Burying Threads???
 

A great friend of mine is letting me LA my quilts on her machine once a week. Yah me lol So I'm sitting here and forgot what she said about burying the treads. I did my first one last week it's the first time I ever LA anything it was cool btw!! Is it like handquilting where you do a knot and bury it?? Is it really that important??? When I use my home machine for FMQ I just snip threads. I'm thinking maybe I shouldn't be doing that??? Thanks for all the advise I know I'll get a lot of different answers but a slight description of how to bury threads would be great!!! I do handquilt as well just wanted to know if it was the same or something different?

I think it depends on what you're doing with the quilt. If I'm making a "kid" quilt or any quilt I know will get used a lot I take a bunch of small stitches at the beginning and end of my quilting, and then I just snip the ends. If it's a quilt that will be in a show I take the time to knot and bury. To do that I bring the bobbin thread up to the top and make a quilter's knot just a smidge from the top layer of fabric. I then pop the knot through, like with hand quilting, bury about an inch and snip off the end.

How lucky are you to be able to borrow the LA? Have fun and I hope this helps!

When I started out with the longarm I didn't bury my threads. I stitched more or less in place instead. Now I've started burying the threads and I was surprised that it isn't much more difficult than stitching in place, and I think it will be more secure in the long run. When I am starting to stitch, I bring the bottom thread up, then stitch away. I just wait until the needle has moved away from the starting point, then go back to the starting point, knot the two threads, and use a self-threading needle to bury them into the quilt. When I finish stitching (or run out of thread) I have a little more trouble getting the bottom thread up, but if necessary I undo a few stitches so I can knot and bury the thread. If the design permits, I start and stop off the quilt so I don't have to bury anything, but often that's not possible. I don't know if this is how everyone does it, so I'm looking forward to reading the answers others give.

I have never (and still don't) understand how to do this or why to do this. So, I am no help but I am watching. :)

I only bury the threads if I am making a quilt to put in a show. Otherwise, I take several tiny stitches and then clip the thread. That is on my own home machine, as I don't have a long arm, but I would think that it would be the same.

I always tie and bury threads!!!!!!

the how is- bring bobbin thread to the top- leave a couple inches of both on the quilt surface- when ready to bury your threads you tie the two into a knot- then thread the 2 threads onto a needle and work them into the batting- center of the quilt-
the reason is so your stitching does not start coming undone as your quilt is used/laundered.

Thanks! I was taught to do locking stitches when starting and stopping and to snip my threads imediately. I do pull the bobbin to the top at the beginning and end.

I am still not sure what a "quilters knot" is and since H-A-N-D is a four letter word, I think I will stick with my method. Seems to work okay.

I leave enough bottom and top tail thread and then go back and using a "Spiral" needle run the thread back thru the batting. The additional cost of the needle (about $5) is worth it in time it saves threading a needle or using one of the self threading needles that has a slot in the top (which always comes loose).

I'm with Holice, those spiral eye needles are soooooo worth it, especially if you have lots of tails to bury.