With Y seams - I NEVER backstitch. I do, however, take a stitch or two extra, unsew to the "exact" spot, and then tie the threads.
The reasons I do it this way - my machine backstitching is less than wonderful - it seems to pucker, and/or I get off the line, and I feel that the extra machine stitching adds bulk to the intersection and makes it harder to manage the next step. I tie the threads so that the rest of the stitching does not dome apart.
I also mark the seams near the intersections. It has saved me time in the long run.
Maybe I will be able to just look at it and know at some point - but I'm not there quite yet.
Last edited by bearisgray; 10-21-2015 at 10:45 AM.