Friday 6 January 2017

back to needle & thread


I finished piecing my 2nd auntbets quilt top this week and am very pleased with it.
Here's a few pics... and a few thoughts about hand tying a quilt.





mixing the old with the new
{a Jennifer Paganelli floral and Blueberry Park fabrics by Karen Lewis}






- my favourite fabric







I decided to hand tie this little quilt. There's lots of tutorials around, like this one I found that was nice & simple here with great needle threading tips too! After quickly stitching some leftover batting pieces together on the machine, I spent an hour or so crawling around on the floor pinning all my layers together.


Then it was back to using a needle & thread, a chenille needle and some candlewick yarn to be precise {a chenille needle has a large eye & sharp point}. And it has certainly been a learning experience for me!


Firstly, I really needed to tie the knots fairly closely together to ensure all the layers stay secure. And I found scissors  proved very useful to help pull that needle through! Oh, and despite what I've read, I avoided tying any knots over intersections after trying it just the once... way, way too thick! And finally, a little bloodshed is all par for the course!



I'm about half way now and it's looking ok so far.
I did read somewhere that 'it's not a quilt until it's quilted', so I'm wondering now,
when you tie a pieced quilt what do you have... a quilt still? a comforter?  
Love to hear your thoughts.
*I  just came across another good tutorial here by Sarah from thelastpiece

Linking up with Kelly for 'needle and thread Thursday' here


17 comments:

Nancy said...

In my opinion, if the top is patchwork, it's a quilt. I've seen plenty of old quilts in antique shops that were tied. They could have been nothing less than quilts because the tops were pieced. Your quilt looks great!

gayle said...

I admire your resolve! I tried tying a quilt once, way back in the long ago. After about a dozen knots, I got so disgruntled that I cut them all out and just hand quilted the thing.
I love all your colors and fabric choices in this wonderful cuddly quilt! Those roses are especially fabulous!

Julie said...

I love this quilt Linda. Definitely a quilt cos the layers are still all held together with a stitch.

Mystic Quilter said...

Lovely fabrics and I think I too have the black with red rose fabric as my favourite. Good luck with the tying, I just realised that this is something I have never done!

Linda said...

Love your quilt, Linda. Such "gentle" colours. I checked out the Quilty video about tying which was excellent. Learned two new tricks: using a loop of thread to pull the thicker tying thread through the eye of the needle, and "nose grease" . Brilliant! I have tied several quilts, all of them log cabins as I find the idea of machine quilting those sorts of quilts very daunting- machining over all those seams and thicknesses! I have always used three strands of embroidery floss but will try your chenille cotton next time, especially now I know the two tips learned from the video. I also like your tip about not tying on the joins. That's what I did with all my log cabins and it was very very hard! So, thank you for such an informative post, lots of tips that I have squirreled away in my head!

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

Thanks Julie! Yes, I’m going to call it a quilt!
I’m about ½ way now and its going ok, especially after I finally found my old leather thimble!
I’ll take it down to the beach next week when I go. Always good to have a bit of hand sewing – and a wine- handy for those balmy evenings out on the deck!

Jen said...

I have always heard that quilting is when the 3 pieces (top, batting, back) are connected. I think this certainly qualifies. I have tied a quilt with yarn before. Bloodshed was a part of that adventure too. :) Beautiful quilt, very cozy!

em's scrapbag said...

I love all the wonderful fabrics in your beautiful quilt.

Nifty Quilts said...

It looks great! I love a hand-tied quilt. Yes, it's a QUILT. ; )

Kate said...

Such a fun and colorful quilt! Hand tying is going to look so good with that quilt.

Maryse said...

Lovely quilt!! I wonder what made you use the candlewick yarn, is it commonly use for tying a quilt?

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

Thanks Maryse!
In my stash of craft supplies from many years ago I came across a few rolls of candlewicking yarn.... just wanted to use it up!
It’s giving the quilt a real ‘natural’ handmade look, I love it!
I think you can tie a quilt with just about anything you can fit through a needle - wool, string, Perle #8 cotton, or a few strands of embroidery thread which I suspect would glide through the layers of a quilt much more smoothly!

pandchintz said...

Such a gorgeous quilt, Linda, I absolutely love it! The fabric choices make it such a restful, relaxing, olde worlde quilt. A treasure. Enjoy your tying, and as it's a form of quilting, I'd say it's a quilt.

Ann said...

How timely. My Rhythmic Grid top contains polished cotton which never seems to look good when quilted. The thread just sits on top of it. Someone suggested tying it. But darn. I thought this would be easier. It doesn't sound like it.
Good luck finishing this darling quilt. Love the blues!

Kaja said...

I like that black fabric with red roses a lot too and it looks lovely in the mix with your other fabrics. This is timely for me too: I have a quilt I am thinking about tying, as I have never tried it before. I'll look forward to seeing your finish.

Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow said...

Ha ha whether I tie a quilt or meticulously hand quilt it, my grandkids call everything a Blanket! :) If you do this again, they make curved needles...I got mine at JoAnn Fabrics and it really makes it so much easier . The packet is by Dritz or someone basic like that back in the sewing notions section and there are two big eye, super large ones to use with yarn, and 2 smaller ones for crochet cotton, etc.

Ada Plouvier-Kopitopoulou said...

Never tied a quilt. Love the colours and pattern of your quilt.