As I previously posted, I went out looking for Bungee clamps today. Went to Lowes, they did not have anything remotely close. Then I stopped in at a LQS, they did not carry them but could order them for me. I told the lady i would get back to her.

Came home and daughter was doing research to see if she could find them online. She did (will order them next week) but here is where I get confused.

She also found something called cloth leaders.

What are these used for, do you have to have them to use the quilting frame. Looks like I would need 1 for each size quilt I would be doing :shock:

Here is what I am looking at
http://cgi.ebay.com/Grace-EZ-3-Quilt...#ht_1236wt_905

If you want leaders you only need the same number of leaders as you have poles. You attach fabric to the poles in a permanent way (tape/thumb tacks/glue) and then you pin or sew your backing and top to the leaders. There is another topic about using zippers or velcro type leaders. Do a search for leaders and you will get an education :)

and you get them the full width of your poles, and all smaller quilts will fit on them, so you don't need different sizes.

A Grace often comes with leaders and bungee things.

The bungee cords and clips are for the sides of the quilt backing & batting to keep tension on it so it stays flat--no puckers. Leaders are for the top & bottom of backing & quilt top. If you look at the pictures of frames or quilts loaded on frames (machine quilting--not hand quilting) you'll see the 2 different things.

You unclip the bungee cords every time you advance/roll your quilt after a pass and re-clip after smoothing it all back out & before you start quilting your next pass.

There are all kinds of different ways to do the side tensioning. Bungee cords tied to clips--think potato chip bag clips--is the cheapest. I've also seen people make side leaders--pin those to the backing and clip them to a dress pants hanger which is then connected to a bungee cord and tied onto the side of the frame. Also cheap and useful if your backing fabric isn't quite big enough. Keeps you from bumping into the clamps with the machine so you can quilt all the way off the edge on a quilt that doesn't have a large enough backing.

My Grace Z44 system has a tubing that I slip thru the leaders, and then it fits into a groove in my pole... So my leaders are not permanently attached. I have lightweight denim & lightweight canvas leaders that I made myself. The bungees I have are used on the sides of the quilt... nothing to do with the leaders... Very useful when having a child help you baste or quilt. *My son kept knocking out the tension on his quilt which he designed and insisted on basting himself, he was 7/8 when he did that*