Skip the tedious step of burying threads. In this Piece N Quilt tutorial, Natalia Boner demonstrates a simple, secure way to start and stop your machine quilting using easy bartack stitches and neat trimming—no thread burying required.
Table of Contents
Introduction to Thread Management in Quilting
Machine quilters often spend more time dealing with thread starts and stops than actually stitching. Natalia begins by acknowledging the dreaded chore: burying threads between quilt layers. Her promise—to skip that step entirely and still get perfect results—feels like magic.
The Challenge of Burying Threads
Burying takes precision and patience. Every pair of loose ends must be threaded into a needle and woven under the surface invisibly—a process multiplied across dozens of quilting lines. That’s why Boner’s no-bury approach is such a game changer for longarm users and domestic quilters alike.
Natalia Boner’s No-Bury Method
Filmed on her Gammill 22-inch machine, the demo moves briskly but clearly. Each gesture—from tensioning the thread to trimming the tail—illustrates a habit formed through years of daily quilting. For reference, her stitch length is set to 13 per inch, but she notes that preference varies.
The Starting Sequence: Bringing Threads to the Top
A clean start determines a clean finish. The first move? A solitary stitch.
The Initial Single Stitch
Boner positions the needle into the quilt top, takes one stitch, and pauses. This micro-start anchors the threads, giving her something to grasp before pulling them upward. Many embroiderers use a similar precaution when setting alignment hoops such as magnetic hoops for embroidery machines—the concept is control before commitment.
Applying Tension and Pulling Up the Bobbin Thread
Holding the top thread gently, she wraps it around her finger for light tension, then pulls the machine away. The result is the bobbin thread emerging neatly on the quilt surface.
Both threads are visible and ready to secure—no digging, no knots below the surface.
Securing Your Quilting Start: The Invisible Bartack
Once both threads are on top, Boner returns the needle to the same spot and begins a tiny back-and-forth motion.
Repositioning and Layering Stitches
The goal here is density. Those first few stitches crisscross within one-eighth of an inch, creating an internal lock much like a bar tack in garment sewing. This principle of micro-layering can help stabilizers in hoop embroidery too, especially when paired with a compact support frame like a magnetic embroidery hoop embroidery.
Achieving a Professional Finish
Think of it as reverse engineering a knot. The overlapping stitches hold firmly, yet look smooth on both sides of the quilt. In this phase, the thread remains under slight manual tension—enough to smooth kinks without distorting the fabric.
Seamless Stopping: Finishing Your Quilting Lines
When the pattern reaches its conclusion, the same principle applies in reverse. A few small stitches close the line gracefully.
Creating the Ending Bartack
Stopping is simply starting backward: return to the endpoint, stitch in place several times, and create that same compact cluster.
Just like quilters seeking precise hoop alignment on extended-arm machines, consistency delivers visual balance. Those using magnetic frames for embroidery—such as magnetic embroidery frames—will recognize how controlled repetition ensures even tension along the finish.
Bringing Threads Up for Trimming
Boner lifts the needle, gently pulls the machine aside, and catches both threads in her left hand. A slight tug—and both are up top, ready for a parting stitch at the final point.
The Final Touch: Effortless Thread Trimming
The visual reward appears in the last thirty seconds of the video: smooth, flat stitches and tails snipped flush with the surface.
Precision with Curved Scissors
Boner uses small curved scissors for accuracy, trimming each thread as close as possible without slicing the fabric. This last move removes all evidence of starts or stops. Quilters who enjoy both embroidery and quilting might appreciate this same finesse when switching to accessories like dime magnetic hoops or snap hoop monster for brother—both emphasize visibility and edge control at trimming distance.
Achieving Clean Edges
After trimming, Boner compares thread colors. Light thread naturally shows on darker fabric; even so, her cuts sit so close that any contrast fades once the quilt relaxes.
From the video: keeping thread color consistent top and bottom (using So Fine and Bottom Line lines) maintains balance through the quilt sandwich.
Why This Method Works: A Quilter’s Perspective
Even after nearly twenty years behind the longarm, Boner favors this process for its simplicity. It requires no extra tools, no buried tails, and no interruptions mid-pattern.
Benefits for Longarm Quilters
The bartack method holds up across scales—from micro-stipple textures to sweeping motifs. For those branching into multi-needle embroidery systems, it’s a mindset worth importing: consistency from start to stop. Using accessories like brother embroidery hoops or magnetic hoops for brother embroidery machines can likewise promote stability in hoop-based stitching, echoing the secure cycle achieved here.
Recommended Threads for Best Results
The demonstration favors So Fine on top and Bottom Line in the bobbin. Boner’s history with this pairing reinforces its reliability for nearly two decades. There’s no one right material, but finely balanced tension threads behave kindly under repeated short stitches.
Final thoughts: This method removes a small frustration yet instantly elevates the quilting experience. By mastering the single stitch start, secure bartack, and mindful trimming, your quilts will look more refined—and you’ll skip an entire post-quilting chore.
Tools & Materials Recap
- Gammill 22-inch machine
- Top and bobbin threads (colour-matched)
- Curved scissors
Estimated total time: under 5 minutes per start-stop cycle once practiced.
Try it yourself: Once you’re confident, experiment with different tension settings or stitch counts to see how much security your thread brand prefers.
Happy quilting—and happy skipping those buried threads!