What to do with excess thread after removing fabric from my sewing machine?

Question

I bought a sewing machine today and have been watching the dvd tutorial that came with it. However, I have a question. I hit the reverse button to reinforce my stitching but now that i've removed the fabric from the machine what do i do with the excess thread at the end?

Answer 1

If the seam is likely to be trimmed down or crossed by another seam, there is no need to finish the ends: just clip them off after the second seam crosses the first line of stitching.

Otherwise you can reverse the stitching for 4-5 stitches, or finish off the ends by hand.  When reversing, don't try to steer the fabric - just let the machine feed it backwards.  It's likely to be much straighter!  :)  And yes, it comes with practice...

Answer 2

By reversing, you've finished the thread end, so you can snip it off as close to the stitching as you can.  

Alternatively, you can hand sew the thread under the other stitches - like you would hand stitching.

Answer 3

Trim the threads close to the fabric. You can also tie a knot for extra reinforcement.

Answer 4

Clip it off and save it to put out for the birds to use for nest materials in the spring. If you prefer not to save it, clip it off and throw it out.