I've been searching and searching, and just cannot find an answer to this...

I'm making a fairly large quilt. I know machine quilting it on my machine will be a nightmare and I just can't afford to have a longarm quilter do it for me, so I'm thinking of tying it. Everything I've found says to leave tails at each knot...but I don't like the look of the tails. Is there a way to tie it without having to leave tails or a way to hide them? Will they stay hidden if I just pull them to the middle of my quilt?

Thanks!

Good question!

I think that you could just cut the tail closer to the knot and it should be okay. have you thought about tying the middle and just doing sid around the edge of the quilt to help hold it in place?

Why don't you like the tails? Just curious, but I think if you cut the tails too short, they're likely to come undone. When I tie, I cut the tails to about 3/4"-1" long. Does your machine have tacking capabilities? If so, then maybe that would be a better way than tying, although you'll still have the manhandling problem.

I just don't like the way they look...makes me feel like its unfinished with loose threads...kwim? Just not my style.

Have you seen turkey tracks? Here's one example:

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-1753-1.htm

Looks like you make the "turkey track" then hide the thread in the sandwich and don't cut it. Just move over to make the next track. You'd just have to be careful that your thread didn't show through to the top of the fabric. You could probably do the same concept with a French knot or just a regular knot. I've never tried it, but I think it looks neat on the quilt.

Some people have the tie ends on the back so all that shows on the front is a stitch.

I agree with Bearis. If it doesn't matter where the stitches fall, then tie it on the back.

I have always used a "butcher's knot" or what my Grandmother always called an A&P knot (for the old grocery chain back East). It's actually just a square knot, but when you wrap the thread through, instead of doing it once and pulling, wrap it twice. Pull it tight, and that knot won't come loose! Then you could trim the threads fairly close.

Or if it is thread you are tying with, why not thread a handicapped needle and hide the ends in the quilt batt?

I would tack it on my machine or hide the knots in the batting. Whatever works for you.

You can use the bartack stitch on your machine instead of tying. Just move the quilt under the machine from one tie point to the next. You can cut the threads all at once at the end.
Some machines allow you to choose to stitch out just one element of a decorative stitch too.

You can hand tack (like you would be string tying) then insert your needle between the layers to the next tacking spot, do your hand tack and again insert your needle between the layers to the next tacking spot. It would be tack but no strings showing on the outside.

I'm like you. I have never liked the looks of a tied quilt. The turkey tracks method as mentioned above is a good alternative. It is very sturdy and looks very neat. There is also another one called "Decatur Knot". Would be impossible to explain but maybe you can google for instructions. It is very similar to Turkey Tracks.

I also don't particularly care for the look of traditional tied quilts. The ones that I do for little girls I incorporate the tying into the design of the quilt and use narrow satin or grosgrain ribbon tied in square knots then the tails tied in small or tiny bows at either the intersection of squares or the center of squares depending on the quilt. These come out looking really cute! Sorry I did not take pictures before giving them as gifts.

How big of a quilt are you making? If you can post a picture of it maybe I can be of some help. I might be interested in longarm quilting it for you for free in exchange for you passing out some of my business cards to your quilting friends and etc. I just hate to hear that people would like to have it machine quilted but can't afford the cost of a longarmer. Anyway just an idea if you are interested.

Thanks,
Sherryl
Candlequilter

I would make your knot then leave the tail long enough to feed into the batting similar to what you would do when hand quilting that way there are no telltale signs of it being done.

To get rid of the tail just insert the needle close to the knot and then come back out on the other side of the knot about an inch away and clip the string off close to the fabric stretch it and the string disapears into the quilt.

Deborah: you forgot to say>>>>>>>


TA DAH!!

But really, it is that simple. Great description on how to do it BTW.

Ohhhh...sorry tahdaa!hehehehe

Have two ideas for those that can not afford the long arm quilting machine and do not like the look of the ends of the ties hanging out. I two feel the same way, and my local quilt shop showed me how to do a tying method where the ends do not show at all.
Using a 6 inch doll needle you run your crochet yarn threw your quilt layers up down up and then thread the needle between the layers to the next tie spot. never cutting the crochet thread/

The second idea is lap quilting using either a hoop or the special presser foot with the loop used for quilting and applique work, I found one of these presser foots at my quilt shop and the other on ebay.

In my guild is a lady who has taught us to do hidden ties. You get a very long needle and you go about 4 inches between the layers, bring up the needle and do 2 loops through all the layers and then go another 4 inches between and up to do another 2 loops and continue.
Another suggestion is to do big stitch quilting on your quilt in meander or whatever you choose patterns.