Best results to start and end threads on quilting projects?
 

Hi, I am fairly new to quilting and have purchased a used hq sweet 16. A I am working through the various stages of practicing, I was wondering what you think is the best method to stopping and starting threads. I guess I am asking if you bury ends, just do a couple of short stitches at beginning and end or use another method? Any info would be appreciated! Thanks so much!

For me, my choice is to leave threads so I can tie off and bury the thread ends,
both at the beginning of stitching and at the end.

To me, doing a few stitches and snipping off, just seems too dangerous, asking for it to unravel later.
Besides, I do not like seeing a lot of extra stitches, preferring nice clean stitch lines.

As I say, these are my preferences ... find what works for you and what your preferences are.

I feel this is personal preference. I have done both but my preferred method is to, inconspicuously as possible, take several small back and forth stitches to lock the thread ends in place, bring my bobbin thread to the surface, take a good tug to ensure they are locked and then cut even with the quilt top. I do it as inconspicuously as possible to try and do starts and stops in the ditch, on the edge where it will be hidden by the binding, or in an area that already has a lot of thread build up such as a back track or place where the quilting has crossed over itself a few times. If this isn't possible then I knot and bury. I should also mention some threads are much more slippery than others so sometimes I have no choice but to knot and bury as the slippery poly threads just won't lock by tiny stitching.

People who do show quilts for big national shows knot and bury but I have entered a few biggies (MQX, Houston and Road to California) and did not knot and bury and still got high scores on my starts and stops (which means the judges could not easily tell where I ended or started a new line of quilting). If you get spiral eye needles it is fairly easy to knot and bury as you go with those, as long as you leave yourself long enough tails.

Many years ago, I took a class with Karen McTavish and she said she never knots and buries and has won a lot of ribbons on her quilts. She hides her starts and stops like I describe above.

I prefer the clean look of tying off the ends and burying them. Although lately I’ve just been tying them off and not burying them if it’s a wallhanging.

I was taught to knot and bury in one of my beginning FMQ classes (with Leah Day) but if I am doing edge to edge and can start/end in the edges where it will be covered by binding, then I just back tack to secure the thread.

I tool a machine quilting class with Libby Lehman a long time ago. She said she took two stitches in place at the beginning and end and then snipped the threads as close a possible. Her quilts are in museums and won many ribbons so this way is passable by judges. https://quiltmuseum.org/lehman/

I knot and bury, being used to that method in hand quilting. When I get more confident in using my machine, maybe I will try the other way.

I knot and bury, probably because it is a habit now, and since I am never in a hurry and quilt for my own pleasure, have no hand, wrist, issues, etc. I don't mind the extra time. For me, it feels satisfying to do this step.

feline fanatic has and excellent description of how to do it. I will add that if the thread runs out in the middle of the quilt, you can "splice" the thread this way: Start your new thread several stitches back on the line of stitching(no more than 3-4 stitches). bring bobbin thread to the top and lay to one side. Stitch over the old line and beyond several stitches(or finish your row) then go back and snip the tails of threads. Important - I always use small, curved scissors and Don't cut with the scissors. Instead slice the thread with the v where the scissor blades meet. This is like using a razor and keeps you from cutting a hole in the fabric which can happen if you use a cutting motion with the blades. Sometimes you may have a tiny stump of thread after trimming. This usually sinks into the quilt with time and washing.
Also, if you are doing a pantograph, be sure to take any tails and lay out of the way of the upcoming pattern. You can take out tails if caught in the pattern stitches but it can be difficult if they get caught in the new stitches. Sometimes I deliberately make sure the tails are quite long so I can lay then aside and wrap around a pin to hold in place until I pass that section.