Tying a Quilt

Have you ever tied a quilt?  I just did my first one....and it was epic!  This is the Unravelled quilt from the June 2021 Sew Sampler Box.  I made it for my daughter-in-law and added an extra row of blocks and an extra border.  So now it was huge!   

While I enjoy machine quilting on my Singer sewing machine, and I am learning so many cool techniques (Ruler Quilting, Free Motion, Walking Foot) this quilt was now bigger than I wanted to handle on my domestic sewing machine.  So it sat for a few weeks, while I decided what to do with it.  Then someone suggested I tie it. Wait what??  

"Tying, or tufting, is a quick alternative to hand or machine-quilting. Tied quilts have a puffier look than those that are quilted.  A tie is a stitch taken through all three layers of the quilt sandwich and knotted on the quilt top surface or, occasionally, on the back of the quilt."  American Pachtwork & Quilting, Nov 2017

So first I laid out my backing fabric, then batting and finally the pieced top using safety pins to secure them together.  I used some cotton yarn and a larged eyed needle, and did large ....really large, running stitching across the quilt top, through all the layers...almost like a huge loop.

Then I snipped each loop with my scissors, and tied a knot.  Keeping them spaced out as evenly as possible.

After each knot was tied, I used Fray Check to secure the knots.

It took me two afternoons to finish tying the quilt while sitting at my dining room table, watching the telly.  Think I am all caught up on Virgin River now....oh wait, season 4 just dropped.  Then it was time to trim, and bind.

I don't know about you but I love making and sewing on binding.  For me it really marks the finish, it's kind of like backstitching a cross stitch picture, just makes it POP.  And yes,  I do hand stitch it on the back.

I enjoyed tying this quilt so much, I think one I had earmarked to go to a long armer, will now be hand tyed by me.  It makes the quilt just so soft and puffy and you can really see the beautiful fabric shine through.  

Don't forget to check out tomorrow's Tobyknits Quilty Fun video, and see this quilt up close, including how I added a label.

Until next time, craft on!!