Thread tails
 

I'm writing to ask a question of those whose sewing machines have tie-off and thread snip options. My Pfaff 5.0 has both. Currently I'm working on appliqueing pieces to a quilt top using a tiny zigzag stitch (1.5 wide, 1.5-2.0 long depending upon size of piece). I'm using dark threads as the applique pieces are dark but the background is light, The thread snip feature on my machine leaves tails about an 1" long. I don't want the tails to shadow through the background fabric but I also don't want to trim them too short so that the tie-off comes undone.

When you use this feature do you trim the thread tails or leave them as is? If you trim them, how long do you leave the tails? Or do you trim down to the knot?

Thanks in advance for your time and attention to my questions.
https://ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/...s/cleardot.gif

I just got a Pfaff 4.2 with the same feature but haven't done much with it yet, so I'm interested in any responses, too. So are you using the tie-off feature with the thread snip option? And if so, doesn't the tie-off part act as a "knot" also? I do like to do machine applique so hopefully it does.

I have the Pfaff 4.0. I use the tie-off feature followed by the thread snip feature and then trim my tails to the knot.
I have not had any problems with the thread coming undone.

Yes, I'm using the tie-off feature in conjunction with the thread snip option. The tie-off does look like a quilter's knot but is not pulled as tight as a knot made by hand. At least my machine isn't pulling them that tight. That is why I was concerned about trimming the tails so short the knot would come undone. Perhaps they are tighter than they look as Elise hasn't had any problems with them coming undone.

You might want to try those self-threading needles, the ones with the slot on the top.
Put your needle in (without any thread in it) right at the base of the thread to be tied off, make it come out more than an inch away (without going all the way through the quilt and showing on the other side). Then snap the short thread into the needle eye and pull it through. The thread will go into the quilt and not be long enough to come out the other end.

Sew yourself a sampler with a variety of knot options, and throw it into your regular laundry over and over and over again, to see how it wears. If it makes it through a couple month's worth of regular laundering I think that's a good sign it's a reliable knot. :)

I took a class where they had us use fabric glue to glue the thread tails to the back of the appliqué. So far, they have stayed in place through several washings. I was afraid after washing that the tails would move around and be visible in the light background sections, but so far that hasn't happened.

Thank you all for your advice. I will try each of them soon.

What name brand fabric glue did they recommend?