how do you anchor machine blanket stitch?
 

I am about to attempt my first applique. I will be using my machines blanket stitch and have no idea how to anchor it at the beginning and end. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

I start the stitching without the tack stitch and go around the whole thing and end with a tack stitch....if you watch your machine you can figure out the "back, forward, across" rotation and can hand turn the wheel and end up pretty much where you began...practice first LOL good luck

I start with my machine set for a straight stitch. I then lower my needle and raise it up again. Then I pull the bobbin thread to the top and push the top and bottom threads out of my way (I'll deal with them later). Then I set my machine for the blanket stitch (or zig zag stich, or whichever I'm using for that particular applique) and go around the applique. When I get to the end, I take one extra stitch and again pull the bobbin thread up to meat the top thread.

Then I take the beginning thread (top and bottom that I pulled up earlier), thread it on to a cheater needle and bury the threads by inserting the needle one thread away from where the bobbin thread came up and run it under the top fabric and buried into the batting for about one inch or so (make sure your thread isn't showing on the backing fabric. Pull the threads through and snip close to the top fabric. Do the same for your ending threads.

Hope this makes sense. It's a lot easier to do than to explain! :)

My machine has a fix function, I use that.

If you are doing the blanket stitch before your quilt is sandwiched, I would think you could pull both threads to the back and knot.

I stitch about 5 tiny straight stitches (forward only) to begin and end. These are hidden by the blanket stitch. When cutting thread, I leave a tail and pull top threads to the back. The tiny straight stitches do not pull out, so I just cut the threads on the back to about an inch long and leave them. You could use Fray Block on the begin/end area, but I don't.

I go over the first stitch again when I come full circle and fix it with tiny stitches in place.

Thank you all for the tips. I will practice a few of them and decide what works for me. I have learned more from this board than I have in the last 3 yrs.