do you trim your threads as you sew a seam. it takes a little time getting used to doing this but helps in the end of the finished project. it seems to get rid of most of the loose threads.

Junie

I don't have any extra sewing thread when I do it because this neighbor of mine showed me a hint & that was to fold a piece of material & when you come to the end of a sewm to sew onto that piece & than you just cut right at the end & when you start again you don't hve to worry about your thread coming out of your needle. The thread that i ws taling about is what come off of the material.

Hmmm. Your fabric shouldn't loose too many threads around the outside. Starching the fabric before piecing may help with this problem. Are you fondling your fabrics a lot? Okay, handling the fabrics and roughing up the edge? I can picture some of you laughing at my use of 'fondling.' If you buy fabric from WalMart or other discount places, their fabrics will unravel more than fabrics from an LQS. If it really unravels but you want to use it, fray check around the outer part of the block and once dry it won't unravel at all.

what do you mean by fray check?

I use the little piece of fabric trick too...(I call it a thread saver)...but for the others...I pick them off and use a piece of wide masking tape wrapped around my hand and I tap..tap...tap..picking straight up..not rubbing.

I use packing tape. It's all I have in the house :mrgreen:

Just as a BTW lint rollers are also good for removing those little bits of thread that are left in the fabric after you've used your seam ripper.

Use caution with fray check. Once I got some on my border and I had trouble lifting it off. It is great for stopping fabric from fraying.

I was told that threads everywhere were the sign of a great quilter!

I wash mine and dry each quilt as I finish sewing on the binding. I then lay it out on my glass topped dining room table to make sure it is completely dry and I run a lint roller on it to make sure all lose threads are removed. I put it in a plastic bag and give it to the receiver or in my storage closet. I cut any ravelings off as I quilt. Works great for me.