Same for me on checking the back--only I have to wait until I roll--hope for the best until I do. But I do always do a sample stitching when I change bobbins, or for any reason have to quit in the middle of a row. I have not figured out yet how to look at the back with a mirror. Maybe my rolls aren't high enough off the bed of my table? The son who does most of my quilting has figured out that using the same thread on the front and back is the secret to our success, and is very resistant to changing that thought. So we do most of our quilting with a light beige or off white for the light colored quilts, and black for the dark ones, with no using one color on top and another on the bottom.