OH MY GOSH, Betty! Now I'll have to check this out. It sounds like you bought the same side grips my friend and I did - and I do love them, by the way. I also have red snappers. I haven't figured out how to use them for the quilt top along the 'belly' bar ; if I snap it on then I can't get any where near the edge for quilting. They work fine on the backing because it's larger anyway. And, yes, they do seem to get easier to use. They were very tight at first and I struggled with them. Pat