How to Hand Tie a Quilt
A Must-Know Technique for Every Quilter!
While we all love beautiful hand and machine quilting, there are times when tying a quilt is the perfect choice. This process of securing the quilt layers adds a touch of vintage charm that makes a quilt even more endearing.
You might want to tie a quilt when you’re using extra-thick batting, thin or no batting, or whenever a quilt can’t be quilted the traditional way. It also makes for a quick and easy finish.
Yarn is often used for the ties, but any thick sturdy thread, such as several strands of embroidery floss, will work nicely. Cut the knotted yarn short or long.
Curved tapestry needles have large eyes for yarn and thick thread. Plus, the curved shape eases the process of sewing through several layers. Get them here.
Tying also can be used to affix buttons or charms to a quilt, adding another layer of interest.
A grid pattern works nicely, with the ties spaced according to what is specified by the batting. Just keep in mind that a quilt with closely spaced ties will wash and wear better than a quilt with the ties far apart.
Angela Mitchell provides a good overview of the tying process in the following article.
An excellent tutorial from New Quilters goes into further detail and provides many helpful suggestions.
Notice the cute tied Xs in Suzy’s quilt.
Suzy from Suzy Quilts combines hand-tying with machine quilting for a more modern approach. That’s also a good idea when you want a quilt to stand up to a lot of washings (like a baby quilt).
Learn about Suzy’s method in the following article.
