Zippers on longarm leaders
 

Hello friends and experts! For Father's Day my wife bought us the 2' extension for our quilting frame. I decided since I was taking everything apart that I would like to also use the zipper system to load quilts onto the frame. I have attached the zippers to the leaders, but I'm not clear on how to attach the other side of the zipper to the quilt. Do you pin it? Baste it? Do any of you use zippers? Do you know of a tute or video? Thanks for any help.

Darren

Most longarmers I know sew the zipper onto the quilt back with a long basting stitch, and float the top. It's easy enough to remove when you're done quilting.

When I used zippers, I machine basted the quilt top to the zipper.

I always pin

I too have always pinned.

Never could figure how the zippers saved me time, so I still pin. Fast and simple.

Same here. Either I take the time to baste zippers to the backing (top and bottom) or I take the time to pin. So I still pin

I can see where it would save time if you have to repeatedly take the quilt off the rack and reload but I only do that if I am doing trapunto. I don't turn quilts for border work either.

I use safety pins(I think #1). Never close the pins. Keep them opened in a container. I find the zippers very helpful as you can sit and put the pins in(and remove) and not have to stand at your machine to do this.

go to this website(where I got my zippers): http://stores.longarmconnection.com/quick-zip-system/

They have a how-to video.

Edited: I just checked out the video and found it very short. Not sure how informative it would be.
Basically, you attach your base zipper to your leaders. Mark the center with permanent marker. Zip on the other half of the zipper and mark its center with the marker. You fold your top in half and mark the center of top and bottom with a pin. Match the pin mark with the mark on your zipper. Pin center to the left, turn and pin center to the other side. This method keeps the fabric smooth. Pin with the fabric on top of zipper edge up to the zipper teeth.

The zipper system on that website comes with very clear instructions.

This is what I'm going to use one of my small, vintage hand crank chain stitch machines for. It's very portable so I can move it instead of the quilt.

I basted the leader to a quilt once - and decided it was too much of a drag taking it apart, pinning and unpinning was less work.

I don't intend to use zippers though, I have an assortment of leaders to use. I'll report later on how it works out. My leaders are velcro'd to the bar, so no reason to use a zipper too, the velcro serves the same purpose.

I'm working on this mostly because my husband also likes to run the machine, and he's missing the end of one thumb so pinning is difficult for him.

Love my red snappers!