Help with Stippling......(i think thats what it's called)

What do you do when you are running out of bobbin thread in the middle of your quilt top?  This is my very first time quilting and I am going through a ton of thread on my quilt top..........it looks right, but i'm going to run out before I'm done  

I'm so new at it... I just handle it the way I'd handle running out of thread in the bobbin on any project.  What did you end up doing?

I've posted about this book before on a different topic, but it has a nice explanation of how to handle tying off in the middle of a project.  You pull the threads through to the back and tie off, and then you can often pop the resulting knot back into your quilt sandwich.

http://www.amazon.com/Machine-Quilting-Primer-Quilt-Day/dp/0922705909/ref=sr_1_39?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233799638&sr=1-39

However, if you think you are running low but it hasn't actually happened yet, then I would maneuver the quilting over to the edge of the quilt and quilt off the edge.  You can then tie off, refill your bobbin and quilt back on to get started again.

hope that helps
Trina

I'm so glad you wrote, Trina.  That makes perfect sense... Thank you!
Beth

Thanks so much for sharing that link! I am new to quilting, and this looks like a great resource.

I know what you mean by all the thread you go through with stippling.  I have recently purchased some wonderful thread from www.connnectingthreads.com, you get a lot for your money and it's very good quality, 100% egyptian cotton.  I'm new to quilting as well and because I don't have a lot of experience with stippling, I always use thread that will blend in with the material that way my mistakes don't stand out.  When I run out of bobbin thread I just cut the loose threads and try to start a few stitches back and trace over where I ran out at and keep going.  It seems to work well for me as long as I bring the bottom thread up to the top of my quilt and position my needle into an existing stitch.  I hope that makes since.

Shellyfish- if you are new to quilting, then one other thing I would point out about that book is that it has the best explanation of how to do mitered corners that I have seen.  My first 10 quilts were all done with that darned book open on my lap from the time I got started on the machine quilting to the time I got the binding attached.  It's an old book but still just a great resource.

Good luck!
Trina

When I run out of bobbin thread or top thread I just back stitch a few times and then continue stitching with the new thread as I would when starting any other project.

Thanks I really needed these answers as I want to do all over stippling on a pillow top & then a quilt.

Wow - great information, thank you! I love the look of stippling.

so good to know that other people have the same questions as me.  I just stippled a table runner for my MIL for Mother's Day and I actually ran out of top thread...duh!  I really didn't realize how much thread it was going to take!  So I just backed up a few stitches, pulled my threads up and went for it.  I didn't know if it was right or wrong, but since it was Saturday afternoon, I just went with it. 
Thanks for the great advice!

I like the suggestion on tieing of the ends. I usually do the backstitching like anyother project but dont like the way it looks on anything with a lot of loft, so the tieing the ends sounds much more neat. Also an old standard that my grandma showed me was to needle tie it on the back side of the quilt.

I dont have this particular pattern, but if you want to pick up two stitches in one hole, I believe youll have to pick up knitwise, bring the yarn to the front and the needle tip to the back and then pick up purlwise to get two workable stitches.

You don't  even need to backstitch. Instead, when you  realize you  are going to need to end, change your  stitch length to a bit above zero and make 4-5 stitches, then stop and cut. At this point you can still tie-off to the back as suggested above, but I'm usually lazy and just cut flush with the fabric. This method doesn't give you the pile up of stitches on top of each  other like backstitching and the closely stitches stiches are close enough they act like a knot. As odd as it seems, they really don't come out. I've done baby quilts that get washed often this way and never had any of the quilting come  out.

Hey - I would take a couple of locking stitches, bring up the bobbin thread (by taking one more stitch that is not locking, raise the pressure foot to release the upper tension, and pulling the quilt towards you, lift on the upper thread to expose the bobbin loop) and cut both threads.  Begin again after putting in another bobbin, lock the beginning stitches and go!

Have you considered using the prewound bobbins?  I haven't used them yet, but the lady at the quilt shop swears by them.  They hold a LOT more thread.

Gwen