How do you start and stop your stitch line?

[Mo]

I have my new machine and I was wondering how everyone likes to start and stop a line of stitches. I know there are different ways, but I would like to hear some of them. I am not happy with how mine are looking. I am also not convinced my starting stitches won't come out! Anyone willing to offer advice?

[Merry]

Hi there,

You know what they say about free advice but here goes:-) I start and quilt a short way then stop and 'pop' the bobbin thread thru to the top by gently yanking on the top thread then I knot them and bury threads later. Takes a little practice to get that bobbin thread to pop up thru. There is probably a much easier way so am going to be reading this thread looking for it as the last custom quilt was probably a hundred+ stops and starts. On that one where I could 'drag' the thread from block to block I went back after a row or so and did them all. Gave me a break to sit down. I've seen others who use a stitch regulator just go back and forth a couple of stitches at the beginning and the end.

Mary & Big Girl

[LynnQuilts]

I am by no means an expert, but this is what I do. When starting, I pull the bobbin thread to the top...where you want to start stitching, rotate your needle down into the quilt, holding your top thread taut, then bring the needle back up to the top. It will bring the loop of bobbin thread with it. Pull it out, move the machine back in place, where you took that stitch, hold both threads, or wrap them around a pin and pin out of the way. You can start out with a few tiny stitches, or you can carefully go back and forth a few stitches. I then go snip the tails off, some people bury them into the quilt. When stopping, I take a few small stitches, or go back and forth a few stitches, then push the machine away from where I've stopped a little bit, then move it back into place, lower the needle and pull up the bobbin thread as I did at the beginning and snip those threads. Sometimes when I need to go from one place to another and it's close enough, I backtrack over stitching, or sometimes just move the machine and clip the threads later. I'm sure there are more ways to do this, but this is what I do. Also, it just takes practice; the more you do, the better it gets !

[bstucker]

Well, I'm no expert on this either, but this is how I do it. If I'm starting a panto, I begin by bringing the bobbin thread to the top, and holding both threads, I take tiny stitches back and forth with the one stitch button and snug each one with the two threads until there isn't any slack with the next stitch. Shannon Hicks also showed us her way of doing it by also holding both top and bottom thread and using them to *slightly* move the fabric back and forth as you take a single stitch. If I'm using a stencil and will come back to the same stitching line, I will take two stitches forward and one back, secure the threads with some tape (out of the way) and stitch back over those stitches as the pattern is completed and then tie a square knot and bury my thread. Sometimes this turns out nearly invisible if the thread matches the background fabric. Boy, this is hard to describe!:o:o:o

[Merry]

Sigh.................... if there is any thing I would like to add to my sweet old Ult II it would be the 'one stitch' feature. My hands sure get tight and tired manually turning the wheel to start, do single stitches, bring up the bobbin thread, etc. You guys make it sound so easy to do:-)

Mary and Big Girl