bury knots or backstitch?
 

When you machine quilt, do you knot your threads and bury the knot or do you discreetly take a couple of stitches in place (or backstitch) to lock your stitching in place?

I do both - what the quilt is for determines which one I do.

I back stitch.

I backstitch everything.

This is what I do too.

I knot and bury all my threads unless they are finished into the very edge of the quilt. Like I am putting a sash on a quilt and I start at the top of the sash quilting and when I get to the end, I back stitch otherwise on the rest on the body of the quilt when I am quilting.

Back stitch or start with very small stitches.

Hand stitching I bury, machine, I backstitch.

I backstitch. I often make it into a series of circles. I only FMQ so it fits in.

I usually knot off and bury. It's a habit from when I hand quilted.

I take several stitches in place and snip. I used to bury but no longer when I observed great teachers of FMQ stating they just stitched in place to end.

I start and end with about 5 tiny stitches and trim the thread.

I do both, but mostly knot then bury the ends~~

Knot and bury.

If I may ask, for those that knot and bury, are you pulling up the bobbin thread then knotting the two together to bury or knotting them separately on the front and back? I usually pull them to the back and knot and bury together. Does that sound right?

Personally I have done both knot & bury and taking tiny tiny stitches, but sometimes I don't like the looks of the tiny stitches. I'm not very good a machines quilting yet though either.

I take a few tiny stitches and cut of the treads.

I knot and bury. It doesn't take that much time.

If for a show I would definitely knot and thread through usually on the back. If for me just a few tiny stitches or backwards stitch for a few then forwards.

I backstitch. It would take too much time to bury the thread ends and I don't want to use my time doing that. No one cares anyway unless it's down to two quilts for the top prize! LOL

I do some of each. It depends on what the quilt is going to be used for but also on how the back is looking. Mostly I just take a few tiny stitches and then snip. I think that taking tiny stitches/backstitching may be a little more sturdy for a quilt that is going to be used a lot and machine washed etc. But I have also done a fair amount of knotting and burying. When I knot and bury I bring both threads to the front, tie a tiny knot and then bury. It's easier for me to do it from the front and I really can't see any difference between ones that I've done that way and ones where I've taken the threads to the back and then knotted and buried.

When I do the tiny stitches/backstitch/snip thing I always bring the bobbin thread to the surface so I can snip both threads at the same time.

What I generally DON'T do for quilts where the back will be visible is backstitch or take tiny stitches and then use the cutting function on my machines. I have two machines that will pull the threads to the back,cut the thread and tie off, but both of them leave some visible thread that is hard to get rid of and I don't like. This doesn't apply to pieces that I mount on board or stretchers so the back will never be seen--those I'll happily use the thread cutting function on my machines.

Rob

I back stitch very tiny and make sure it is in a place that won't show.

I prefer to knot and bury. I pull the bobbin thread to the front (could just as easily pull top thread to the back); I'll usually knot the threads together after a bobbin change, as they both come up in the same place. When knotting after the bobbin has run out, I knot and bury those separately, since there is a space between them (if that makes sense).

I knot and bury, front and back threads, separately. I don't like the look of securing stitches on my Bernina.

I used to backstitch or use the stitch in place key on my Janome but after taking a FMQ class with Leah Day last spring, I have purchased special needles (with a slit) for easy threading and then burying my threads. It also depends on where I start and stop my quilting design. If I can start from the edge and work my way into the middle then I will stitch where I know my binding will cover my start/stop.

I like to tie knots and bury them using a needle with a big eye so it is easy to thread.

I pull the bobbin thread to the top, take a few very small stitches is basically the same place and then clip both threads very close.

I do the same. My backstitches seem too heavy.

I'm with Tessagin: bury knots in handquilting and backstitch when machine quilting.

I either back stitch, or take several stitches in one place, usually by turning the stitch length down to almost nothing.

Depends... on the Bernina I back stitch and trim close. On the long arm I stitch in place, cut long and bury long both back and front with an easy thread needle. Knots? No thanks.
tim in san jose

I've done it all on the quilt I'm quilting now.
When I finish, I'm going to wash it to see how all method hold up. This way I'll be able to choose which is best for future quilts. Sorry, I'm not helpful.

Same here.

Pull the bobbin thread and spool thread to the same side, knot the two and then bury the ends with a big eye needle. Many would find this tedious but I find it relaxing and I like the look.

Me, too. I just cannot face knotting and burying all those threads.

That said, my quilts are just...well, quilts I make. I've given a few and will make and give others. But they aren't show quilts; I don't enter them anywhere and never will, I'm sure. My quiltmaking is mainly something I do as a hobby, as therapy sometimes (when I get broody or anxious), and because I've always sewed, have the time, and can.

I also knot and bury. It's how I "learned" at my first class, and just the way I'm comfortable doing it.

This has been an interesting question, and I have enjoyed reading the responses.

Thanks everyone.

This is what I do too.

Dina

If I am starting where the binding will hide my start, I'll go back and forth, otherwise I always tie and bury my knots. Using a self-threading needle makes it so very simple! When I first got my longarm, I was taught to take little stitches or go back and forth, but I found that it looked crappy to me and it came apart. Tying is very quick and much more permanent for me - I have to pull really hard to remove the knot when I have to remove the stitches!

Backstitch