In need help

[knitnoid]

My first finished quilt when I started quilting in earnest was a baby flannel quilt. I used 1/4 inch seams and it well used and hasn't fallen appart.

I've NEVER put a quilt top that hasn't been quilted into the washing machine. I learned that the hard way when I washed (on gentle) some old quilt blocks. The raveled, ripped out and discentgrated.

This may have to be filed under lesson learned.

[piecemaker1]

So true, so true knitnoid. This was the first time I ever washed a quilt top that wasn't quilted. I still haven't decided what to do with the quilt top. I think I am going to rotary cut it into strips and resew the top. Someone also suggested doing some decorative stitches over the seams, which I may try. I have until May to figure this all out, but I certainly have appreciated everyone's imput. Thanks.

[Joannequilts]

piecemaker1, I too have never washed a quilt before it was quilted, but I recently washed a baby quilt that had appliques on it and they started to come apart after it was washed. I did what Evie suggested...I used a wider zig zag stitch right on top of the 1st stitching that held down the applique. Any stitch that will be wider and incorporate the seams would work.

Good Luck!
Joanne:0)

[Pilot2b]

I use a 5/8 inch on all of my quilts. So far so good. The overall size may not be a quoted, but bindings have come in handy. By this, I mea adding a binding.

[Omaquilter1]

I have lots of old hankies and want to make a quilt out of them I do NOT want to block a quilt I want to butt the hankies and overlap and stitch them together so in the end (IF there is a end:( ) it will look like a crazy quilt. What kind of tread do I use? and when finished how would I quilt it ? I think I will have it machine quilted, is that possible. ???
Thanks
Oma

[khowardquilts]

Omaquilter1, Hankies are usually quite thin (I have never worked with them), you might want to back them with light weight fusible web to stablize them or sew them to a muslin backing (one big piece). I have no hints on quilting, except that you might want to use fancy stitching here and there across them to make it look more like a crazy quilt to frame any designs on the hankies. A friend sews all of her crazy quilt blocks with a zig-zag stitch. Maybe you could use print hankies to frame solid ones or another similar weight fabric to frame them with.

Ignore this if it is too much design info.

Kathy