The best way to prevent the loose threads issue (they end up all over me otherwise) is to use leaders and enders. As you end a seam, run a small piece of fabric under the needle, then cut your finished piece off that small piece (easier to show you than to tell you!). That way you always have a little piece under your needle and foot and NO LOOSE THREADS TO CUT!!!
Even better, you can keep a basket of scrap squares or unpieced units by your machine and use those for your leaders and enders...I do this with light and dark squares. They are sewn together bit by bit that way and eventually each to another etc. until you have rows for a scrap quilt.
Here is a short video on leaders and enders, forgive the awful music at the start!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKGU0Edo_0c