aashley333

I've been watching videos on Bargello for current project. This video shows a guy using a "leader" piece of fabric before beginning the stitching of the strips in order to catch the threads. This works great! No loose threads everywhere-they're all attached to "leader"! (He starts sewing at about 7 1/2 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTsW80EANKI
It's probably not a new idea, but it's a new tip for me.

Onebyone

Leaders and have been used for decades. It's a great habit to start.

sewingpup

And if you want, you can pick a simple block and use it as a leader and eventually you will have enough for another quilt! for example. Cut up your scraps into 2.5 inch squares, stitch a light and a dark together until you have a bunch of them. Then make a simple four patch. Now you have four patch blocks to make a simple four patch quilt if you alternate them with a plain block.

SuzSLO

Another probably obvious benefit to user a leader/ender is that there is less thread waste. Saves money on thread!

KalamaQuilts

Bonnie Hunter has two books out on using leaders and each summer issues a fun leader/ender group project.
Saves a Ton of thread!
https://quiltville.blogspot.com/2005...-and-hows.html

Anniedeb

OK.....I am familiar with the terms leaders and enders, and did some research after watching Aashley333's link. Maybe I'm missing the obvious here, but I'm confused. I get the premise, and understand the chain piecing, but what keeps the seam you are sewing from unraveling? I always tack my seams when piecing, and honestly never gave thread waste a thought. I must be on the wrong thought track!

Iceblossom

I use a "spider" that is a scrap where I start in the middle and reuse many times -- the hanging threads are the legs of the spider. The way my brain works is I would need a leader for the leader. I only start, typically don't feel the need for an ender. I use the spider each time, but it really helps when you are piecing triangles to help keep the points get sucked down or edges chewed up.

I also was amazed when I switched from my old vintage machine to a modern machine with an auto-thread cutter. I am much less covered with threads than ever before. I've seen posts from people who are unhappy with their machine's cut, but with all the problems I have with my Bernina it is one thing I'm super happy about. It also made a big change in my willingness to do patterns with partial seams which I used to rather avoid.

Anniedeb, if I'm answering the question I think you are asking, any time we are using the modern chain/strip piecing techniques where you cut through pre-sewn strips, you use a small stitch length. My machine defaults at 2.5, which I think is a nice stitch for garment construction, but I bring it down to 1.9 for piecing. No problems with unraveling. Really, the only time I backstitch is when I'm putting on a mitered border, and that is mostly to help deal with the weight and pull of the top.

Peckish

If your seams unravel after sewing, then you probably need to adjust your tension.

Quiltwoman44

Ditto what Iceblossom said. small stitches to start and end on quilt edges.

mmunchkins

I chain stitch a lot, but I also back stitch at the end and the beginning of each piece. It doesn't affect the chain stitching momentum, at least not a lot.