but I really don't know how to do it and make it look decent. So I tie mine with 3 strand embroidery thread. I use the same colors as in the quilt top and I don't leave the ties very long. As someone on this board said, her husband didn't want any "worms" on his quilt.