Tying a quilt securely
 

Hi Everyone -

I want to tie my quilts rather than quilting as I prefer that look for the types of quilts I am making, but I am worried about durability and washability down the road.

Can people help me to understand if there is a secure way to tie that really won't come out over time?

Do people with securely tied quilts have problems with them, or is it fine?

Thank you for any feedback,

Lainey

there are at least 3 here in my house, that have been dragged, used and abused for 30 plus years and have all held up well. The only one is the one my mom made be probably 40 yrs ago, using wool which didn't age well (the wool, not the knots!)

Be sure to use a batting that can handle ties. You wouldn't want a batting that requires quilting lines 2 inches apart, for example! I think Warm n Natural offers the most stable batting (quilting lines 10 inches apart, which means you probably want ties closer together than that).

I tie with Perle cotton also. Use a surgeon's knot. If you Google it there is a YouTube link that shows it. It is basically a double knot that I've never had come untied. Be sure to check how far apart your batting can be quilted. My Grandmother always used yarn to tie and it formed little balls when it was washed. Looks old that way, if that is what you want.

As long as you are using a secure knot, such as already mentioned, you will not have a problem. Use a thread/yarn that is not slippery. Test out your thread and knot with a lot of tugging.

I do lots of tied quilts and use cotton crochet thread or embroidery thread -- no problems.

Dayle

I used double strands of embroidery floss one time and they kept coming untied. I've also used yarn and that quilt is still tied and has never come undone. I agree with Daylesewblessed....use something not slippery. I think when I used yarn, I sewed down through all the layers on one corner of where the blocks come together and back up on the diagonal. I've repaired some quilts that had the yarn tied in the center of a block and the fabric ripped there because it wasn't as strong. I think on mine, going across the seams gave it more stability.

square knot or surgeons knot should work. i used embroidery thread on a king size quilt and did good knots. but they started "snaking" undone after awhile. I removed them all and tied with yarn which i hate.

tie with a square knot and then one extra tie. Quilt will fall apart before tie comes out.

I have a couple at my house that were made for my daughters 28 years ago they are still fine. They are not getting washed as often as they used to but not a single knot has come out.

I have tied a couple of quilts and had no problems so far (and one was for our big dog, so it gets a hammering). I did see a technique on a blog where the tie was laid over the quilt, then the quilter used the tack function to stitch the cotton to the top, then tied. I have yet to try this...but seemed like a plan...

I have made. Number of tied quilts....and they are now at left 15 years old. Everything is fine so far......

Me too, a sugeon's knot with perle cotton. I cut the ends too short and would like to re-tie for looks, but every one is solid after many washes and much use. (and I love the softness of the quilt!)

So glad I found this thread. I've wanted to do a tied quilt but like others was afraid the ties wouldn't survive over time. I feel much better knowing the correct type of threading and technique. Thanks to all who responded!

I use full 6 strands of DMC embroidery floss and make a surgeon's knot. I never knot more than 4 inches apart either. I've been doing this for years with 100% success.

Whatever you do, do NOT use metallic thread. Ha. I learned the hard way. Thankfully it was a small wallhanging, so it doesn't have to stand up to getting dragged around and thrown in the washer. I used purple metallic DMC embroidery thread, made colonial knots in the front, then tied with a square knot in back. I wasn't even halfway done with all my ties and some of them started coming undone on the back. I went back and tied them again. They came undone again. So I dabbed them all with a hot glue gun. Now they're NOT coming undone. Lol. What a pain, but the quilt sure is pretty. That metallic thread makes the top glisten and sparkle.

Why go to that much trouble? Two pokes with a needle and tie and you're done. The method described is subject to the machine tack unraveling-------------and they will.