Reloading bobbins and starting again

[Anne from Guam]

When I took my 1st quilt off of the machine, I noticed a lot of thread build up where I would start a new bobbin. How many stitches does it take to secure the thread and still look nice on the back?

And along the same lines, do you switch to a full bobbin every time you do a row of a panto? The last panto I did was Clematis and the pattern is about 13" wide, so one bobbin lasted about 44 inches across the quilt.

[doodlebug]

are you pulling the bobbin beginning tail to the top before restarting stitching?

[Anne from Guam]

Yes, I do pull up the bobbin thread to the top. I hold the tail and do the up down a couple times and then start stitching.

[meg]

i think it was heidi who told me that she knots and buries her thread rather than locking stitches. her work looks so nice maybe thats what you should try next time. altho i have to say that the quilt u just postede looks great to me.

i thought that i would use those sticky paper colored circles that you can get at the dollar store to mark where i start and stop so i can knot and bury after i take the quilt off the frame. this seems like a good thing to do when im sitting at soccer games. i think binding and that will keep me nice and busy all spring and summer!

[Anne from Guam]

Thanks Meg. So to knot and bury threads: Knot the threads and then do you thread the needle with the ends and pull the knot into the quilt? I still think I need to practice stops and starts, I overlap too much I guess. What worries me is loose stitches and unhappy quilt owners!

[meg]

i think so and make sure to use a self threading needle. makes it go much easier.

of course, at the beginning of a row you can use locking stitches cause they wont show under the binding. but i think this is the 'proper' way to handle stops and starts that are not going to be hidden cause they are in the middle of the quilt.

check back later - im sure heidi will clarify this when she sees it and she knows more than i do.

also - i sent u a u2u.

[IQuiltToo]

Check out the U-Tube videos. Dawn C has one.

Marilyn

[meg]

here is a link to a you tube of dawn's about this topic!

[Hollyrw]

Instead of going up and down in the same place, I make about 3 tiny stitches. Sometimes I go back and forth with the tiny stitches to a count of 3 or four. Then I bury the ends of the thread.

[Anne from Guam]

I watched Dawn's video and that part is clear. Thanks Meg!

I'll start trying tiny stitches , because I was leaving my stitch length alone. Thanks Holly, all of you are so helpful.

[Hollyrw]

Anne, I do the tiny stitches with the needle up/down. I don't mess with the stitch length indicator. Just wanted to be clear about that.

[Quilting Heidi]

Meg yes it was I that told you I knot and bury. I bring my bobbin thread up to the top, hold onto bother threads and stitch about 1". I usually knot and bury as I go os that I don't have a lot of thread tails at the end. It only takes seconds and I like that my threads are always secure. I don't have to worry about slippery threads coming undone. When I'm ready to knot and bury I tie a knot using both threads. Use a needle to get the knot down close to the top. Then I use a self threading needle and pull the thread under at least 1". Pull the knot through and while still holding onto the threads I cut right at the quilt. I use the little curved scissors so no worry to cut the quilt.

[witha'K'quilting]

I too knot and bury threads similar to what Heidi described. I knot/bury after only taking a few stitches...and then sink them into the quilt sandwich a good couple of inches.