Are you looking for a fast and easy way to finish a quilt top?
Perhaps you’ve just completed a baby quilt and don’t want to spend a lot of time or money finishing the quilt…
Here’s the perfect solution—Tie the quilt with a simple free motion quilt motif in every square or corner.
The most common way to tie a quilt is to use yarn and a large needle to hand tie a knot every 4-10 inches in the layered quilt.
For the free motion method of hand tying a quilt: choose a simple free motion motif (or several) and stitch the motif in place of a yarn knot.
This method is perfect for baby quilts or any quilts that you would like a little fluffier.
It’s fast, fun and a perfect way to gain confidence with free motion quilting…
Try The Sailboat, The Tulip, Tommy the Turtle, The Shamrock free motion quilt motifs
Let me know what YOU think…
Lori
PS…Other motifs that would work include The Pretty Little Bow, The Closed Umbrella, The Open Umbrella, The Daisy, The Windowsill Garden…
PPS…All images, information and tutorials are the property of Lori Kennedy @ The Inbox Jaunt and are intended for personal use only. Feel free to reblog, Pin, share, tweet with attribution to The Inbox Jaunt. For all other purposes, please contact me at lckennedy@hotmail.com. Thanks!
29 comments
Ana Perna
I’ve just finished quilting a baby quilt. But this tip is EXCELLENT. Will use it for the next one. Thank you.
Mary Ann
Hi Lori! I’m wondering: did you ever try a dragon?
Love to browse here – thanks!
Mary Huey
dah . . . what a genius idea, Lori!!
Jan
What a great idea! I love it. This would be fun to do, using a variety of designs.
Louise
Great ideas! I can’t wait to try them.
Paula
Great idea Lori! I love this idea, a wonderful way to practice.
A little off topic, but THANK YOU for my autographed magazine! It arrived in the mail yesterday! I’m so excited for you…your article is wonderful and I hope to see more of them, I may have to subscribe!
I totally agree with Suzanna, you are brilliant, and I would add amazing. Thank you for sharing your quilting ideas with us.
Queenie
This is a wonderful way to easy into FMQ.
Most excellent suggestion.
Have a great day.
Always, Queenie
Ness
That is so funny cuz I had just been mulling this over in my head…have two bedsize quilts about done and ready for quilting…have done a ton of HST’s in pinks and neutrals as leaders and enders and think I finally have enough to put together this baby quilt I have been itching to start. OH and I have all that cute thread from Sulky…now my head it whirling with the possibilities!!! Love to leave them a smidge fluffier and this will be perfect.
I actually threw together a few large quilts out of sewing stash and necessity in our younger years and back then tied everything…all I had time and room for I thought…I doubled everything and all these years later the quilts are well loved but no string undone. I think tied quilts are so snuggly but I love both ways…good thing cuz I’m hooked on FMQ now. 🙂
Kate
Great idea for quick finishes on baby quilts. I also wanted to say that I used your Greek key fmq design for the first time this week. Kept the “up, right, down, right” mantra going and it turned out just the way I wanted, and without any marking. Thanks for all the good ideas.
Lori Kennedy
Yeah! The Greek Key is my favorite!
Lara B.
This is terrific Lori! Your patterns are great too. You’ve got me thinking of ideas too!
val vannote
how do you do the sandwich, like birthing a quilt,
Lori Kennedy
Just like any quilt: backing, batting, top–
treadlemusic
I think this is an awesome idea especially since so many of the ties seem to untie or rip out or just look shabby after a while. A great way to bridge/meld the 2 methods……tied vs quilted.
Lori Kennedy
That’s a great point, the ties don’t hold all that well. This is more fun and a chance to use different motifs. Great practice.
catpatches
I have used an eyelet buttonhole stitch before. Not as cute, but it worked great and it was very tidy.
Lori Kennedy
That is a great idea–but this is more fun and great way to practice the motifs.
Judith
Free-motion tying is a wonderful idea!
I tied one of my first quilts with yarn. My son used it for a few years. He often sat on the floor watching football games on TV with the quilt wrapped around himself. The family dog often came to sit on the quilt next to him.
After a few years, the yarn ties broke, and the batting in the center came apart and migrated to the edges of the quilt. I took it apart and replaced the batting.
Around that time, I was teaching myself free-motion quilting. I wanted to learn to make free-motion feathered wreaths. After trying a few times, I realized I needed lots more practice. I used this quilt to practice making feathered wreaths.
Lori Kennedy
Is it still well-loved–by man and dog?
Judith
Yes indeed! It is faded now (due to being washed a lot), but those big feathered wreaths on each block are holding it together quite nicely.
Diane
Excellent idea!!!
Linda Swanekamp
This is a huge improvement over tying. I find that the knots put too much pressure on one spot of the fabric that wears that spot out. I think the stitching evens things out and is definitely more eye appealing and makes it a quilt. I love the idea!
Lori Kennedy
That’s a great point, Linda. The quilt tends to tear at these points too!
Suzanna
May I say you are brilliant? The quilt snob in me always feels it’s not a quilt unless it’s quilted, so no tied (with yarn our embroidery floss) quilts for me. But this is perfect! Thanks for the idea.
Lori Kennedy
Suzanna, you have my permission to say I’m brilliant any time…In fact, I will print it out every time and share it with my family! LOL
Jo Stovall
Great idea ~ thank you for sharing your free-motion-quilting Lori ~ your skills are very professional.
kaholly
Great idea! An intro to your sailboat motif is such perfect timing for me! I’m making a baby boy quilt this summer featuring a row of sailboats. I know I’ll be practicing this every chance I get! Your tutorials are incredible. Thank you so much for taking the time.
Lori Kennedy
So glad to be of service! Id love to see your finished quilt!
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