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Tie off the Stops and Starts- IT'S DONE!


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I have a quilt that has cross hatch in one color starting from a sewn border in another color and ending on an applique surrounded by a stitched echo of another color on a bright white background. The starts and stops are all in the open and I've been tying each start and stop which works well, but there are hundreds to do!

Any quicker ways to go that look good?? _ My eyes have crossed, need a break!!LOL---------Thanx, Dave B.

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How do you eat an elephant?

One bite at a time.

How can you quickly tie and bury stops and starts?

You can't.

Refer to the answer to the first question.

Patience, young grasshopper.

:cool:

PS: If it makes you feel better, I made a quilt nearly 2 years ago and it had (I swear no kidding) probably 1000 starts and stops. It took me ages to tie and bury each start and stop. I am not kidding. I put it in the theme category at HMQS in 2009 (my rookie quilt entry). Here is a photo of it. The quilt size is 60"x60" Those quilt lines in the red and blue squares are 1/4" apart and every single thread on this quilt is tied and buried. I got real good at tying and burying thread tails!!! :P

post--13461904374761_thumb.jpg

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Dave,

I have only buried threads once in my life.

Try sewing without the regulator (scary for some people, I know), but it makes this particular dilemma SO much easier!

Begin with tiny stitches by moving the machine very slowly in manual mode (think 12-15 stitches in a quarter inch). Then move the machine at a pace you are comfortable with that results in a stitch length you like.

As you approach the stopping point, slow down for the last quarter inch and pile those stitches really close together again, ending right at the stopping point.

Now DRAG your thread back to the starting point WITHOUT cutting it, and begin again. Do everything in one direction first so that your machine or base does not catch on the bobbin thread that drags underneath.

Once you've finished one direction, you have a couple of choices for trimming the bobbin thread. While you could do the "limbo" and climb under the machine (and I know you're a guy who could do it:)), just continue on with the quilting, and eventually the area where you did the cross hatching will appear on the pick-up roller with the back side exposed. Trim the bobbin threads then.

Or, you can do all one direction, then remove the quilt and re-mount it by turning it. Trim the traveling threads when it's off the frame. The nice thing about this method is that once you turn the quilt, you'll be doing the cross hatching in the same direction as the first time, so you can choose the direction that is most comfortable for you the first time, and repeat it after the turn.

Hope this helps! I drag threads a lot, so long as I begin and end with the tiny stitches, and am sure I won't catch the traveling thread underneath:).

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I love to sew but the eyes have their limitations.LOL! Thanx Linda-AWESOME!, Shana-your quilt is beautimous-I'm still having problems getting the elephant in the oven though.

Kristina, Get Shannon to chime in here with her ideas if you can Thanx!!

Dawn- sounds better than what I'm doing, I was jump stitching the applique anyway so the thread cutting won't be any more work! I'll give it a try-sewing, not the limbo, Ha! Will let you know how it went.

Thanx to all------------Grasshopper, (Dave B.)

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I use the single stitch button and just make several stitches at the beginning and end (moving the machine ever so slightly), travel the thread to the next spot and keep going. I clip the travel threads when I am done with a section or when I take the quilt off the frame. Easier to get the threads on the back then, too. :)

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I tie and bury and it goes quickly once you get the practice in. I hold both threads together and knot then bury using a self threading needle. I personally think it is just as quick as thinking to go small when I start and end and then going back and clipping the millions of threads. Just take it one thread at a time. I don't leave all my burying until the end. When I get to the end of the quilt I'm done. Some quilts just call for the extra attention and it sounds like the one you are doing is one of those. Most of the time I'm able to travel either in the ditch or backtrack and not have too many starts and stops.

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hmmm...i have been doing this on quilts i was keeping for myself and thought it was a quilting foul. now that i know its acceptable, i will be doing it all the time, not just on my own quilts.

i guess i'm done with the old k&b shuffle! YIPPEE! i am one happy camper to know this!

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I have never done the knot and tie, I do my ends like Dawn does and it works for me. Being a former bridal seamstress I learned and practiced that way. I Think DeLoa does the same thing if I am not mistaken.

Corey

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Holly,

I'm with you:). As someone who has judged shows as well as had quilts judged by others...as long as those starts and stops are "clean"---no lumps or bumps front or back, and no noticeable backstitching, tiny stitches are acceptable.

In fact, Diane Gaudynski does hers this way all the time. And I figure "heck, if she can win $10,000 at Paducah doing that, what am I fretting about?" :)

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Dawn, it works great and is much much faster than tying. I used the front mount laser to place the start point, put the needle down and let her rip, slow down close to the stop point and as soon as the laser light hits the end point, I hit the button and so on. The threads lock nicely and are actually less likely to pull than with tying. I think I'll do the limbo just for the heck of it! Thanx----Dave B.

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I hate to bury knots! I do the little tiny stitches or backstitch as long as I can hide the heck out of it. I start in manual mode, do the tiny stitches, then hit the stop button and put it into regulated mode. I seem to only use the thread cutter when I crosshatch because I hate running the machine base into a thread I've "dragged." You still have to go back and trim, but it takes less time than burying as you go. I still bury on occasion, just try to avoid it like the plague!

One of my customers won a 1st place at a quilt show. The judge's comments said something about a nice job on all the tie offs. I told her to take the ribbon and run because there wasn't a tie off in the whole quilt!:P:P I guess it worked!

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Worked a little Wed. gave Dawn's method a try, got good enough to do it to it on Friday, went fishing--LOL, Finished the rest of the quilt this morning!

Dawn I think I should buy you lunch but seeings how you told me to do this-LOL--I think it's your turn!! Just kidding. I really appreciate all the ideas I get by just asking ! Where else could you do this--you're all so great and wonderful!!! A heartfelt "THANK YOU!"----Dave B.

Here's a photo of the customers quilt . (See more on our website) Kristina, How's yours coming along? This works just so darn good, I'm really impressed!!!!!!!;)

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4322288/DCP_1384.JPG

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