This may be a dumb question but . . . .
 

Can someone tell me what leaders and enders are and what they're used for? I've seen passing references to them, but have no idea what they are.

Use Google to search "Bonnie Hunter leaders and enders", and you will have your answer.

oh neat idea! Thanks for asking this question - now I have something to learn and read about. :) I hate to get rid of scraps! :)

That's correct, that way you don't waste a lot of thread and it helps to feed the beginning of the fabric so it doesn't get stuffed down into the machine when you start to sew.

I cut scraps in 2 1/2 inch squares then I sew a light to a dark then I sew 2 together for a row when I have enough for 4 rows I sew them into a block. I start and end my sewing doing these . Often I will en up with enough to make a block while putting a regular block together. The one i am doing now is separated by navy sashing and will post a pic if I ever figure out how. Iuse 16 squares for these scrappy blocks.

don't overlook the longarm leaders.... we use canvas attached to the machine frame to pin our quilts to inorder to produce tension and control the quilt backing and top...

I call my leader/ender quilts "the quilt that makes it's self"

That was a lot of little blocks to keep straight! Excellent Job! You deserved a Blue Ribbon, that's for sure.

Bonnie's book is really inspiring.

what a great idea with the leaders and enders and saving thread. I hate how much thread I waste when I am sewing.

Wow. Pure genius!

My left over binding pieces make great leaders and enders.

i HAVE LOTS OF LITTLE SCRAPIES ,THIS IS A GREAT IDEA TO USE THEM, THANKS

A leader is a small scrap of fabric. You sew a seam across it, line up your real seam, sew it and then sew another scrap - the ender. Why bother? It saves thread and it keeps the machine from eating small corners like triangles - some zigzag machines like to eat bigger corners, too. I rarely use them because I can strip piece almost anything. I have my next seam ready before I stop sewing my last one, so my good fabric is my 'leader and ender'.

My 13 year old GD made her first quilt using leaders and enders. She reused the same few scraps over and over . She found it helped her start and finish each seam straighter and she had one less thing to do because she didn't have to remember to hold the threads as she started sewing. I like not having any extra threads to trim when I'm done when I use them.

Bonnie Hunter's idea is great, but it's not the only way to use leaders and enders.

Before machines came along that had needle up/down when you stopped sewing the take up lever just stopped where ever. Then when you started sewing again if the take up lever was at the bottom it would unthread your machine. So people used a "thread bunny." A "thread bunny" was just a scrap of fabric that you sewed over at the beginning of a seam and put back on at the end of the seam to keep the machine from coming unthreaded and to keep from getting thread snarls at the beginning of a seam. Thread bunnies evolved into leader enders. Instead of just using the same scrap over and over you use a new pair of cut fabrics at the beginning and end of your stitching.

Ther are no dumb questions...we all might learn something new with the answer to your question so keep asking.

I'm making a pieced border strip for one of my quilts. So I stacked the 2.5 inch squares next to my sewing machine and used them as leaders/enders while strip piecing another project. That border came together must faster than it might have otherwise.

Cheers, K

What a gorgeous quilt. You have inspired me! Thank you for showing your excellent work

Thanks for asking the question. I'm learning something new everyday!

If you ever get a chance to go to one of Bonnie's classes, DO, they are good and she is just a wonderful fun person.

I agree that there are no dumb questions! Otherwise, how are you to learn anything new? I'm doing a 2" postage stamp quilt and sew my squares together as "leaders & enders"; so far, I have about 20 blocks. Since I want to alternate with solid muslin squares, I might end up with 2 quilts, lol.

quiltville
 

Bonnie Hunters website is www.quiltville.com has a ton of free scrap patterns and alot of articles

I was always told that the only "dumb" questions were the ones you DIDN'T ask!

There is no such thing as a dumb question.

Wow leaders and enders are so clever.

Thank you kayluvs2quilt for saying that. I am a newby quilter and rarely ask questions for fear that one of the seasoned vets will laugh or sneer. But so many of you guys are so kind. Yes there are some snobs, but most of you are just great! I keep reading what you guys have to say and am LEARNING SO MUCH... but if I'd felt the liberty to ask, I would have completed more quilts with fewer gaffs!

I made a top last year using one of Bonnie Hunter's Leaders and Enders pattern that she has posted for free on her website. Here is a link to my post last year with pictures.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...lt-t95998.html

I also just finished another top a couple weeks ago that was mostly pieced as leaders and enders. I generally use 2 1/2" squares and keep a stack of darks and a stack of lights near my machine. I do chain piecing, but whenever I do need to end my chain, I just grab a pair of squares and run them through. Once I have a stack of sewn sets, I'll press them then position them for sewing into 4-patches. When I have enough for a quilt, I'll add my other blocks or whatever is needed.

You could also do this with any top you want to piece, for instance, if you wanted to do a scrappy log cabin, you could cut the pieces and keep them by your machine to use a leaders and enders while piecing other quilts. Before you know it, you have quite a few of your blocks done.

I LOVE Bonnie's website and check in there often. She also has a blog and a Yahoo group.

After reading another column about leaders and enders, I have started using my extra triangles from some snowball blocks I made as leaders and enders. It will be fun to do see what I can make after. I didn't even thing of squares or leftover long pieces.

I used my leaders and enders to make a crib sized 9 patch quilt. Its a great way to make 2 quilts at once. Instead of using a scrap of fabric to sew off onto, I used a pair of 2.5" squares.
Sharon W. in Texas

what a wonderful idea, does everybody do this? I never heard of it before.

That's a good idea. You can also sew across the corner and make the triangles into a square before you cut it off. I HAT trying to sew triangles because of the problem with bias stretching. From now on I'm keeping my little squares at hand to piece. Thanks!

I use scrap pieces for leaders to keep from having a little "bird's nest" at the beginning of the blocks and to keep the machine from pulling the fabric into it. But what confuses me about then using these scraps for a quilt is how are the pieces "good enough" to use? Why wouldn't they be the same as or have the same problems that you are protecting your original block from? Hopefully you can understand what I'm trying to say :)

I think the object is to always have something connected to your thread ends which prevents the problems you are trying to avoid. The ender is left attached to the thread and becomes your leader for the next time you start a seam. This way you don't have any pieces that are not "good enough to use". The only time you have to deal with those annoying issues becomes when you change your thread.
This doesn't apply to quilting. Only when you are doing your piecing, sewing strips, etc., where you have lots of starts and stops. For strip piecing, I still use leaders and enders for each strip.

I needed that, thanks.

Great question and great answer! Now I get it!


http://www.quiltingboard.com/images/misc/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by suern3 http://www.quiltingboard.com/images/...post-right.png
I use scrap pieces for leaders to keep from having a little "bird's nest" at the beginning of the blocks and to keep the machine from pulling the fabric into it. But what confuses me about then using these scraps for a quilt is how are the pieces "good enough" to use? Why wouldn't they be the same as or have the same problems that you are protecting your original block from? Hopefully you can understand what I'm trying to say :)