every time for me.

someone asked what leaders are: go to Bonnie Hunt's website....she will explain and demo

Ditto!

Sometimes-I mainly pull my threads taunt when I start piecing.

I always use a leader when I am piecing...and almost always when I am doing other sewing...sometimes I just use scraps of fabrics for the leaders, and other times, I get out squares I have cut and piece them together as the "leaders"...so my leader sewing actually becomes productive. Not always organized enough to do that, but love it when I do.

Never!

Ok - I have read through this whole topic. I must be having a "fibro fog" brain day, because I still do not understand this method. I even looked on b hunter's website and still can't decipher the photos.

I need better pictures to show this. Can anyone help???

Nearly always. Another thing that helps keep the fabric from going down into the bobbin area is a straight stitch plate. It has a single hole in it, preventing that problem. Only thing is you do have to remember to change it when you want to do a zigzag stitch or anything other than a straight stitch. Don't ask how I know! :oops: You might check to see if your machine dealer has one, personally I think it's wonderful. And now the machine I have has a function on it that doesn't allow any thing but a straight stitch, IF you remember to use it! Oh, I also use an ender at the end of the pieces I'm sewing.

i use one when i am chain piecing , it gets so frustating to have your material stuck in the machine if not

when you are sewing pieces together and as you start out have you ever had the first edge of the material go down in the bobbin? well using a leader material helps that not to happen, get a scrap fabric, sew on it first and when you get to the end of the material put the actual piece of the quilt you are going to sew right behind it so that it is the next material to go under the needle and sew right from the leader fabric skip a little space and then on to the quilt piece then after you are done sewing all the "chains" of fabric you want , go back and cut the thread that connects all the fabric pieces, and they then become individual pieces i hope this explains it for you if not PM me