Unless its a utility quilt, I usually go through the time & trouble to bury the threads. A spiral needle helps with that so you don't have to try and thread the needle. I am just now starting to try taking a couple of tacking stitches, close together, and then moving on to the free-motion pattern and then tacking stitches at the end & clipping. So far so good, and once washed it looks pretty good. Good luck & enjoy...welcome to our addiction : )