Retro quilt top
 

Dear all, I bought this quilt top off ebay. I love the retro colors. It is handstitched and huge - 94X116. It is made of all sorts of polyester knits. I intended for it to be a wall quilt, sort of a wallpaper-art.

Now, how should I proceed? It is just a top, how should I back it? It is pretty heavy, I don't think I need batting. Should I quilt it? Using utility stitches?
Any ideas are welcome! Thank you:o

What a find! I can relate to how heavy it must be. I would probably not put a batting in it, unless very thin. I would probably use a bit more quilting as the weight of the squares when pulled or tugged( if you use it as a bed quilt) to reposition the quilt can couse the seaming threads to give. Quilting a bit closer will help that issue. Quilting it will also help some of the sag if you choose to hang it. Use a universal needle or ball point needle when quilting and I would increase the lenght of the stitch to a 3.0 or 3.5 .
Back it in what ever suits your fancy! If you use it as a bed quilt it will be one of the warmest quilts! ALL that poly and all those seam allowances will certainly keep you warm .. and probably from moving around to much under the weight.

That is a beautiful quilt top. I'm thinking that if it is really heavy it may not work on a wall, since it will tend to droop. I've never made a quilt with poly knits, but I believe those quilts were usually tied. It really is gorgeous, and lots of work must have gone into making it.

Thanks:) I am amazed by the amount of work put in as well- each square is 1 1/4 inch and all hand stitched!

Yes, I am concerned about the droop/sag if I use it as a wall quilt. I am thinking if quilting it closer helps, or if there is some sort of sticky fusible solution? I probably won't use it on a bed. Where I am, it is pretty warm all year round:)

Wow! That is really neat. I made poly quilts for all my children back in the day. They were backed with polyester and a thin flannel blanket was put in between. They were made out of 4 or 5 inch squares and tied in each corner. The kids still have those quilts and like Lori S said--they are so warm! I would take the advice of Lori S and quilt it very close to help control the sag you will get if you don't. Have fun and show a finished picture when you are through. You got quite a find!!

Thanks Shankquilt and Tartan. The colors are so awesome, aren't they?

I was thinking of fusible solutions as well. But won't polys "melt" under the iron?
Hmm, thinking if there is some sort of spray glue where I can block, spray and stick to a stable flannel piece or sheet. Then quilt accordingly.
I think I am going to roll up the rug and "occupy" the living room for a while.. Hahaha...

Beautiful quilt, it will look great hanging. Good luck.

well there is a 505 basting spray. but i usually soak it out of my quilts later.
don't fret over hanging it. i'm sure you can find a way to hang it later that will do well. just getting it "quilted" first will be a job. good luck.

What about putting it on a light frame, like a picture? Quilting it would add more weight and it would probably droop without it. Boy that old polyester is indestructible isn't it?

Yes, along the same lines... I've even thought of tacking it to plywood, something like a design wall.

I wonder if the same person made this one?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vtg-Hand-Sew...ht_1100wt_1163

I've seen this item too. It was on my watch list:)
But I bought it from a different seller though. Mine was sent out of Texas.

I might do just that! Thanks for the idea:)

For the quilting, I think I would just quilt straight lines thru the squares to follow the diagonals. This was quite a find... you scored!

My sister who is 90 has made dozens of these quilts. We sleep under them all winter. Too hot for summer tho. She tied some of them and had others quilted. I guarantee the quilted ones, the thread rots before the poly-knit wears out. I re-sew them a lot when they get old. I'm sure she used sheets and thin batting. Pretty heavy! I love your quilt.

Don't think fusing will help. The seams are thick due to the polyester weight/thickness. It would be a nightmare trying to fuse--going up and down over seams and trying to fuse to the batt itself. Close quilting would be better. Good luck.
SandyQuilter

Opps, goof. Meant to say going over the seams and fusing to the wrong side of the patch.
SandyQuilter

I have a polyester 9 patch that was hand stitched by my grandmother and mother...they put a light batting and just a cotton backing ....it is heavy but light as well...i found it in my mothers sewing things to finish...i completed the quilt, which was only the binding..they hand stitched the whole quilt..i even have the quilting racks my grandfather built that they used....i sleep under this quilt during the cooler months and some summer months since my dh thinks he's part snowman...will always cherish this quilt and will be passing it onto my daughter .

If you want it as wall art and never as a bed quilt, then you can hang it as art not as a quilt. Make a canvas - plenty of instructions on youtube for this, staple your top to the canvas. The staples should hide in the seams pretty easily.
You will be hanging the top as fiber art and while it will be a large canvas it is not an unusually large canvas for artists.Fold the top around the edge of the canvas and no frame will be needed. A canvas of that size will have at least one cross piece brace in the back and you can hang it from that with no problem. This is thinking outside the box for a quilter but quite common for an artist.

Beautiful quilt! Good luck with whatever you decide to do with it! I've never tried to hang one, so no help here!

Reminds me of my Mother,s Quilt We all (5) still have one

Great piece but I wouldn't use batting or quilt it...very heavy and stretchy, too.

Hi.. I had several polyester knit quilt tops that were made when those knit were so popular. One thing about them, that fabric is indestrucible.. I got some light weight single knit (also poly) and backed the quilts with that.. Then I just tied the ones I had.. I tied them close together. I keep one in the back of my car to use however it needs to be used, for a picnic, a stadium blanket, to lay on the ground when there is car trouble.. If it gets dirty, it goes in the washer and dryer.. I love those silly quilts!

My Mom made one out of poly for my little sister when she was a teenager and it is very heavy.After Mom passed she had our nephew make a frame to attach it to and its been hanging in her living room these past 15 yrs -no sagging problems.And Mom tied it because it was to heavy to quilt

Thanks all for all the wonderful ideas!

I like the canvas idea as I've planned for it to be a mood-statement piece of fiber art. Yes, I am thinking of DIYing like for a canvas frame... Guess I know what to look out for next time I go to a DIY store. Staple-gunning it should work as the material is strong, so chances of ripping is small.

I wonder if putting a hanging sleeve on the back and then getting a long piece of metal like rebar (used to reinforce concrete) that would extend out each end. Then you could use drapery rod mounts for the rebar. Just a thought.

My step mom made us a huge poly quilt and used a sheet for the back and she did tie it.It is heavy and my oldest son has laid claim to it. We love (he):D

Good for you for rescuing such a quilt top. I don't enjoy working with polyester double knit but I do have two or three quilt tops that were donated for me to finish in double knit. I think that I'll just get them done as quickly as possible. I can't imagine hanging such a large quilt, but if you've got such a wall--it would certainly be impressive looking.