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Question of the Week

Question for the week of April 20, 1998:

Our question this week comes from Beth

While connecting the thousands of yo yo's in my quilt, I find that the weight of the quilt is pulling the circles apart. I've tried different types of stitches to "tack" the circles but nothing seems to hold well. What am I doing wrong? Should I use a backing for this quilt? If so, how would I attach or tie it without batting?

Barbie :
I have a yo yo quilt made for me by my mother when I was a little girl. I sometimes wonder if there really is any of the original thread left. Yo-yo quilts take constant upkeep. My last effort was with dental floss. I had heard that it will hold the best, plus it can be clear and not show. It knots well. So far none of those spots have come apart. But it's only been a couple months. By the way. I also display my quilt with the gathers up. I think it looks prettier. Just hang in there and keep repairing. It is worth it. Such a different look.

Robyn Roberts :
I would work on the quilt constructing
in sections, and I would also section
the backing. This would disperse the
weight factor and allow for easier
all over assembling. i.e. you might
choose your number of individually
constructed blocks each with their own backing
When joining blocks together, perhaps some
retaing stitches with clear dental floss
would strenghten and help to bear the weight.
You could perhaps button through an occasional
yo yo with the floss.
Grandma Bea :
Yo-Yo's are mind savers. I carry them
in my purse at all times, to doctor
offices, hospitals, work, trips, etc.
They make beautiful tablecloths, vests,
& quilts.
Try putting a pretty colored sheet on
your bed, arrange your Yo-Yo quilt over
it. When you take it off - fold quilt &
sheet together, about one to two feet at
a time. When you put it back on just
unroll. Have fun with Yo Yo-Yo's.
Anthony in Florida :
First, congrats on getting thousands of yo-yos done.

Yo-yo quilts, while delightful, do need a certain amount of ongoing maintenance. But that's the trade-off for the look. Actually, broken threads is a desireable thing. You can't do anything about the weight of the quilt, so resist the temptation to use stronger thread. With all that weight, something's gotta give. Better a broken thread that a torn fabric. That would be almost impossible to repair.

Be more careful in how you handle the quilt. Don't pick it up as you would a bedspread. Try folding it several times (like turning back a bed) and lifting more of the bulk. This will ease the stress on individual yo-yos. You can also spread it across the bed by laying it out an unfolding it across the bed.

Personally, I like the peek-a-boo look yo-yos and wouldn't back it with anything. Besides, backing it would mean tacking every yo-yo to the backing and might be more work that the ocassional repair.

"Art ain't easy"
Happy quilting.

Christine Schnaufer :
It can seem as if one is always "repairing" a yoyo quilt. Don't despair. If you use too many stitches or embroidery floss, then the joinery looks poor. Short of making sure that the whip stitches cover about a 1/4 inch in length, I only have one other recommendation. I say a yoyo quilt that was tacked down to a pretty hemmed sheet. The gathered side (wrong side, beleive it or not) was placed against the sheet. This would make sense as it would well protect the stitches. The result is a "summer quilt" which is much more durable say for bed use. ( I had always displayed mine with the gathered side up...I liked it! I learned that the flat side was correct recently and did agree that it showed off the fabric prints better.
Louise M. :
I have only seen yo yo quilts finished without any backing at all. They were all beautiful..How about trying to stitch together with a stronger thread ie: carpet thread and maybe a dbl knot to keep in place without pulling apart. Hope this was some help..I would love to make one but I thing just a small one..

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