BJBohlar

Getting ready to free motion quilt my border. My question is will staying in the same spot for a stitch of two, or moving slowly over the beginning stitching, secure the ends? Thanks is advance for your help.

the casual quilter

I leave a longish tail on the top thread and bring the bottom thread up. Then I knot the threads and bury the ends. You can also take a couple of tiny stitches to secure it at the beginning and the end

QuiltnNan

depending on the quilt... if it is a very special quilt, i will knot and bury the ends. if it is more of a utility quilt, i'll make tiny stitches.

amandasgramma

To answer your question -- yes, that will secure the thread. However, it will give you a darker spot in the quilting design or a 'bunch" of thread. I always bring my bottom thread up, hold it tight, start quilting, then tie off and bury the threads after I've finished. It just seems to look a lot better.

LyndaOH

I also leave tails and then bury. With a self-threading needle it doesn't take that long and looks way better.

carolaug

You can also start your quilting on the edge of you quilt in the batting, you will end up binding right over that spot.

snipforfun

I always try to stop and start right outside the edge. If I cant do that I start out with a tiny stitch for about 1/4" then switch to a normal size stitch. Do the reverse when stopping.

luvspaper

I tend to just secure by putting a few stitches in the same place. My domestic machine (which was touted as a 'quilting' sewing machine) has a locking stitch that basically did the same thing at the end, so I got used to doing so.

So far, I have had no issues with any seams coming undone. But I am also not quilting for shows.

snipforfun

I think the question referred to stopping and starting with FMQ, not seams??

BJBohlar

Yep, your right. I'm doing some FMQ on my wall hanging around the border, little heart motifs. Just wanted to check the best way to keep the stitching of each heart secure.