Securing FMQ Thread Ends
 

Here I am again, looking for more advice. I am practicing FMQ each day. On my practice sandwiches, I bring the bobbin thread up and stitch 3 or 4 stitches in place; if I cut the threads right away, the "knot" often disappears and my needle un-threads, so I sew several stitches along on my design and then cut the threads. When I get to the end of my design, I bring up my bobbin thread and sew a few stitches in place, then cut the thread close to the stitching. Here's my question: if I do this method on my quilt when and if I get skilled enough, are these threads secured enough to withstand years of use and laundering of the quilt, do you think or do you know? If you do not think so, please advise me as to what I should be doing instead. In the past, I have always hand tied the thread ends and buried them, but it is a lot of time-consuming work and I would like to avoid that if I can.

Thank you in advance for your help.

I think what you are doing will secure them enough.

I do pretty much the same thing, but instead of taking 3-4 stitches in the same place, I'll go back and forth and back again - in very small increments, but not in the same place. When I stitch in the same place, my needle doesn't always pick up the bobbin thread and complete the stitch.

There are self threading needles that help with burying needles fast and a device that is new to me that looks like a tiny crochet needle and is sold at connecting threads among other places and is used to bury threads

I've got quilts from 5 years ago(when we first got our quilting machine) an the locking stitches hold up fine. All of our quilts here have held up fine with lots of use and lots of washing. I wouldn't worry about it.

I use itty bitty stitches to get going then clip. I don't bury them. But I'm still new, and my quilts haven't really been time-tested yet!!