??- what are leaders and enders?
 

I see the terms leaders and enders used a lot, even saw a quilt picture posted recently that was made with leaders and enders. I don't understand what they are. Up until now, I've thought it was something long armers used to get the quilt rolled onto the frame. Now, not so sure. Can someone explain? Thank you! Trying to build me knowledge. :-)

Leaders and enders are used to start sewing on before you come to the block. Any tangles or problems with the fabric going into the plate will be on this piece of fabric and not affect your block. Just use a small scrap of fabric at the beginning and end of the chain piecing and problems are avoided. Hope this helps.

Thanks! That makes sense. I know sometimes the edge of the fabric gets kinda knotted up before it smoothes out. I guess this would prevent that. Thanks so much for the explanation!

Bonnie Hunter explains making a quilt with the leaders and enders. Basically instead of sewing on and off scraps you piece something together. http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2005/...-and-hows.html

I can also understand your confusion with longarming because the canvas that is attached to the rollers on a quilting rack is also called a Leader. But normally when you see leaders and enders mentioned we are referring to Bonnie Hunter's method linked by Pagzz.

They are a small scrap of fabric that you leave under your needle especially if you piece like I do using a lot of grey thread. You begin piecing with it at the beginning of your sewing and when you are thru sewing, you end with one. It saves a lot on thread usage. Some people even sew their squares together this way. I have been doing this for over 20 years. This also prevents you bobbin thread from nesting upon itself.

To clarify - here is MY understanding:

Bonnie's technique differs a tiny bit from Maniac's description above. Bonnie essentially pieces 2 quilts at the same time. She chain-pieces her patches for one quilt, then when she's done for the moment, she uses 2 patches from a different quilt as an ender (or leader) and sews it with a 1/4" seam. That way you can be REALLY thrifty with your thread, and still prevent nests. :)

It's a great way to sew for two quilts at once. I don't like doing it though. I'm not a big chain piecer. I like to make one block at a time.

Bonnie demos this on a video on her quilt cam. She did one recently with using tumbler templates. She has a quilt cam dated recently (7-22-2015). I usually don't watch the night she airs quilt cam. I watch it later. [QUOTE=Peckish;7277772]To clarify

I understand about leaders and enders - but as far as piecing two quilts at the same time - if the two patches sewn together as leaders don't bunch up why would the regular fabric? Folks don't seem to need a "pre-leader" where ithey start in the middle of the patch

You only sew the other quilt patch at the start or end of the chain piecing. . It really isn't for keeping the thread tangles away. You have your stack of leaders/enders ready to start the chain and end it. Thus you making a second patch other then the one you are chain piecing.

We're talking about 2 different things. If you start a patch as a leader in the middle of the patch, then it's just a scrap with only one function; stopping thread nesting or fabric bunching as you start sewing. This patch will eventually get full of thread and will be thrown away.

Bonnie developed her technique with the idea that instead of using a scrap to stop nesting/bunching, why not simply sew 2 other pieces of fabric together - fabrics you're using for another quilt instead of the one you're currently working on.

So - you piece the fabrics for quilt A. You end with a leader, but instead of it being a scrap, it's patches for quilt B. That piece (the "ender") stays in the needle until you're ready to sew again, and becomes the "leader" for your next batch of piecing. That way you're stopping the nesting/bunching; that 6-12 inches of thread is not wasted; and you're getting half the work done on quilt B as you go.

Thanks Peckish. I see from your description they are too different things. i am guessing you wouldn't have to do this for regular chain piecing because the blocks would butt up against each other, except at beginning and end?

I have a box of 2" squares that I've cut over the years from leftover scraps. I recently read about the leaders and enders concept, so I started sewing together the 2" scraps (1 color 1 neutral) as my leaders and enders. Now I've decided that I'll keep adding those scrap squares together as leaders and enders until I have enough to sew together for a scrappy Irish chain. Any that get ruined in the process are still only scraps, so I just toss them and keep working on my "real" quilt. It's just a fun (and thrifty) way to use scraps.

Yes, exactly. :)

I cut a bunch of 4" squares into triangles & sew a light & dark together as leaders & enders.Tons of patterns you can make from the squares.

I recently bought the book "Adventures with Leaders and Enders", and am excited to try this technique. I've been busy cutting scraps for weeks, lol. There are lovely patterns in the book, and I chose one to try first.

Bonnie Hunter, who is the QUEEN of scrap quilting, cuts her scraps into various sizes of strips and squares, and uses those to start and end her chain piecing. Takes a little discipline to learn to cut, and keep the scraps at arms' reach, but before you know it, you have enough pieces for a quilt top.....and not just a piece of fabric that is covered with threads that are then thrown away......try it.......

I first read about having a piece of material under your needle when you start and stop from a book by Marsha McClosky. Might have spelled her name wrong. I decided it was easier to just have charm squares or other pieces of fabric cut so I could make a quilt along with keeping my machine under control and no more wasted thread. It works beautifully and now Bonnie Hunter has written six books on this theory.

As said b y others except I call min e "leaders andfollowers" just like sheep! Sorry fortyping I've had some strokes and came outofhospital yesterday - right han d n otworking very well yet!