11 December 2008

Tying a quilt

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Do you recall this quilt? The last time you saw it was on the quilt rack several posts ago. This quilt was made in 1998 from scraps of flannel leftover from sewing: shirts for CarGuy and boxer shorts for TheKid. It was batted with a mid-loft polyester batting and then quilted in a hanging diamond pattern which is a nice way to quilt straight lines using a walking foot, BTW. I got the quilting idea from The Complete Book of Machine Quilting by Robbie and Tony Fanning. This is what a hanging diamond looks like:

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But the problem came because CarGuy likes to tuck the quilt under his heels and pull it up to his chin. It was not long enough for him and the quilting stitches started popping and breaking. What to do, what to do? The quilting was removed and it was then tied using cotton crochet thread. CarGuy can still tuck it under his heels and pull it up to his chin, actually to his shoulders, and the quilt flexes and stretches. It is now a much loved snuggle quilt.

Sometimes, tying a quilt works much better.

11 comments:

  1. I love a tied quilt. They are so soft and snuggly.

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  2. Never thought of quilting diamonds. I'm still using a walking foot when I machine quilt...which isn't often. I like your tied quilt. The fact that it's used and loved makes it a beautiful quilt.

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  3. I agree about the lowly tied quilts. We've gotten a little bit 'uppity' with all our fancy, schmancy quilts, but those humble tied ones feel so snuggly also!

    This is a neat quilt, and the ties add nicely to the design. 8-)

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  4. I've never tied a quilt. Maybe it's time to try one.

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  5. I like tied quilts - they really feel like the ones that should get used. Must be that softness that you talk about . . . . and I like to play with the ties, too *s*

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  6. At a quilt documentation day I saw a wool and corduroy quilt from the turn of the century that was tied with what looked like crewel weight yarn about every 1-1/2 apart. It was amazing...sort of gave a polka dot appearance and was as stable as a lot other quilts I've seen! (I'll try and find the photo....)

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  7. Another check in the plus column for tying vs. quilting. Each quilt needs to be assessed very carefully, what's right for one isn't always right for the next! Thanks, Paula!!

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  8. They are fun. They just have tons of "snuggle factor" built (tied) right into them!

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  9. Ooooooooh! The quilt looks like an optical illusion....I like it. And tying a quilt is a great and quick way to get on to the next project....LOL......take care.

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  10. Hi Paula, I think the scrappy flannel cabins look wonderful tied. Flannel always seems to be happy with tying or with utility quilting. Makes to smile to see a well loved utility quilt that makes no pretense about what it is.
    Hope all your holidays are merry and bright. Hugs, Finn

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  11. The tying also goes well with the mood of your quilt. Lovely.

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