Quick Help!!

Could you trim close and put a tiny drop of fray-check on the threads? I know it works a treat on all my sewing projects.

Cheat. That stitch is very sturdy. After you trim closely, if you want to give it just a bit more security you can add the tiniest touch of FrayBlock or Craft Bond fabric & paper glue by good old reliable Elmer's. Either one dries clear and soft and sort of disappears. If one or two tacks turn loose one day, it's easy enough to re-tack - it's not like the whole thing will come apart and start wandering around the house. And breathe, will ya' ? Polly

Okay. Innnn, ouuutttt, iiiinnn, oouuttt. That better?? : )

I was hoping someone would respond that way. I think I will just trim closely and not add fray blocker as DMIL is severely allergic to many things like that and I actually like her so no killing her off just yet. I was figuring with the up and down in the one spot a couple of different times it should be secure enough, but my DM didn't think real highly of it and thought I should do some stitch in the ditch instead. I just needed some reassurance from someone else that I wasn't totally nuts and that it wasn't going to fall apart the minute it gets a bit of use. Thanks Polly!!!

Charlotte ~~ who is off to bed 'cause since I'm no longer knotting and burying all those **** threads I don't have to pull a late night to finish in time!!!! Yea!!!!.

True Confessions: I RARELY do the knot/bury finish. I tend proceed without caution! I just use the start/finish feature, adding several VERY short stitches after/before; finally, I cut the thread ends. So far, my quilts are holding up very nicely. My theory is that by the time ALL the ends work loose and louse up the quilt (IF they do)... I'll be dead and won't care. ;) PAT

Charlotte Hippen wrote: CUT

...cut...I thought I'd

LOL. Thanks for the reassurance Pat. After reading Polly's response I went ahead and just trimmed the tails. Glad to know that in your experience I should be just fine.

I have an older model Bernina and it does little decorative stitches for as long as you keep sewing, or for little "once" stitches. Can't think of another way of describing it, but if you have a Bernina, you probably know what I'm talking about. You can set it to do the pattern from beginning to end, just one time.

I've done these little decorative tacks several times and think they're great. I used the kids' themes of cars, trailers, animals and such for kids' quilts, and the fancier, more intricate stitches for crazy quilts. They look great on the back, too!

Much easier on hands that are in pain, than tying by hand.

I know just what button your talking about. I hadn't thought of using the decorative stitches as tacks!!! Thanks for that idea. I just used the button attaching stitch. Maybe next time I'll have to try one of my decorative ones (I have a couple of quilts to try to get done before the end of Jan I may try them on) !! Thanks Rene!!