securing broken threads

[donnavans]

I am new to long arm quilting. When a thread breaks or gets caught so that there is not tail? How do you secure the end of the thread so the stitches do not come out?

[dixieqwv]

I frog back enough so that I can bring up the bobbin thread and tie off, then bury the threads.

[Darlene Epp]

Hi Donna,

Carefully pick the stitches back to a point and bury the ends. Taking off from a point is much easier than trying to start your stitching in the middle of a curve.

When I bring my bobbin thread to the top, I pull both the top and bobbin threads off to the side and secure them with low tack masking tape. Then when I'm finished the row, I remove the tape and bury the threads. Your stop & start will be invisible as no backtacking is needed.

Hope that helps and WELCOME to the wonderful world of longarming!

[donnavans]

Thanks for the responses. I appreciate the help. Always more to learn. But isn't that the fun.

[quiltermidwife]

Ditto, I do the same.

[dancing bear]

on crapola, silly question coming ... wait for it ...

what is 'bury the threads' or how do you 'bury the threads'? i know tie off, i know bring to top/back ... but this 'bury the threads' has me perplexed.

altitude, pose, and bow ... been dancing the evening away with Max the New Toy ... ah, sweet bliss!

[Sue E.]

what is 'bury the threads' or how do you 'bury the threads'? i know tie off, i know bring to top/back ... but this 'bury the threads' has me perplexed.

What I do is after I bring the bobbin thread to the top, I tie the top and bobbin thread together with a small knot. I then take that thread with the knot and bury it in the quilt sandwich between the layers (I like to use a self threading needle to do this). I tug on the thread gently until I hear a "pop" when the knot gets buried under the fabric. I then know that the ends are secure.

[dancing bear]

thank you. did not think it was an easy thing to do ... what with the extra needle ... but it is probably necessary. i am learning learning learning!

[yankiequilter]

It really is easy and makes for neater starts and stops. I worked in the judging room at my guild's quilt show last month and listened to the NQA certified judge comment on the messy starts and stops on some quilts, as well as the thread buildup that can occur when they are overstitched rather than knot and bury or neatly done like Dawn taught us at our APQS classes last week. It takes a bit of time but is well worth the effort.

[quiltermidwife]

I try to do it as I go along as it becomes a very long and tedious job when left until the end, especially on a larger quilt. Also theread ends do not get tangled.

[Primitive1]

I like your tape idea Darlene, it keeps the tails from being stitched over as well as easy to find when you go back to bury threads, you are less likely to miss some. I too have heard people complain about messy starts and stops when there is thread build up and I think it takes a little extra work to bury the threads but looks so much better!

[quiltlover03]

I bury as I go along as well, takes just a moment and I don`t have to worry about missing some ends or running over threads when I go back and forth on a panto. I also undo back to a point, knot and bury.

[Lib]

I do the same as Darlene. I find it the neatest.

Lib

[donnavans]

Thanks so much for sharing all of this. I keep learning more and more. It's good to be part of this forum. I am relaxed more about trying new things. Thanks ladies.

[tootsquilts]

I ran across this video from Sharon Schamber about tying and hiding the knots.

Hope this might help. here is the link:

[quiltmonkey]

When I first got my longarm, I started the habit of tieing off and burying my threads as I went along. it's a good habit to get into and doesn't take that much time. I use a self-threading needle, too, but sometimes I use a needle with a large eye.

If my thread breaks, or I run out of bobbin, I do exactly like Darlene Epp suggests... I use a dental hook tool to pull up my threads to a point (or a seam line) and then I knot, bury) and start again. The starts/stops are nearly invisible and you cannot tell. The transition looks very nice and clean.