Reverse Side

I read that when you finish a needle full of thread, to run the needle on the back side through at least 8 blocks. This is easy enough on blocks, but when doing other type of stitches it is rather cumbersome and looks odd on the the reverse side. i.e., a boat or star stitch. Do you have to use up around 3 inches of thread on the reverse side to keep it from unraveling?

Please help.

Carol answers...

I always try to fasten off on the reverse side of the work by changing direction a couple of times. For example I would slide the needle under two kloster blocks in one direction, then skipping the first stitch of the block I had just gone under (to avoid undoing what I had just done) I would then come back and go in a different direction.

I would do the same thing under ship or star motifs.