I just use my usual needles to bury threads.. in the hospital setting we call the split eye needles "French eyes" and I've never cared for them either place. and No, I don't use a thimble.. never got the hang and it's just something else to keep track of.

I always back stitch so I just cut the threads. Otherwise you need to knot them and bury them in the quilt.

I broke one doing a backstitch....expensive lesson :D

usually you drop your needle and bring it back up ,which brings the bobbin thread to the top. then you take small stiches, then trim the threads. then quilt. same when you stop.

Lots of great tips here, thank you :D :D :D

Usually, when I am quilting, I loosen my tension to go through all those layers, and then, I lengthen my stitches to keep the tension good (walking foot) .... If, when you begin sewing, you hold your quilt for a few stitches, the machine will create its own knot OR you can tighten down the length of stitches for two or three stitches, and then lengthen them back up so that your quilt isn't crimped in your stitching.
THis is the way factories do it all of the time. and we don't cut the threads and bury them (factories don't have time <g>), however ... if you are going to use a hand needle to bury your tails? Be sure that you create a knot in your thread before pulling it down into the batting ...you accomplish this (I haven't read everything everyone else wrote, and if I am repeating myself, I apologize, but here we go!)
To create a knot for the inside of your quilt, hold the thread coming from the quilt in one hand, put the needle, in your other hand, pointing toward you ... okay ... I am left handed ... this is how it goes. I have the thread from the quilt in my right hand
I put the needle in my left hand, point the needle toward my right hand, put the needle close to the quilt and using my right hand, wrap the needle three times with the thread from quilt, as close as I can get it, but I am not going to actually worry where the knot comes out, since the next thing I am going to do is hold the wraps with my right hand, while I pull the needle completely through them with my left hand.
when the little knots are all together, almost like a french knot, I point the needle down two threads away from where my last stitch ended, slip the needle into my quilt, most specifically attempting to get it into the batting ...
then, I am going to judge how far my knot is from the quilt and make sure my needle comes out at a farther distance than that knot/quilt distance ... start pulling your needle up to the surface, paying attention to where the knot is going ... it may slide into your quilt sandwich. If it doesn't, a slight tug or two will pull the knot through your fabric (no big hole), and the knot become entangled into the batting ... and VIOLA!
You have just completed one of the basic acheivements of hand quilting, which reminds me of Alex Anderson since she is where I learned this from, and which may have links that might help you understand what I just said ...
If I were reading this, I don't know if I could figure it out, <g> <sigh> but, maybe with a little research of handsewing links you will find pictures of what I tried to explain.
It really is a good thing to know how to do, even if we don't do it in the factory, eh? LOL

You don't have to start your SITD in the center. Your quilt should be pinned well enough you can start anywhere. That being said, you can start at one edge and sew to the other. That way, the ends of your seam will be caught in the binding. If you do need to start in the center part of the quilt, take abut 1/4" of T-I-N-Y stitches - as small as you can get without being "0". If you've ever tried to pick out those kind of stitches you know they aren't coming out! That way you don't build up thread like you would if you backstitch.

Shelley, I am the inventor of the Spiral Eye Needle. Thank you for such a great referral to my product and website.

Well folks, being new to this, when someone said to bury the threads and how to do it thats what I did. Did not see the part where it said (early in the post) to knot the threads first. So, all I did was bury the threads. Now I'm thinking I better not "ever" wash this thing or it will come apart. Since this is my first quilt I guess you just live and learn. :(

If you don't want to backstitch, set your stitch length to 0 or 0.5 and take several stitches on top of each other as you start. THen set your stitch length to what it should be, sew a little, and trim those tails to and bottom. No needle threading or burying needed!