I'm not experenced with the longarm yet. When you finish with an area do you just cut your thread short or do you hide the thread end like hand quilters do?

I do a little stay stitch and hide the thread, but I am a novice. There may be a better answer out there.

I just secure the stitch then cut the thread. I try to keep the thread as continuous as possible. If I am doing a customer quilt and they are paying me for all the bells and whistles then I would bring up the bobbin thread, thread a needle and bury both threads in the batting. Its very time consuming so I reserve it for the really nice stuff.

If the start/stop will show, I will tie a knot and bury the thread. I use a spiral eye needle so it's fairly quick.

If it's in a seam or a busy fabric I will secure and cut the thread.

Thanks for the spiral needle tip.

I usually take a stay stitch and then cut the thread.

I don't like the thick look of going back-and-forth to secure the thread, so I bury my threads using a self-threading needle (John James brand). I haven't used the spiral-eye needles yet, but I would think they would work even better because you don't have to "pop" the thread into the hole, which sometimes causes the thread to break if I'm not careful. I run the thread through a couple of times to make sure it's secure, coming up in different areas and then burying it again.

when starting and stopping i take a few tiny tiny stitches..then after moving along i clip the threads close.

I do the same.

Thank you all! will look for john james and a spirel needle and try them both.