how do you experienced machine quilters begin and end your machine quilting when using polyester thread? It is beautiful but very slippery. Do you back stitch or stitch in place to anchor and avoid unraveling?

Well, my embroidery designs all just do a couple of stitches in place, then the thread is cut. I would do the same when starting/stopping a line of quilting.

I'm pretty lazy when it comes to starting and stopping in FMQ. :)

I put about 1/4" of stitches close together in one direction, clip the loose ends of the threads next to the fabric, then trace back over the stitching again close together, then I take off in whatever direction the design calls for.

After I finish a quilt, I wash it and dry it and inspect it for loose threads and thread ends that need clipping.

I used to bring up the bobbin thread, tie a double square knot, then thread the loose ends and bury them in the quilt. If you're quilting for show, that's going to be the neatest way to do it.

But, you can't see where my stitching stops and starts after I wash the quilt, the quilting stays firm and doesn't unravel and that's all that matters for my purposes. :)

I am so glad I read this thread - I bring the bobbin thread up and then just do a few stitches at lenght = 0. Now I know how to time them and "bury" them!

i always bring the bobbin thread to the top- but then i take a few tiny stitches- clip the thread- reverse direction and go over them again and take off just like polyparrot does. works well for me.

Thanks for the help. I never machine quilted with this type of thread before. I had alway used cotton. I is beautiful but tricky.