Is this a good habit or a bad habit?
 

Ok.. I'm serious...but I just don't trust my knots. After I pull the knot inside the batting and bring the needle up several threads away, I've been going back into the batting just one thread over and bringing the thread through another direction and THEN trimming it. Sigh... I know... I should trust my knots, but I have a terrible time getting the knot close to the quilt. Sometimes it's more than 1/2" away! Have I created a monster habit? What should I do? I promise I will listen to you!

Try taking the first quilting stitch as a backstitch; that helps when you are talking about a starting knot. When ending a thread, I try to run an extra inch or so of thread through a seam allowance, so I guess bringing the thread through another direction is about the same thing. Relax and keep quilting -- you're wasting more time worrying about it than it deserves!

I am like you, running 1....I don't trust my knots. I do as quilting cat does...take the backstitch and run an extra bit through at the end. It's something I've always done when hand quilting.

there is a reason they say " an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" and "better safe than sorry"
I think it's a worth while habit but don't stress if you forget to do it sometimes.

I pop the knot in the quilt batting and then pull the thread tight and snip. The ends goes out of sight. To get the knot to pop into the batting easy, hold the knot in place with your thumbnail. Pull the thread and the knot will pop right in place. This is the way I start and stop the thread. I snip the starting thread close to the knot so no tails will be showing.

I think it is better to be safe than sorry. I am not good with making knots either.

I guess I'm less trusting than you are. I tend to make knots along the way (all the way around) when I'm binding my quilts. HA . I agree with others ... "better safe than sorry".

Ditto on all points. What ever works for that project.

I do the same thing you do.

I do the same, running1. I don't trust one lonely knot! If it popped in, it can pop out!