When hand quilting, how do you all tie off your thread? Do you knot or not knot?

I knot. It was interesting, at the first Quilt show in Long Beach I ended up with two hand quilting classes by different instructors. One knotted the other didn't.

knot and pull to bury

Same here.

Me too!!!

I don't knot......I bury it in the batting about 2 or more inches from where I begin stitching.....and I finish a line of stitching the same way.

I do now. A long time ago I didn't but Jim gave me a book for Christmas a few years back and it had directions that even I could follow. It shows how to wrap the thread around the needle and when you pull it through, it makes a knot and goes under the fabric. I end all my handquilting like this.

Yep, same here. It was like magic when I found out how to do that :)

Knot and bury in the batting.

Quilters knot and bury it every time.

I do the same way

I had a hard time with creating the knot. Then someone related it to a french knot in embroidery. I hadn't forgotten my grade school embroidery lessons. That made it clear enough for even me.

I make the quilter's knot when starting handquilting and bury it but how do you get the knot at the very end of your stitch when finishing? Boston1954 what is the title of the book?

Oh, here is one of the best tips ever: When you get ready to pop the knot, put your thumbnail on the knot against the fabric. It will pop right in with no stress on the thread.

To do the end knot I take the needle and wrap thread twice around it - like doing a french knot- and then go back through the hole where the thread is coming from and come up about inch away. Then just pop that knot through and clip your thread.
Hope that makes sense.

this is what I do too

Here's my fave method. Right at the beginning of the video.
http://www.sharonschambernetwork.com...oopless/2.html

knot and pull through to the batting. Especially if it is a quilt that you are going to be washing. Tie a know about 1/8 from the last stitch, and then make next stitch, and pull through batting, and out about 1 inch from last stitch and cut. This will save loosing stitches later.

Thanks to everyone who posts the websites. I had no idea there were so many. I especially love the sites with videos.
I am from Ft. Smith, AR and have just recently learned there are several on here from Arkansas. Everyone has been so helpful. Love this site. :D

This is what I do too. Knot and bury.

Kyia

I use a 'quilters knot' at least I think that's what it's called. If you were doing embroidery,it's a french knot; then bury it.
'take the tail, wrap it around the needle 3 or 4 times, then slide it down the length of the thread,' ta da.

I was trained to knot and run the thread a long tail between the batting, no just clip the knot.

I say trained as if by a master, but she was a wonderful quilter had been running a shop for 25 years.

I do as she told me.. lol
Good luck!

ok, talked about the end of stitching, but the beginning, I agree.. was taught.. see other post on "taught"...
hold needle, wrap thread several times around needle and pull. this knots the thread differantly than I have always done..works great ! pull and through the first material and bury in the batting.
good luck !

Yes, I knot and bury.

Thanks for all the information on knotting!! :)

My Mom taught me to tie a knot and bury it between layers

Perfectly! I've been doing it the hard way.....thx!

always knot.

I knot and bury too!

I also knot and bury!

Hi enjoyed the posts and seeing Sharon Schamber's videos. I have been using this method when I machine quilt as I do not like the back up stitch look nor the 3 stitches in the same place. I did this 3 stitches on a stained glass piece I did with black clover bias. The front looked okay since it was black, but the back sure showed the knots on the surface. Now I just leave a long thread tail at each ending place, and when I am done with the piece, I thread the tail thru a needle and do the knot and bury it in the back. It leaves such a clean look.

Thanks everyone for great knot ending methods.

THANK YOU!!! It makes perfect sense!

Me too.

I knot and bury then bring it up a few inches away, usually somewhere I will be quilting over that buried tail.

Now that you know how to knot, do you also know how to keep the thread on the needle???? After threading the needle, take the short end that you just used to thread the needle and put your needle THROUGH the center of the strand of thread about an inch or two away from the end and pull the needle all the way through that thread. (Sometimes it tales a while to get the needle lined up to go through the thread, but it is worth it as you are less apt to lose the needle, or have the thread come out of the needle when you don't want it to.. Then knot the other end of your thread and you are ready to sew. To remove the thread from the needle, pull on the short piece of thread. try it, you might like it. :) :)

Never heard of this but will try it...do loose that thread sometimes.....

LindaR, I think you'll like it. I hate for a needle to come unthreaded when I'm sewing, and this saves me from aggravation alot of the time. Sometimes the thread will come out of the needle, but that's when I just get the needle in the side of the thread and not in far enough in the middle of the thread to hold. It helps me keep from losing needles in my pin cushion too, as the thread usually keeps the needle from going in too far and is easier to pull out with the pulling on both threads.
Another tip I like is to go to some place like Auto Zone and get one of their telescoping magnets. I get one of those little ones that guys can carry in their pocket. It's handy if you loose a needle (have done that), drop your scissors or seam ripper, or to pick up pins off the floor (mine drop all the time). It is small but mighty and cost about $3.00. I've seen them lately at Joann's, but there they are about $10.00.

I have 2 bingo wands that work really well...one by my chair and one by sewing machine...thanks for the tip

Any way you could give a tutorial on this technique? It sounds wonderful!

I tried this last night and couldn't get the needle thru the thread, I tried really hard. I'm using YLI quilting thread which is quite "wireie" and not very thick...bought it years ago at a quilt show. I will definitely try if I use another thread. thanks a gain