As I mentioned I am just learning to quilt. I am making several baby quilts and my “teacher” suggests I tie them instead of hand quilting to save time. Do people still tie quilts? (The reason I want to save time is I want to try and get a king size one done for my granddaughters wedding in October and the babies are due around the same time.)

Oh yes! Tying is a great way to finish a quilt. It is a very relaxing thing to do also. You can also pick the tying spots, and tack the layers together with your sewing machine -- just a zig zag stitch on a zero stitch length.

Yep toeing fine. U can use emb stitches to tie also, use emb thread to tie also.

the only thing to think about with tieing your quilt is choosing a batting that is good for tied quilts-
warm & natural is a good choice many packages say 'good for tied quilts'
the ones that recommend fairly dense quilting (like quilt every 2"-4") are not good choices- the batting will pull apart and ball up after a few washes- but batts with scrim- that can be quilted every 10" (like w & n) are good choices.

Just in the past few days, I saw a few quilts tied with what looked like thin ribbon. I thought perhaps the ribbon was zigzag stitched down and then tied in a bowtie. Very cute.

There are some posts about what to tie with when doing a baby quilt for safety reasons...

Sure I have tied many quilts. Still do.

Alot of times; depending on the quilt I tie and do the stitch in the ditch. With tying you can chose what to tie it with; thin ribbon, etc. I like to use varigated embroidery thread that is in the same color category as the quilt. It just gives it something extra.

I've tied in the past and I'll tie in the future, I have quilted a few but to be honest, I've tied more than I've quilted. Also, I don't hand quilt, but since you're under a time constraint, I would go ahead and tie. Personally, I don't see anything wrong with a tied quilt, even though some people say that if it's tied it's not a quilt, to me, it's a quilt.

love tied quilts, do this when using 4oz batting, they are cosy too.

You could also machine quilt them.

Saying a tied quilt is not a quilt is simply silly. I bet their grandmothers and great-grandmothers tied many quilts. Would they say their grandmother didn't quilt? Some quilt police are ridiculous. I have tied several quilts when I did not want to take the time to hand quilt. I have used embroidery thread and yarn. I like the ones tied with ribbons, especially for a girl quilt.

I tie all my quilts. I love how they look. I use embroidery floss and a dbl knot

When she was 12 years old I taught my DGD to use a surgeons knot to ensure it stayed tied. (She wanted to use a square knot.) Since then she has made 7/8 flannel drag-around quilts for cousins. They have been washed and loved to death.

Surgeon's Knot - http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/surgeon's+knot

I do not know a surgens knot so hope a sq one will hold!

Who are these people, huh? The international Bureau of Quilt Enforcement? I keep seeing these types of posts. Someone told me my quilt isn't a quilt because I tied it, machine quilted it, used a pattern that was not a minimum of 100 years old, or had one stitch off on my sewing. Pete's sake! A quilt is a quilt! Now, if someone starts calling those knotted, no-sew fleece blankets quilts, I will call them out on it in a second, but come on. Who are these people, what is their problem and why aren't we slapping them in the face?!?!?!?!

Now that that's out, yes. Please tie your quilts if that suits you. It will be easier and a great start. And it is easier to use a high loft batting when you tie it rather than quilt it. That's my experience anyway. The true crime would be to never finish a quilt at all :)