ghostrider

Dingle, how do you manage to make mitered corners on your bindings without sewing in reverse? If you can do that, you can backstitch.

BellaBoo

Nex time start with a very very short stitch for the first few stitches and end the same way, then you can cut the threads. One thing to be very sure of is not cut the quilt when snipping the threads. It happens more often then you think and usually to me. :lol:

MadQuilter

I backstitch and cut the threads. Never had anything unravel. If possible, I run the stitch off the edge and capture it with the binding.

quilt addict

Love those walking feet! I start and pull my bobbin thread to the top. Then set my stitch length to zero, stitch a couple of times and then change to the stitch length I want to sew and proceed. That should lock you threads and you can clip them.

I have snipped my top toooo. :(

Shelley

For those of you who like to bury the tails, take a look at this needle:

http://www.spiraleyeneedles.com/

I have purchased them, and I love them! They are easier on your fingers. I know they are expensive, so I am pretty protective, I'm still using my first one and I've had it close to a year. I made a small pin cushion using a pop cap, and that sits on the handlebars of my longarm. They are easy to thread. I also used the needle to snag a red thread that was showing through white fabric: I slipped the needle in just under the thread, and caught it in the hook.

Since they are so unusual, I also bought extras, for secret stitcher exchanges.

Jerrie

cut them and when you do the binding it will catch then that is what i do an i have not had any problem

Prism99

To avoid this problem, I start in the middle of an edge (say, the middle of the top edge) and sew all the way to the other edge. The second line of sewing is from the middle of a side edge all the way across to the other side edge. When using a walking foot and quilting straight lines, I don't think I would ever start every line smack dab in the middle of the quilt. Hiding all those thread ends would drive me crazy!

Dingle

Being a newbie and reading this board other posters said to start in the middle and work your way out to the edge. This is suppose to help with the shifting of the sandwich. Does doing it your way not really make a difference?

Thanks

Prism99

I mentioned this technique in the original thread here (no pun intended!).

Of course, it is always desirable to start quilting in the middle so any excess fabric is pushed to the edge. However, when quilting straight lines that go from one edge to another, it shouldn't matter as long as (1) you have a stable quilt sandwich (2) that your machine feeds evenly.

In my case, I use cotton batting, spray baste with a few pins around the outside edges, and I use a Bernina walking foot with my Bernina machine. This combination feeds very evenly for me.

This method of quilting using a walking foot from one side of the quilt to the other has been around for at least 20 years; I remember reading in Quilter's Newsletter Magazine about the man who pioneered it when machine quilting was still very new. The key is to have a stable quilt sandwich and a walking foot that really does feed the fabric evenly.

kathy

I like those much better than the ones I have, the eye is split at the top and if you have to pull very hard to get it through the fabric the thread pulls back out, I think I'll try these.