Hi all - new to the board - not actually "new" - been lingering for hours at a time reading and looking at pictures, watching MANY tutorials, etc - but first time posting.

I'm a new quilter and have SO much to learn. I saw on a tutorial once how you use a piece of scrap material before you actually sew your seams. For the life of me I can't find it again. Can someone help me - I wanted to know how large a scrap you use and when your using a 1/4 inch foot and can't move your stitching line over - do you just keep sewing over that same stitching over and over. I realize there three other sides to stitch on but it still builds up quickly.

Thanks for any help!

Some folks cut lots and lots of little squares to keep at their machines. Pick up two that look good together and use them as starters and enders. After some time, you start sewing pairs of the twos together as starters and enders. Eventually, you will have enough little blocks to make a cute little scrap quilt without ever noticing it.

Try this thread it has some great ideas.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-7862-1.htm

I keep a small plastic bowl in my top drawer and put small scraps in it. I use these to begin new seams. Just fold a small piece, start sewing and continue onto your project. I don't reuse my starters and enders. Never thought of it. May try.

I reuse starters until the threads drive me crazy. I never saw too much use for enders. I guess that is because I habitually cut the thread at the end? I don't know. Starters are now impossible to do without.

Jois

I just fold over a scrap and start sewing in the middle of it so I can grip it to move it (and all tho thread ends) off behind the feed dogs. Saves so much frustration with rat's nests!

A starter (most call them a Thread Bunny) will stop the start of the seam from having a missing stitch or two. I'm bad about that and the seam will always pull apart when trying to match up to another.

Thanks for all your input. How big a scrap do you use? I have started doing this a couple weeks ago and love not having to bother at the start to pull my thread to a decent length or worry aout the needle sucking up the thread and having to rethread and putting the scrap in so that I'm ready to go again a the snap of a finger. I just wonder if I'm using too large a scrap and therefore wasting just as much thread as I thought I was saving - LOL! I think that when I use to small a scrap that it is hard to get to when I want to cut it off after just a small piece that I'm sewing. Just last night I did discover that using my seam ripper and reaching behind to cut seemed to work better.

I've learned so much from all of you experience quilters. Thanks a lot.

I made my first projects, a table runner, then a wall hanging and then a scrappy denim/flannel quilt (although I don't really consider that quilting).

here is a tute I did on this. I use the small scraps that I are too small to save... usually 1/2 strips that I fold in half... I use them until they get to hairy with threads or to thick to easily sew over.
Check out the part of the tute, where I show how to use blocks instead of scraps too :wink: You can use any size blocks for this, I just showed the smaller ones I was currently working with, I have used 6" ones also :D:D:D

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-38684-1.htm

Ofcourse these are all quilting!!! small or large, they are all in the quilting category. Even scrappy denim/flannel quilts!!! :D:D:D

I use a scrappy piece of fabric (leader) for beginning and end, really works great

I am going to cut some small blocks and start using them instead so I can start making a scrappy quilt. This makes more sense to make something with them.

Happy Quilting

Craftybear

video to watch on leader fabric

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTBPjlm1_44

I love youtube! I can a video for just about every quilt technique.

I just use scrap paper. You can sew paper just like fabric. I just keep scratch paper all the time and just grab another if it gets too full of thread. Cheap and easy to reuse any kind of scrap paper. Recycle old envelopes or when I print off something and have an error I use that paper as scrap. I use a piece about 2" square. It really doesn't matter what size just whatever is comfortable for you to handle.

I thought paper dulled your needles faster - that's why I was told to use a new needle when going from paper-piecing to fabric sewing.

I don't have any problem. I have done this a long time and I sew pretty much every day. I only change needles whenever they break.
I can't say I have ever had any problems with dull needles. I use paper to practice when I am not sure of the size of blocks I need. It gives me an answer with out having to waste fabric.

Rhonda - what brand of needles do you use? I can tell when a needle gets dull (thanks, Pat) bkz my machine gets noisy. For YEARS I only changed a needle when it broke, but my BFF showed me reasons for changing it a bit more often than forever!

I have used Universal alot and I use 10 to 14 size. Right now I have Schmetz. I know it is probably better to change them but I don't. I have an old 1950s Singer and it is a simple machine no fancy stitches. That may make a difference I don't know. As long as I can do what I need to do I don't worry about it.

I've been doing this for a couple of years, cutting scraps and even fat quarters into 2" squares. At the beginning and end of seams I pair one light and one dark. I have sewn them into rows of 31 squares and staggered them to make a checkerboard quilt. Once I have 31 rows joined together (nearly there!) I will put borders on it.

It has been tedious at times and in future I plan on cutting 2 1/2" squares instead!

That's what I do too! :lol:

Thanks - all of you for your posts and thank you Crafty Bear for the link to the tutorial.

Check out www.quiltville.com, She has a whole section on "leaders and enders" and has compiled a book of quilt patterns to use them up. Way to really use up every little scrap!

Hello and welcome from SW Iowa. Glad to have you here.

Visit quiltville.com and look for her "leaders and enders" discussion. She has a plan for actually making "extra" quilts with those scraps you start and finish with. great ideas and lots of free patterns.

Start a paper piece block. Use it to begin and end a stitch line and you get a "two-fer".

I save all my tri that I cut when making hst,no matter the size, I use these for starters and enders. I then separare them by size, Make a row etc . They make great sashing and fillers for different sized blocks. Does any of this make sense? Jolo

I tried using a scrap piece of fabric. Became a real hassle, threads everywhere. Now instead I just backstitch a few stitches when I start and finish a seam. Seems easier to me than messing with a scrap piece of fabric. But we all have our way of doing things. Try several, see what works for you.

Just holding your threads behind the foot works when starting to sew. But to save thread I use leftover binding from quilts Ive made for starters. As you sew along cut off the binding after it is sewn thru and use it again after sewing kinda like chain sewing. Just keep bringing it to the front of the foot until you have used it up.

Those liddle scraps are called 'bunnies' and save tons of thread over time. My DH and I have used them in our upholstery shop for over 30 years and never sew without them. They are also useful to help prevent your machine from sucking in points of fabric at the beginning of stitching.

I never used enders either, but seeing you post made me realise, if we leave the ender on the machine it would be there to then be the next starter.

I keep the inch or so scrapes after cutting to be starters and sew on them until the have lots of thread then toss. To me if you are careful of them and the save them for future use, you might as well leave them out and just hold the string carefully at ther start of the sewing.

Blessings,

Sharon

Just because you have a 1/4 inch foot doesn't mean that you HAVE to use that as a guide when using a leader to start off your projects. I never let that stop me. I always use the same scrap for 8 or 9 times at least. I learned the hard way, with my thread bunching up at the beginning of a seam and I was really new at this.

thanks for the link

In some quilting communities, those little pieces of fabric you put under the needle to start your sewing are called, "Chain Leaders." They help you to start your seams and you will be surprised how much thread you save. After starting your seam with a chain leader, you will put one at the end of the seam. That is your new chain leader Cut off the first chain leader and then use it at the end of that seam. Keep rotating the chain leaders. Hope this helps and not confuses you. Good luck

that is a great idea. thank you. God bless. Penny