How would you fix this?
 

This quilt was machine quilted but is now coming apart and fraying after being washed and dried (something I can't understand how it happened - I never dry quilts in the dryer). It's on the back of a quilt so it has been completely quilted and finished many years ago.

Do you have any ideas for fixing it? I welcome all thoughts.

Thanks so much,

It looks like there wasn't enough seam allowance, so the seam came apart when stressed. You could zigzag with satin stitch over the areas where that's happening - hopefully there aren't too many of those places.

It always seems to be on the same fabric. I would also zigzag over all the seams that are doing this as I think that would be the easiest (for me anyway).

Same thing with a small quilt my sister gave me to fix. I found matching/coordinating ribbon and used a washable glue stick. Ran the glue stick across the back. You could also use the Elmer's washable glue and just dot it to the open area. Let set a little then stitch over it. The thing is sometimes when they wash these quilts, like my ds did, they throw it in with sheets and even perma press cycle is too rough. Where the seams came open the seams were hardly 1/8" much less 1/4".

I made a baby quilt for my niece. I washed it but didn't check it out before I gave it to her. It did the exact same thing. I zigzagged over the area really densely and it looked and worked fine after that. Usually I don't wash my quilts before i give them away. Now I am going to. I live in Oregon -- my niece in Texas. I had to take it home and fix it and mail it back to her. Small price to pay for fixing a blunder.

How do you zigzag stitch a seam repair after the quilt has been quilted? Doesn't that show on the other side?.....or do I need another cuppa?

I would think the stitching used to repair the seam(s) can be made to look as though it was there from the beginning.

Exactly what I was thinking!

[QUOTE=Tartan;6562907]I would find a nice piece of cotton ribbon, cut a piece of fusible for the back, fold both ends in and press the ribbon in place to cover the split and make a new stem. I would then hand sew the edges to the quilt so the ribbon becomes part of the design. You could do the same idea with fabric but then you would need to turn both edges under before sewing it down.[/QUOTE This is how I would do it. Stitching the ribbon by hand while listening to my favorite TV show. And you would have to do all the leaves so they would all match.

Looking at the pics again it almost looks like the maker joined. The two pieces of the leaves by just satin stitching the edges and now thru use the edges have wiggled out of the satin stitch.
You say the quilt is old, did you make it or somehow acquire it. Depending on its history you could hand satin stitch those leaves back together just working with that back fab, or as others have suggested cover with ribbon or fab stri.

Have you thought of perhaps using thin bias strips to cover it up ? Just a thought.

Applique a coordinating flat braid over the areas so that it looks like part of the design of the quilt.

Do you have anymore of the fabric? I would pick out the large stipple, make another leaf. Sew the two colors of the leaf with a quarter inch seam down the middle, turn the seam to one side, do not press open. Satin stitch down the center. Lay your leaf down on lightweight interfacing face down and sew around the edge to make the same size pattern after sewn....slit the interfacing and turn inside out. Remove the exiting leaf. Place your new leaf on your quilt top. Hand stitch or tack by machine around the edge. Stipple the leaf down. Is there just one leaf or hundreds on the quilt? If so, satin stitch around the edge and down the middle of the ones that are frayed. Best wishes

It looks like the stitching around the entire leaf is also stressed. I think the easiest is as others mentioned. A ribbon or bias strip that is machine sewn down the center, then a satin stitch around the entire leaf. Good Luck!

I haven't read all the posts but you could use fabric glue to first stop the fraying, then make thin piping strips and glue them down with the fabric glue.

Thanks for all the suggestions! I think I will try the ribbon idea. I can't restitch because this is the backing of an already quilted quilt and it would show on the front. I hope this works!!!

What ever you sew will show on the back or other side. If this would show on the front you will need to hand stitch.
What ever you do on one do on all the shapes to make it a feature not a mistake.

Similar to the suggestions of ribbon, I would use a bias cut tube of fabric (sew right side together, then turn inside out), to create a stem, them stitch it by hand to the middle of the leaf. You could do this to the other leaves or a few of them to make it consistent.