Originally Posted by
Blueridgebeverly
What is the strategy for starting and ending? Securing the thread? Especially when using different designs among the pieced blocks?
There are 2 main techniques that most quilters I know use for this scenario, also for changing out thread colors.
The first one is to reduce your stitch length to 0 or 1, take a few stitches, then lengthen it back to what you normally use and continue. Reverse the process for ending your stitching.
The second one is where you make sure both threads are on top of the quilt when starting and stopping quilting, then go back and bury your thread tails. The easiest way to do this is to get a self-threading needle, Spiral Eye is one brand, I believe Dritz also makes one. These needles have a slit on the side at the eye, so you slide the threads (both upper and bobbin) up the needle and they slip into the eye. Makes threading very easy. Then you make a knot in the thread, take a stitch, and pop the knot down thru the top and into the batting. Pull it up in another spot and clip both threads right at the surface of the quilt. There are videos on YouTube that show how to do this.