Are there very many quilters out there that finish their quilts by tying or tacking?

I have done some with ties - some patterns just seem to me to be so strong on their own that quilting would take away from it. I like the look, but it's not good for baby quilts. Little fingers get caught.

Depends on the quilt. I just tied a quilt this weekend. It was a very old hand pieced quilt that could not be made square, no matter what.

I have tied the centers of some of the larger SID quilted squares. Not really a fan of that method.

My Mom always told me that if it's tied, it's not really a "quilt", just a pieced top, batting and backing that are tied together. I have done a couple of tied ones but I could tell she wasn't impressed, lol.

I have tied a few utility quilts - I was happy enough with them at the time, but I prefer to quilt them. I tacked one using thread and buttons. The buttons were a nice embelishment and I would do that again if the quilt 'called' for it.

I used to before I got a little confidence to try the hand quilting. My sister (Oklahoma Suzie) ties a lot of hers because her Arthritis forces her to.

Tied quilts are just as much a quilt as a machine or hand quilt is.

I tie all my quilts and they look just fine . Can't afford to have them quilted or a machine to do it myself.

I have tied quilts and I totally agree that a tied quilt is just as much a quilt as a quilted one. My grandmother made quilts, often multiple ones, for every member of the family, every baby that was born, and they were ALL tied.

I have one that I tied because I wasn't going to hand quilt it as it is done on muslin foundation. It's not totally bound yet (has been years) and I think I am going to cut the ties, get new backing, and quilt it on my new long arm.

I've tied a couple. Some quilts just tell you what they want. When I tie a quilt I like to use the high loft poly batting.

Definitely tied is just as much a quilt as quilted. I have a few of my grandmothers, some are tied and some are quilted. I love all of them the same.

I did a scrappy with 4 in squares, over 400 of them, and each one from different piece of material. I tied it. And loved the look. It was so colorful, that it didn't need anything else. Just a use around the house quilt, but I enjoyed doing it.

I have never tied a quilt but that's how my grandma did all of hers. They were warm, cuddly and filled with love.

I used to tie all of my quilts, but have been hand or machine quilting them for about 20 years now. I find that my quilts that are quilted stay together better than the tied ones. It could also be due to an improper seam allowance too though... I am a much better quilter now than I used to be! I've learned as I go, and that could be why my quilts stay together better now.

20 yrs ago, i tied what quilts i made. i used polester quilting at the time. and the quilts seemed to finish fluffer than quilted ones i do now. more like comforters, at that time. needed the warmth in the drafty old house we were living in. if you do, tie them close. and redo the ties, whenever you notice one is undone.

I have to tie, can't do much quilting because the hands just don't work well anymore. I think they look fine. When doing it this way, you need to make a square knot. It is strong and will not come out.

they sure are.

My mom differentiated between quilting and tying - she said one was a quilt, and the other a comforter. Regardless, both require love and a lot of effort! :thumbup: All of us children recieved comforters from Grandma as babies - for some of us, the ties became a comfort thing. My sister tended to rub a tie between her fingers. It helped her go to sleep.

I agree about the square knot. They stay in better.

Has anyone discovered how to keep ribbon tied? I used 1/16" ribbon to tie one for my (college age) daughter, and the ties are coming out.

I've tied many more than I've quilted. The majority of my quilts have been lap size and donated to local shelters at the time. I plan on making scrappy and donating them to the local senior home and the fire department. They'll probably be tied.

That's what Mom said too, that if it's tied, it's a comforter. The sewing through the layers is what makes a quilt a quilt. And like I said, I've tied a few too. I'm sorry that people took my statement as a put-down as that wasn't how I meant it. I can't "quilt" a quilt on my little machine, the throat isn't big enough, that's why I have to either send them off or tie them. I don't have the patience to hand quilt them. I remember all the long hours with Grandma and her neighbors sitting around the quilting frame....

Cande, I didn't take offense to that at all. My grandmother tied some, and quilted some, but her tied ones were my favorite!

I tie all of my quilts too because I can't afford to send them out to be quilted. I think they are wonderful and made with love no matter what what they are finished.

If I tie them I put extra batting and call them comforters. I made 10 for Christmas one year and did them in a very short time. Only two were quilt looking tops, others were whole cloth with a couple of borders on them. I have made about eight biscuit quilts in quilt pattern and those are tied.

meeeeeee :thumbup:

I have finished my quilts both ways.
I don't care for ones tied on top of the quilt with knots, (only because my boys would make it a mission to lie in bed at night and untie them!)
I prefer to"tie" using a crows foot stitch just like my mother and grandmother taught me. The thread passes between the stitches in between the layers of fabric. It is great, no threads distracting from the pattern of the quilt and a great puffy look of a tied quilt!

I usually quilt my quilts but made a scrappy one and it just called to be tied. It reminds me of a granny quilt and my family just loves it. We use it all the time. It just takes a certain type of quilt to be tied.

When I make T-Shirt quilts I use fat bat and tie with 3 strands of embroidery floss. I take an actual stitch and then tie it off with a square knot. There is no way I could hand quilt through all those thick layers of fabric when you consider the weight of the jersy knit most T-shirts are made out of plus the fusible interfacing you need to apply to keep them from stretching out of shape and the backing. My little #11 betweens would bend after just a few stitches. I have a hard enough time getting through all those layers just to do the ties. I tie every 3". I think it looks just fine but I too think of the end result as more of a comforter than a quilt. That doesn't stop me from calling it a quilt though!

I am going to try quilt as you go (QAYG) on my next T-shirt quilt. I will use warm and natural batting and free motion quilt to follow the design imprint of the T. I can't wait to get started on that one. Have most of the blocks already cut and prepped with interfacing. Should be an interesting new technique for me. I have not done QAYG yet

My very first quilt (which is still on my bed) is going strong..I've tied a few , some i've like,, some i havent.

I've only tied one, a king size. did it with embroidery thread. well first time, that came apart and i had to go back and tie with yarn.

I have several tied quilts I made 20 years ago, still using them, made from our clothes. Never have had the ties come undone. Been washed many time.
I do hand quilt, but it takes time.

keep it rock'in
simple quilter :)

I used to do ALL of my quilts tied, my mother always tied. because its faster? cheaper? I dont know. since I have learned to hand quilt I still often tie, because they just turn out different... more cuddly, less formal.

Oklahoma Suzie has it right! square knot! and use a strong yarn, like red heart. yarns that feel soft tend to wear badly and fray weird.

tied is especially good for beginers, my first quilt with triangles is tied and NOBODY will ever know that my points dont match

I just finished quilting a charity quilt and I think it needs some more "holding" but I don't want to do an extravagant FM, so I am going to augment with a "tie" in each square.......in other words, it will be both machine quilted AND tied. I think that will work?

I used to tie all of my quilts, until I finally got brave enough to try machine quilting. I find that if the quilt is going to be washed often, quilted ones hold up better than tied ones.
In our county fair, if it is tied it is called a comforter.

I tie all my quilts as well. I am not an experienced quilter yet and have not tried to machine quilt. I think my machine would not handle the task. I have tried a little hand quilting, but, when I do the top, the bottom stitches don't look even. One is larger then the other. So I tie and my quilts have with stood washings and children.
Have a great day

I did this for my daughters quilt we made together when she was around age 10. I tied with thin ribbon, put a drop of fabric glue - fabri-tac. it held up longer than the fabric. She used that quilt till the fabric wore so thin it had holes. But she loved it, so it was worth it.

All the time, thats the only way I used to do my quilts but remember i am self taught and started quilting from needing to be frugal.

Our baby charity ties most of their quilts. I'm not sure how a baby can get their fingers involved with the threads, as the threaded knots are of either pearl cotton or thicker crochet thread; and are about 4-6 inches apart; double-looped and tied with a square knot and then one more knot (left over right, right over left and then again left over right) They are washed and the remaining threads are about 1 and 1/2 in. long. These are utilitarian and seem to hold up well to numerous washings. We, too, use poly batting and ONLY cotton fabrics.

We use the 9-patch one yard baby quilt and the tying seems to work well with the seams, pattern and size.

The ribbon is probably of poly which doesn't hold a knot well... to keep the ribbons in place... perhaps tie the ribbon with the square knot plus one additional knot and then take a couple of stay stitches to secure it, either by hand or with the machine. Good luck.

I tie and double knot a lot of my quilts with embroidery floss. It stays nice after washing and stands up very well with repeated washings.