lindaschipper

I have found that if I don't back stitch even the tiniest bit that when I go to put the blocks together, sometimes there is the smallest of tugs on the fabric trying to get the seams to nest.....and it's these area's that open up. Would rather take the time and small amount of thread to back stitch than to have the quilt come apart in the future.

maviskw

About sixty years ago I watch "George" in a sewing show on TV. He showed us how to secure the first and last stitches with a treadle.
When you start the seam, sew about two stitches. Stop and pull the fabric back to the end and sew to the other end.
When you get to the edge of the fabric, stop and pull the fabric back just a little to give you some loose thread. Then pull the fabric back and sew about two stitches to the end again.

Sometimes I do this with my modern machines, too. Some automatic back-stitches go back five stitches. That's way to much.

maviskw

Another thing I do sometimes is hold on to the fabric at the first stitch and don't let the feed dogs pull it forward. I let another stitch or two go almost in the same hole. I've never done this at the end of a seam but I think I should do that there, too. I do get seams that stretch open sometimes when matching nesting seams.