Can My Tied Quilt be Quilted?

We have had a few customers ask if a quilt that was already tied could instead be quilted. The answer is, “Yes, usually it can be."

We tried this on several of our own quilts and we were delighted with the results. The quilting brought new life to the quilts and wonderful texture. Being convinced that it can be done successfully, we now offer this as a service to our customers. We will ask to see and evaluate your particular quilt.

The process involves removing the ties one section at a time, just before quilting that section. If the quilt is well made with the front and back having even amounts of fullness or material there should be little if any puckering or tucks. Removing the ties may leave small holes where the ties were, just like removing stitches may. The material the quilt is made from and the size of the hole left from the ties will determine if the hole will tend to disappear or if it will be noticeable. See the "Tied Quils" section of our Photo Gallery for examples.

If you have a tied quilt that you would like to have quilted, please contact us to discuss it.

NOTES:

• Do NOT remove ties first. We will do that as each row is exposed and ready to be quilted.
• ONE tie may be removed to see if the resulting hole is acceptable to you.
• If repairs need to be made to an older quilt, this needs to be done by the customer prior to sending it to be quilted.

If a quilt is old and fragile, machine quilting it may not be recommended.