two things jump out at me here...my family totally differentiates between quilts and comforters... a tied quilt was a comforter and was often used to give new life to a worn quilt... they were tied because inside was a worn out quilt so you couldn't 'quilt' thru it...it had to be tied.. my mother delighted in searching out comforters in thrift and second hand stores, trying to decide from the feel if there was a quilt inside.... they all got opened up and removed if she proved to be successful... to tie a quilt securely, use a 'polyester' or 'surgeon's' knot... "left over right, right over left TWICE" (one loop, twice thru, not two loops)... pull tight and it will never come undone...it's the type used on monofilament and dacron threads that are so slippery that they come undone by themselves... try it sometime, it's wonderfully secure.

I lived in Wisconsin and like you never saw a quilted quilt until I was in Ohio. We used wool batts inside the quilt - these were taken out and recarded on occasion then the covering put back and retied. The covers could also be washed then reunited with the batt.

Can someone suggest best material to use for hand tying--yarn, crochet thread etc.? I like to hand tie some of my quilts but not too sure what to use.

Tieing quilts is another legitimate method of joining the sandwich. I'm not keen on it myself aand prefer the look of more intricate quilting.

it is a perosnal preference, some quilts look better tied. when you do charity quilts they prefer them to be quilted to stand up for the many times they will be laundered especially for children who could be harmed by the string.

I firmly believe in "my quilt--my way" so if you like tied quilts, go for it. There are many tied quilts every where, and many churches and groups still tie for charities. Myself, I love the feel of flannel, lofty batting and ties, it is all warm and cozy, just make sure to read the batting to find out how close to make your ties.

I think you need to make sure the batting will hold up to however many inches apart you tie the quilts. I agree that certain patterns adapt to the tied quilt better. My quilt groups makes charity quilts and tie many of them. Some of the members won't machine quilt so tieing is the only way to get them done.

My grandmother tied her quilts and I see nothing at all wrong with it. I do think that I saw somewhere, maybe in my county fair, that tied quilts would not be accepted unless it was in a (made by) youth category.

I have been wondering about this. I tie all of mine but close together. I like the puffiness of the tied quilt.