" IS BACK TRACKING ENOUGH"

[onesewise]

Gerry...so glad you seem to ask the questions that I have! Please don't hesitate to ask any questions as I too reap the benefits of the replies! Elaine

[9patch]

Karen McTavish backtacks, brings up the bobbin thread...She moves the machine away to get a length of top thread to hold onto, bring the machine back to the original spot, needle down then up holding on to the top thread. Pull up the bobbin thread. Then she snips both threads. She does not knot.

After taking her class I decided that a happy compromise might be to do what she does, but then bury thread ends. They are not going to work out of the quilt.

[countrystitcher]

If it is a special quilt, I will bury threads. I am a hand-quilter too, so it only takes me a second to do this. I try to bury at the end of each row of quilting or before I turn it. It gives me a little break from the machine and then I know it's done and I don't have to go back and do it later. A long-arm friend showed me how to bury: pull up the bobbin thread and then secure out of the way by wrapping both top and bobbin threads around a flower pin that is pinned thru the fabric and out of the way of any future quilting. This way you do not have to hold the threads before you take off quilting. It is very efficient and you know where you have to go back and bury. You'll find your own way and how you like to do it.

[Judi]

Gerry - yes great question. I backtrack, as I was taught by Dawn C. and

Karen McT. and such. Seams to work. I always pull-up my bobbin in the

begining of a thread, do a few stitches, then pull on both threads - one at

a time - to make sure it is in a knot, or tight, then I know how many stitches

it will take to lock a certain kind of thread, and remember that for the tail

ends. (and I do a couple of more!) Never use fray check, it also dries very

hard and stiff!

[GERRY]

Hi Phyllis from Victoria

Thanks girl, that was clear as mud, we should get together at Tim Horton's one day, we could sip steeped tea, & chat LAing.

Rita, Elaine & Bekah:

We newbies are all discovering the same things at the same time, There is so much to learn, & the people on this forum have the anwers we need.

I concider myself a smart average person, so if I'm wondering about something then others must be thinking the same stuff. & I know the LA DIVID"S, have also wondered about this stuff too.

O.K. so back tacking isn't wrong, (that's what I have been doing too), but knoting & burying is better, & It's up to personal preferance, but if your quilting is going into a show you really should knot & bury,

Thanks so much to everyone who gave their opinions, it helps more than you know.

[Judi]

Gerry - I was just thinking of this post again as I was quilting today. I have

looked at other another LAer's work in a town close to here. Ya know - you

have to check and see what others are doing and HOW. This person just

did a clip - clip and left it at that, very often. No back tracking, no knot, the

ends were loose and coming out. I guess I would rather have a big ol' knot

instead of my quilting coming out! Who would want to pay for that! And as

if they would come back again!!

[GERRY]

Your to right Judi:

I want to give the client somthing that will last & they can pass their quilts down to the Grand kids:)

[qfairy]

I usually rip out til i find a spot that crosses over and back track at least 4 stitches backwards before going forward again. Is less likely to show. Learned this in a quiltin class I went to. Hope this helps. I never tie and bury as my customers don't pay me enough. And for just local shows they don't seem to mind. No biggy. Good luck.