I only tie for reasons said. I don't want to hand quilt, can't afford to pay for it, and if I had a long arm (no room) nor am I talented enough to do it.
The fact is I like putting the pieces together. I am horrible at picking the colors. I find it funny why I even try to quilt when I lack so many of the qualities of a real quilter. I do love the blog. I can't write to say my opinions half the time.
DJC

I made a Bargello and I tied it. I had embroidery threads for each color I tied in and you couldn't tell straight off because the colors blend in so well. It sure did take a lot of time to tie but I got it done. I made a French Braid quilt and I tied that one too. Took the longest time because of the many colors and embroidery threads to match. Just put your favorite movie in the machine and enjoy the ties.

I still tie some quilts. I don't think all have to be quilted...I just love playing with my "toys" (TL18LS & Qbot)... I recently tied a doubleknit top & think it's perfectly acceptable, especially with the battings we have today...you can tie off 4 to 8", depending on the batting.

i tack or tie all my quilts

It's entirely personal preference. I helped my guild tie a quilt once, and I did not enjoy the experience (it was hard on my back and fingers). I do enjoy quilting them, both on the DSM and on the lonagrm, and I prefer that look. I don't know of anyone who thinks that all quilts have to be quilted. (Although many shows will not accept tied quilts.) We see a number of quilts on the board that have been tied. Do what you like.

Did you have to stand to do it????? I can pop it in my QVC frame and do a large area quickly, all within reach while sitting.

My granny usually tied off her quilts, and if I am making a plan 4 square or the like, something really simple and "blocky" I will tie it off, but for the more complicated patterns I hand quilt mine.

On a scrappy quilt I made for a couch throw I used a decoritve stitch on my machine at the intersections it looks nice & hold the quilt together. I do not like tied quilts.

I tie (or tack) most of mine.

Did tie my second quilt but frequent washing, as it was for young son and they seemed to come out. Prefer to quilt.

I love the look of a tied quilt! I think both ways have a place in quilting :D:D:D

I've used the tacking stitch on my Janome, also. I've done baby quilts and a few quillows that way.

Also, re: a previous post above, I tied little utility quilts for my grandchildren (some of those quilts are almost 20 years old) and still being used. The ties have not come out. I used acrylic yarn.

The only quilts you should not tie, are the ones entered into quilt shows. The judges tend to frown on tying.

I agree - tied whole cloth to me is a comforter, pieced is a quilt.
I believe that regardless of the way it is finished, it is still a quilt - hand quilted, machine quilted, tied - all are quilts. I do not send mine out because of the expense. I have tied, SID, quilted on machine. I like the results of each method, but find the best for cuddling are generally not the all-over LA quilted. They seem more stiff.

Its all personal choice, just like turning backing over to finish edge vs separate binding - all are acceptable. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Just keep on keeping on with the quilting creativity!

I have tied but like to quilt my own. I can't afford to send them out. If I did I wouldn't be able to have fabric and make quilts

I cannot afford to send my quilts out either but I do prefer to quilt them. I have done a couple on a set of quilting frames that a friend of mine gave me (she is in her 80's and her father had made them for her - she had three sons and none of their wives or grandchildren wanted them) and I have done quite a few using large oval hoop frames. The only reason I quilt them is because I am concerned about the batting bunching when they are washed and dried. I really don't think they really take that much more time (for me) because I don't do a lot of really fancy stitching.

Thank you
Sandyb

I remember my grandmother making a pieced comforter. It had a think wool batt, and it truly comforted me when i was in college.

how close do you put the ties? we have to make over a hundred lap robes for a nursing home project

I agree. I took my first quilt lessons about20 years ago and that is how I was taught to finish it was to tie it. We did do some hand quilting on wall hangings and such. I wouldn't call a tied quilt a comforter its a pieced quilt no matter how its finished.

It used to be that you had to quilt because the old style batting was very loose and would move around if it was not quilted every few inches. With modern batting, I think tying works very well, but I enjoy the quilting process whether by hand or machine.

I do both. It depends on the quilt and where it is going.

I have found tied quilts with yarn don't hold up as well as using a double strand of crochet thread. You can also tack using a simple stitch on your machine. I did one last week using a small flower stitch on my machine. I prefer to FMQ and have never been able to afford to have someone else do it.

Our group makes nothing but donation quilts and we are required by somebody(?) to tie every 6".

I Would NEVER tie a bargello they are just to beautiful to tie. LOL

Hurrah for tacking quilts! It is fast, easy and durable.

How you choose to finish your quilts is up to you. I know what you mean about the recent thougts on pattern quilting. When I started taking notice of what was happening in the quilting community it was said tacking was only acceptable for charity quilts. Like everything in life this is a phase or trend. I tack all my quilts. It's my choice. There is not right or wrong in how to finish your quilts. Although rare, there are antique quilts in museums that have been tacked.

My "first" quilt started out as 2 sheets (queen size) and a very thick poly batting. I didn't know any better! So I pillowcased the sheets with the backing inside and started quilting on my domestic machine. That didn't last very long before I couldn't imagine shoving that bundle thru the machine! So first I split the quilt vertically so I had 2 quilts about 45" x 90". Then I split the batting thickness so it was more like 1" thick instead of 2". I pushed one of the halves thru the machine and did quilt it about 4" apart in squares following the plaid lines on the top. The other half I decided to tie, but I didn't like to see the ties on the top. So I tied it with the loose strands on the bottom. Had nightmares of spiders crawling over me until I cut off all the long ties!!! My husband and I are very happy each having our "own" quilt without having to wrestle for our own share! They look like one whole quilt when on the bed. We have split a down comforter vertically, too, and I made matching duvets for our winter "quilt". I can creep my cold feet under the edge of his down comforter to warm up and can stick any too warm body part out to cool off! No wrestling matches for covers! Do what works!

I have alway heard that a piece that is tied is called a comforter, not a quilt. I slept under both and liked them and stayed warm. Jan

We all love hand quilted quilts. As arthritis rears his ugly head the tying becomes the choice. I still do many and tye them Some do call for doing by hand. In our sewing group we help one another by hand quilt. The quilt owner brings Batting, thread,prepared lining and tells us how she wants it done. We take turns doing our ownbut the rest of the time we do tacked quilts for fire victiums.

what do you put into your donation quits ? top and flannel back or do you put batting into them?

Many years ago I read about "carm tacking" in a Quiltmaker. You machine stitch a small simple design where you would have tacked. They put a collection of cute baby designs in the issue. Though I've never tried that, it would be fun to try on the GDs quilts.

OOPPs, spelling error, the word is supposed to be charm.

think that the soft/warmness of this quilt is because it still has loft and comfort and has not been quiilted to death making a type of flat mat rather than comfy quilt.

do like tying ,looks good and also homespun which is my favourite type of quilt.

My son likes quilts thick & heavy like store bought ones. He asked me to make him one like that out of flannel when he was in college so I used a double layer of high loft batting- you better believe I tied that one!