janjer

Lots of old quilts would be lost without tying?

If you tie a quilt for a baby, you should tie it on the INSIDE so no loose thread is showing and they cannot get any of the tie thread in their mouth.

IAmCatOwned

I tie quilts all the time. Don't beat yourself up about it. I live in MN and everybody wants a thick quilt anyway. In fact, my very favorite quilt, that I brought out of storage tonight, is a tied Maple Leaf quilt. One of the advantages of tied quilts is that if your batting goes flat, you can put new batting in. Not something you can do with a quilted quilt. I have 2 quilts I can only use for summer quilts now - they are not warm since they lost their loft.
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL252.../190398834.jpg

I nearly always use flannel and thick batts on the tied ones. Nobody complains. I found using Cascade 220 wool yarn to be the best choice. It's thin enough to go through relatively easily, and the knots felt, making them more secure. Scads of yarn in a skein - it's almost enough to do 2 queen sized quilts.

Still, don't consider your quilted quilts ruined. Everybody is a beginner at some point. I have a couple of quilts I am less than thrilled about, but the recipients loved them. My first two projects are horrible, but one - a tree skirt, I only have to look at 6 weeks a year (at most). The other, a table runner, I actually have hung up on a book shelf at the entrance to my sewing area. It reminds me of where I started, so I feel good about it.

Other examples of my tied quilts (note: none of these are kid or baby quilts). They are Full or Queen size.
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL252.../364897934.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL252.../345475366.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL252.../343262061.jpg
http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL252.../147468413.jpg

grandma Janice

I've ties lots as well as hand quilt and see nothing wrong with it. some materials just need to be tied like jeans material or heavy material.

IAmCatOwned

Lori, can you explain your process on machine tacking a quilt? Do you pin it first? What stitches do you use? Other tips? Thanks!

Stephanie

Margie

I am not a big fan of tied quilts...just a matter of taste I think.

dellareya

I tie all the quilts I do for charity.

Patricia Ann

My mother tied all her quilts and she and she made hundreds I also tie mind. If you look at any quilts that where made before the long arm came along they were all tied or hand quilted.

oldbalt99

Tying quilts is just one other way to hold the quilt layers together. Tying is my specialty, a tradition passed down from my mother from her mother. I have a back order of three quilts and every one of them will be tied. It is a time honored tradition, be proud.

Greenheron

Before bonded batting, tied quilts were only possible if the filling was something other than batt: a worn out quilt, old blanket, flannel petticoats or stitched together rags. I'm sure desperate homemakers filled tied quilts with cornhusks, newspaper, whatever they could get hold of to keep the family warm during hard times. Remember, too, down comforts and feather beds.

Batts HAD to be quilted and closely otherwise they clumped. They(batts) were not practical tied then, as they can be today.

I think a tied quilt would be pretty with buttons fastened with the tying thread--haven't tried, though.

LeslieFrost

Tying is very easy! And fun, and soothing, because it is easy and repetitive. Here's how I do it:

First, clear off a table which does not have a surface that you care if it gets scratched a little. Spread the sandwiched quilt over the table and pull up a chair.

I use a curved upholstery needle with a big eye. I use Perle cotton. You can use a nice long length. Figure out how far apart the ties need to be, based on what the batting says about the quilting distance.

Thread the needle, but don't knot it. With the upholstery needle, go from the up side to the down side. Leave a tail on the up side of about 3 inches. Go from the up side to the down side again in the same place. Tug a little to tighten up that spot. Without cutting the thread, find the next spot for a tie. Go from the up side to the down side twice, just like you did before. And repeat. When you reach the end of that length of thread, go back and tie them off: Cut the inbetween lengths. Tie two surgeon's knots in each spot: Right over left and around twice, tug tight, left over right and around twice, tug tight. Cut thread tails off at one to three inches, depending on the effect you want.

If this doesn't make sense, let me know!