My Hand-Quilter Avante dealer is the inventor of the canvas leaders with zippers for longarms. The Quick Zip System. You can buy them from their shop and call or email them with any questions. You won't find nicer people anywhere. (Contact info below.)
To answer your questions, though, sticky back Velcro is attached to the poles and sew-on Velcro is attached to the canvas. You'll need 3 leaders. You pin (or I guess you can baste) the backing to two of the leaders and one edge of the top to the third. Muslin wouldn't work because it is too stretchy and not sturdy enough. The zip system is nice because you unzip them and pin half of the zipper to those 3 parts of the quilt. You can do this sitting down as opposed to standing at the frame to pin the top and back to the leaders. I guess you could remove the leader from the poles as it is velcroed on and sit down to pin. I'm just used to the zippers as they came with my LA.
The Quilting Connection, LLC
Sue and Al Schmieden and Angie Dugan
21 Adams Street
Elkhorn, WI 53121
OR our 2nd Location
200 W. North Water Street
New London, WI (Please do not send mail to the New London location)
Phone: 262-723-6775 (for both locations)
email: [email protected]
www.LongarmConnection.com