what am i supposed to do with the thread tails?
 

i backtack to secure threads while machine quilting. i think i am supposed to be doing something else.

what is it?

aileen

bury the tails in the batting

if they are secure you can simply cut them. Some people bury them using a self threading needle like the spiral eye needle.

http://www.spiraleyeneedles.com/

i am supposed to take each thread and run it under like you do when hand quilting? gah! that would take forever with all of the stops and starts!

maybe i'll just stick with backtacking...

aileen

You did ask - - -

Some people will set the stitch length to zero or almost zero for about half an inch and then just cut the threads close to the fabric.

Whatever works for you - - -

Whether I'm free motion quilting or using the walking foot....I really don't have the time or inclination to go back, rethread a needle and bury the end of the thread in the batting. What I do is at the start and end, I bring the needle up and down 3 or 4 times to tack the end and then I just cut off the end. I don't make heirloom quilts or ones that are going to major quilt shows so don't know if a buried thread is what the judges look for, but it works for me and no one ever told me that my quilting unraveled.

I backtack and then snip close with my little curved pair of scissors. Burying the threads does look a little bit neater (I think), so for the one (and so far only) quilt I made specifically to be entered into a fair I did go through the extra effort to bury the threads. But most of the time I just snip. So far no problems with anything coming loose, and a couple of my quilts have been machine washed on a monthly basis.

mine haven't raveled either, except where i was first starting out and some of the stitches were way too long. they ripped and pulled, but that quilt was for me so i can fix it or live with it.

i knew there was going to be a labour intense answer. now that i have it i think i'll try the small stitch idea or just continue as i have been doing...

i can change it if i decide to enter my quilts at some point in the future.

aileen

thanks for the link, tartan. i may try that.