Is this not done anymore? When I took home ec, they taught us when starting and ending a sew line, to back stitch to secure it. Meaning you go forward 4-5 stitches, go back, and then go forward again and finish your sewing. Then repeat at the end.

I was watching some quilting shows tonite, and they did not do that. Was that just for the show, in order to move it along faster, or do people not back stitch anymore? If it's not done anymore, how are the stitches secured so that they do not unravel?

I always backstitch when making clothes.
Is that the sort of show it was...clothing?
If I'm machine sewing binding, I have a locking stitch I use

For quilting you don't backstitch, because it would be too difficult to do it so often, instead you sew with a much smaller stitch, that is less likely to unravell. All of your quilting seams are joined into other seams, and so in the end, they are not able to unravel...clear as mud? :)

There are places where I backstitch, most often at the ends of seams where I join the rows of blocks (the outside edges of the quilt top before adding the borders.) And I almost always backstitch when I add borders. I don't backstitch while piecing blocks.

Thanks! Your explanations to make it clear.

No wonder I am so slow - I backstitch everything. Makes it harder to rip out too.

Oh! I always back stitch too! Your guys explaination makes sense! Thanks for the information. :-) What size stitch do you guys use? Thanks for the tip!

i like to backstitch everything too.

finally an answer. after googling for an hour I used the search here . I am a newbie to quilting and have been having trouble with my piecing coming apart I have sewn for years and always backstitched in clothing seams etc. but in quilting I had heard or read to strip piece you don't backstitch. Ok so I will try a smaller stitch. or I will backstitch.

I too only backstitch on block rows or borders. Mostly because I chain piece the block pieces and backstitching wouldn't work there.