Murphy1

I made a ticker tape quilt for my grandniece's 3rd birthday. I found the idea on Bottled Rainbow Blog. Anyway all the pieces were done as raw appliqué. My niece is so disappointed because the raw applique is coming apart (lots of strings) after a few washings. She is bringing up for me to repair. I was thinking of meander quilting over everything, but I know that is not going to help with all the strings that seem to arise with each washing. I loved the quilt, but know I would never make another. I used fray check on it, but I guess that won't last forever. So sad, it was lots of work. Hope you can give me some advise. Here is a picture of it

DonnaPBradshaw

Have you tried sewing a little bit more into the seam and sew twice? what fabrics were you using? It looks like just regular cotton. Can we have a closer look at the problem?

Elisabrat

did you fuse those pieces on? if so they will fray if not sewn down around the edges. I mean a tight stitch around them not just a running stitch. It should perhaps be a wall quilt and you make something else that is pieced for her. I find applique is not for a lot of washing. I am so sorry she is not happy with it. I think she should also learn to be thankful for her gift. you tried, lessons learned and all that the gift was made with your love and time. I don't believe other than a whole of stitching is done that you can solve this problem this time. ..next year maybe a nice color blocked quilt in her favorite colors to use til its threads again. (this is what little ones do).

Murphy1

She is coming up laster this month with the quilt. I haven't seen it yet. I know when I washed it before giving it there were lots of strings. I clipped and fray checked it then. It is all cotton fabric used in other quilts. Hind sight I should have zigzag attached them, but there were soooo many pieces. I fmq around each piece instead. Now I am sad.

WandaVA

Raw edge applique has to be stitched down if the item is going to be washed. I am sorry this has happened, but I think the only way to solve the problem is to sew the applique pieces down.

Murphy1

A wall quilt would have been much better. We live, learn and move forward. I will see what I can do, but hopefully she will think twice before washing it. I made an I Spy quilt for her 4th birthday that I love. I have attached that picture. As you can see it was I spy on both sides.

willferg

I'm sorry to hear about your experience with this, but I've always wondered about the string issue. My local Project Linus coordinator told me she got some cotton raggedy quilts once and the strings just kept coming off. Didn't seem like a good thing. Another person sent in quilts with big fabric labels with a tight zig zag stitch all around the borders – but the fabric tore loose after a washing, and I had to rip all those little stitches out to try to save the quilt. What a mess.

PaperPrincess

You can try putting a piece of tulle over the entire quilt, then quilting heavily. It will change the texture, but it should keep it from fraying. Probably the best alternative is to add a hanging sleeve!

Holice

"Fixing" most likely depends on how much work you want to do vs the emotion if you leave it as it is.
Because of the detail of the applique I am not sure you can stitch around each piece now that it has been quilted.
Also, I can't see how much quilting has been done on it.
Do I dare suggest taking it apart and fixing the applique and then requilting. Shut my mouth for suggesting this......

Tartan

Yes, I would consider a layer of sheer fabric on top and then meander to hold it in place. Add ribbon of rick rack to cover the sheer raw edge.