Starting and Ending FMQ
 

What's your opinion on tying and burying the start and end threads when you FMQ versus trying to start and stop with small stitches? I'm not liking the buildup of the small stitches. Is there another approach to this issue?

I do a back and forth stitch 2 or 3 times then I bury my threads tails. When I run out of bobbin I remove a few stitches so I can tie the thread and bury. I like to bury the thread when I can.

it depends of the purpose of the quilt--if I'm doing a show quilt I'll bury the thread ends. But if it's not intended for that I'll do a few tiny stitches to "knot" it--which took me a lot of practice to get where it wasn't a lot of thread build up.

Aha. It's going to take me a while to be able to avoid the ending "lump". I think I'll bury the thread ends on this quilt.

I like to bury my threads after I'm done quilting. I also use an easy thread needle.

I almost always bury my ends. When I'm in a rush, I will thread a loop of polyester thread through a needle (put both ends through the eye) & use that to pull the knot through to the back & inside. Most of the time it goes faster. Sometimes the poly thread snaps in half. Sometimes it out-competes the knot and breaks my knot, though, which means I'm having to unsew a bit and re-do that section; so when I can, I prefer to bury the old fashioned way.

Most of the time I bury them as I go. It doesn't take long and it prevents having those pesky tails to avoid while quilting. I pull the bobbin thread to the top, knot and then bury. I do this for my larger wall hanging quilts and also for ones that will be used as quilts. If I think the quilt will get heavy use and lots of laundering, then I take tiny stitches at beginning and end, but still knot and bury both starting and ending tails.

For my smaller art quilts that are mounted on panel, I take tiny stitches to start and also tiny stitches to end, then use the automatic thread cutter on my machine. These quilts are glued to the panel, so the back is not visible, and the glueing prevents the unburied threads on the back from coming loose.

Rob

By easy thread needle - do you mean the needle that has the slot at the top and you just snap the thread into it? I do own one of those and it would speed things up a bit....

This is the way I do it too. I don't trust NOT tying the threads. I'm afraid it will work loose, even after burying the threads.

That's exactly the same way I do it...

This is how I do it for FMQ and walking foot quilting. I like doing it as I go along so it doesn't seem so overwhelming and the thread ends don't get too tangled. Good end of the day in front of the tv activity.

Yes, the easy thread needle has a slot at the top. I have it nearby on a little mat with batting on it. This way, the threads are buried as I go along.

I like to do the small stitches technique but I have just started at the edge and worked my way to the middle then out again. I always trim my quilt after quilting anyway.

Tartan thank-you for your reply that was very helpful. Pudge, I too struggle with this so glad you posted the question.

I just do a couple of stitches back and forth and go on. The same at the end and after changing bobbins. I don't bury the threads. It works well for me. I either keep or give away my quilts, no one has complained yet.