toverly

I feel like I should knot and bury but, I don't. I just make small in place stitches when starting and cutting and cut away the ends. All's well so far.

Jingle

I do like selm - Sally above does hers. I always use a sawing type motion with thread next to scissor blades. No chance of cutting fabric that way.

I use a few stitches backward and forward as I donate quilts to foster care kids and want to make sure they are secured.

sewbizgirl

The best way to handle ends with a sit-down longarm is to start and stop stitching off the quilt somewhere... sides or top or bottom margins so the ends will be covered by the binding. Or, failing that, you can learn to "travel" inconspicuously to the next place you need to be, rather than cutting the thread and re-starting.

I never bury threads unless I were hand quilting (rare). I just use my auto thread cutter and trim the threads.

quiltingshorttimer

I do like Feline Fanatic and Selm. About the only time I will knot and bury is if it's a "slick" poly thread on a show quilt.

JENNR8R

It depends on the quilt.

If I'm making a charity or utility quilt, I will do the short stitches without burying the thread ends.

If I think I might enter the quilt in a show, I will tie a knot and bury the thread tails as I go. Leaving the tails until the end to bury always gets in my way.

Watson

I do the same as Feline Fanatic.

Watson

Macybaby

I've gone more to knotting and burying the threads. I keep a larger eye needle on my handlebars so I can do it as I'm working. It's a real drag to be looking the quilt over trying to find all the thread tails later on. If for some reason I don't, I try to put a safety pin near the spot as that is a lot easier to find.

if I can start and stop at a good hiding spot, I'll do that. Often I stitch until I run out of bobbin thread, and then I'll rip back enough stitches to get at a good point and have enough thread to knot and bury. I just hate having a bunch of partial bobbins that I have to carry into the house to rewind to use for piecing. It's not a big deal, just something that bugs me to do.

SallyS

One thing to add when threads are snipped rather than tied: Add a small drop of Fray Block to the snipped threads. I find that it does not leave a mark and doesn't change the hand of the fabric. You could test on scraps. I like it better than Fray Check because of those qualities.

kittiebug

I just take 2 to 3 stitches front and back , not a problem so far ( 13 years )

Snooze2978

I agree with QuiltE, I leave tails at both ends long enough to tie and bury as I go. I used to cut them off as my robotic system will stitch the 1st couple stitches real close before doing the rest of the pattern and again at the end but if the thread breaks you don't have that option. I have small magnets on my machine handle where I keep my small scissors, tweezers and a couple sizes of needles so they're right where I need them at any time to do whatever it is I need them for. Have them up high enough so they don't get in my way if I'm using my handles.