PaperPrincess

yep, you use 2, a leader and an ender. The ender stays in the machine. You can sew all the way thru the ender & just leave the thread attached, or you can sew half way thru then finish when you start your next group of chain pieced blocks.

franc36

I use leaders and enders on my Featherweight to save thread. I also usually use them on my Bernina for the same reason. I do not really need them on either machine. I just don't like to waste thread.

feffertim

Aha, that is the solution. Thank you

Onebyone

Bonnie Hunter has been telling us about leaders and enders for several decades. I don't use them myself but it is a great way to have block pieces ready to use.

sharisews

The reason straight stitch only sewing machines do not chew fabric is they have a single hole plate. Zigzag machines have a wide hole plate.

Geri B

Never heard starting in the middle of the leader, then it became and ender? I use this technique more often than not...the dumb thread cutter on my "dear" machine cuts so short it pops out....but I always start at beginning all the way to the end of the block...no eating of the start...maybe top tension a wee bit too tight????

Zinda

Try using a straight stitch throat plate for your machine.

rosiewell

That is a great idea,I just a huge number is squares for a scrap quilt good timing

Lady Diana

If you are only doing straight stitching, use a single hole plate if you have one. Or pull your bobbin thread to the top, hold onto it for two stitches and go. Either works for me.

RipStitcher

Bonnie was just on a recent episode of The Quilt Show (online) talking about this.

I call mine "jumpers"... because mine are just a little 1" scrap (call me a tightwad on thread! lol) ... and the scrap turns from being an "ender" into a "starter" for the next piece of my project. I have a little stash of these next to my machine in a tiny, cute coiled bowls made from clothesline.

I use jumpers as much as possible - it totally prevents the micro-thread nests that start from the short threads that are left from the previous "cut" if I use the thread cutter on my machine for the previous piece.

Sure cuts down on thread messes, dangly threads, etc... and saves loads of thread compared to using the cutters on the sides of machines.

That said, I don't have the brain cells to have another gazillion squares cut out and organized to use as the jumpers between the pieces of the work that I'm focusing on.