How to Tack Tie a Quilt
When a person makes a homemade quilt, there are several layers of material. The layers of material create a sandwich with a top layer, filler material and bottom layer. These layers are connected with thread forming the quilt. The easiest and fastest method for connecting the layers is tack tying. The person sews down through all the layers, and sews back up to the top leaving a 3-inch tail of thread on each side. Tying the ends secures the stitch. Placing tack tying stitches across the entire quilt finishes the process.
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Things You'll Need
- Embroidery floss (in an accent color for the quilt)
- Scissors
- Doll-making needle (wide enough for a whole piece of embroidery floss)
- Super glue
- Finished quilt top
- Batting or filler material
- Bottom layer
- Safety pins
Instructions
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1
Place the bottom layer of material on a flat surface with the finished side facing down. Make sure the cloth is flat.
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2
Put the batting or filler material on top of the bottom layer. Make sure all of the sides are even.
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3
Lay the finished quilt top on top of the filler layer. Get all of the sides even.
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4
At each corner, pin the layers of material together with safety pins. Place a safety pin in the center of each side of the quilt 2 inches away from the edge. This holds the material together while you put the tie tacks in place.
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5
Thread the needle with the embroidery floss. Do not separate the embroidery floss threads. You want the strength from the combined threads, and multiple threads are more of a decorative accent.
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6
Sew a stitch through the center of the first block, and stitch back up through the cloth to the top. Leave 3 inches of thread hanging out of the downward stitch on top, and three inches of thread hanging out of the upward stitch on top. Trim off any excess thread.
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Tie a knot using the two pieces of 3-inch embroidery thread on top. It doesn't matter what type of knot you use just make it tight. If your quilt doesn't have blocks, sew a stitch every four to six inches. It doesn't matter which, as long as it is consistent.
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Continue placing tie tacks into the center of each quilt block until the entire quilt is covered. Make sure each knot is tied tightly.
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9
Trim off the excess string, but leave 1 inch of thread just in case it comes untied. Tying a piece of thread that is 1 inch long isn't easy, but it can be done.
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10
Remove the safety pins from the corners and the sides. They are not needed once the tack tying is complete.
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Put a drop of superglue on top of each knot. This process keeps the knots from untying. Add a drop of superglue to the knots about once a year, and the knots will stay put permanently.
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Tips & Warnings
Make the tack ties look fancier by threading a button or bead onto the threads before tying it together.
References
- Photo Credit Lilli Day/Photodisc/Getty Images
