Please Help me find a solution
 

I made a ticker tape quilt for my grandniece's 3rd birthday. I found the idea on Bottled Rainbow Blog. Anyway all the pieces were done as raw appliqué. My niece is so disappointed because the raw applique is coming apart (lots of strings) after a few washings. She is bringing up for me to repair. I was thinking of meander quilting over everything, but I know that is not going to help with all the strings that seem to arise with each washing. I loved the quilt, but know I would never make another. I used fray check on it, but I guess that won't last forever. So sad, it was lots of work. Hope you can give me some advise. Here is a picture of it

Have you tried sewing a little bit more into the seam and sew twice? what fabrics were you using? It looks like just regular cotton. Can we have a closer look at the problem?

did you fuse those pieces on? if so they will fray if not sewn down around the edges. I mean a tight stitch around them not just a running stitch. It should perhaps be a wall quilt and you make something else that is pieced for her. I find applique is not for a lot of washing. I am so sorry she is not happy with it. I think she should also learn to be thankful for her gift. you tried, lessons learned and all that the gift was made with your love and time. I don't believe other than a whole of stitching is done that you can solve this problem this time. ..next year maybe a nice color blocked quilt in her favorite colors to use til its threads again. (this is what little ones do).

She is coming up laster this month with the quilt. I haven't seen it yet. I know when I washed it before giving it there were lots of strings. I clipped and fray checked it then. It is all cotton fabric used in other quilts. Hind sight I should have zigzag attached them, but there were soooo many pieces. I fmq around each piece instead. Now I am sad.

Raw edge applique has to be stitched down if the item is going to be washed. I am sorry this has happened, but I think the only way to solve the problem is to sew the applique pieces down.

A wall quilt would have been much better. We live, learn and move forward. I will see what I can do, but hopefully she will think twice before washing it. I made an I Spy quilt for her 4th birthday that I love. I have attached that picture. As you can see it was I spy on both sides.

I'm sorry to hear about your experience with this, but I've always wondered about the string issue. My local Project Linus coordinator told me she got some cotton raggedy quilts once and the strings just kept coming off. Didn't seem like a good thing. Another person sent in quilts with big fabric labels with a tight zig zag stitch all around the borders – but the fabric tore loose after a washing, and I had to rip all those little stitches out to try to save the quilt. What a mess.

You can try putting a piece of tulle over the entire quilt, then quilting heavily. It will change the texture, but it should keep it from fraying. Probably the best alternative is to add a hanging sleeve!

"Fixing" most likely depends on how much work you want to do vs the emotion if you leave it as it is.
Because of the detail of the applique I am not sure you can stitch around each piece now that it has been quilted.
Also, I can't see how much quilting has been done on it.
Do I dare suggest taking it apart and fixing the applique and then requilting. Shut my mouth for suggesting this......

I think the sheer fabric is a great idea. But, I also would ask her to hand wash the quilt if she can. For goodness sake tule is a fragile fabric that won't last the machine either.

I am so very sorry this has happened to you murphy.

I think this is a brilliant idea! Tulle is very sheer and will be practically invisible after the meander. You could even get some sparkle tulle to add some highlights.

I have been advised to use tulle on an old quilt to fix it, but I don't wash it, it was my Aunties'.

I asked Amanda, the owner of crazymomquilts blog, if she'd had similar problems with the ticker tape quilt she made 4 years ago. This was her response to me:

"I didn't free motion quilt my ticker tape pieces on, I used a walking foot to attach the pieces. I didn't use fusible, I just sewed the pieces on, which quilted the piece at the same time. The edges are supposed to fray. If they get stringy, just trim them up! It's not supposed to be perfect. :) I hope that helps!"

Elisabrat... I get the impression that the grandniece is not disappointed in the quilt itself , but the fact that it is coming apart.

Is it really coming apart or is it just fraying and stringy? I agree with Amanda, I've made a couple of ticker tape quilts using her pattern and they are SUPPOSED to be fray-y looking.

I would tell them to hand soak the quilt in the future, either in the bathtub or washing machine with no agitation at all. Spin (or drain, if in the tub) the soapy water out (I recommend Orvis instead of laundry soap), fill with rinse water and soak (again, no agitation at all), then drain or spin that out. Repeat with another rinse in exactly the same way. Line dry out of sunlight, never dry in the dryer with heat. The agitation in a washing machine is very hard (and not recommended) on all quilts. One like this is particularly vulnerable to damage from agitation.

If it was me, I would take the time to zig zag around all the little pieces, yes it will take a long time & lots of patience, but you will be appliquilting the piece at the same time. I know it is a completed quilt, but it is so beautiful & was what she asked for.

Raw edge appliqué.....never having done it but just thinking about it does bring up lots of shedding! Has anyone done one cutting the pieces out with pinking shears-isn't that supposed to eliminate all that stringing? Also, when did you give this quilt and how many times has it been washed since then.....maybe a bit over over-washing? JMHO

Thank you so much for all the helpful comments. I haven't seen the quilt yet, but all your suggestions are so helpful. I think the tule advise might be what I try and with a sparkly one, sounds fun. I will suggest the washing strategies and hopefully she will take the advice. It would have been great to put the sleeve on the back and have it as a wall quilt, but if it is as ragged as I imagine, lessons learned.

I think it is supposed to fray - makes it soft. I made two doll quilts for my DGDs and FMQ everything together. Kids are happy.

I will agree with Tartan, but then I find that I agree with her much of the time. The sheer fabric should solve the problem, a whale of task you have; but other than sewing each section down again it is the best solution.

I looked at the quilt, and the easiest thing I could think of is something I saw once on Nancy Zeiman. It was here appliqué demonstration. She set up for free motion quilting, then went around the appliqué with kind of a loose free hand zig zag looking stitch. It looked to me to be quick and easy since you are not holding them down this time you are just stitching enough to hold the threads to the edge of the pieces. You could aim for sort of a loose lightening look. Just a thought. I wish you success whatever you decide.

Oh brother what a drag!! I often wondered how these rawbedge appliqué quilts would hold up...I guess now I know. Thanks for sharing.