nanna-up-north

I've not done this but it sounds interesting. So, to answer your question, Pattia, it sounds like the very 1st square would possibly get that gummed up thing going on but after that, you never cut your thread..... at least you wouldn't cut the thread until the thread runs out and you have to start over again....... I can see where this would need a little preparation.... getting all those squares ready and sitting there for you. Hmmmm..... gotta think about this.

Nanax4

Too confusing for me to have two projects going at the same time. I can barely keep one straight!

But in keeping with my newest craze, no waste....I do have a basket next to the sewing machine with scraps in it, mostly little triangles left over from the hex's I cut from 5" squares. (I'm obsessed with making hex I Spy quilts right now.)

For leaders/enders, I sew two scraps together. I keep sewing scraps together until I have a roughly 5.5" square and then send that thru my Accuquilt Go and cut the block to a 5" square. Eventually I'll make a quilt using the 5" blocks. Kind of fun because that quilt will have lots of memories of my other projects. It's amazing how fast those 5" squares build up!

misseva

So that's exactly what a leader/ender is. Just putting thru little square/triangles between whatever else you're doing and before you know it you have enough blocks to make a quilt.

Friday1961

Me, too. I use them sometimes but they are just little handy folded scraps on my machine. I don't think I'd ever be organized enough to make a quilt with them.

Vera39760

The leader of a strip doesn't get messed up because it is the ender from the last strip you sewed. I have a photo box filled with 2" squares. I use those as leader/enders. I will eventually make a scrappy triple Irish Chain.

Ripped on Scotch

It is the ender from your previous block so it always has something before it. I k,onw Bonnie hunter has a basket of them for anything that calls for a 4 patch of scrappy material. You just throw them in a basket and use them when you need them for another project. I can't do it myself. I was told I was "scrappy retarted", I'm to controling over colour placement in my scrappy quilts. I know it defeats the purpose of being scrappy

kpross

On the rare occasion I don't have something under the foot, I use a tiny scrap that gets discarded and then return to the system of sewing squares together. I had been wanting to do Bonnie Hunter's system for years but could never get myself organized or motivated enough to cut up my scraps into little squares. That is until I recently got the Accuquilt fabric cutter. Now I have a ball cutting everything into 2.5" squares and the bin next to my sewing machine is full. I plan on making a postage stamp quilt.

IAmCatOwned

I've made two queen sized tops as leader ender projects. I had tons of precut 2.5 inch squares, so it was effortless and saves thread. I still use a waste square, but only when it would be confusing to tell the difference between project parts and leader/ender parts.

My next project will be leader/ ender strips rather than squares because the other project uses 2.5 in squares.

gale

Same here.

mimiof4

I have had a leader/ender project going with the last three quilts I have worked on and I am coming right along with it. I was simply amazed at how much thread it actually does save, it seems the amount of thread I would have pulled to end a block and cut it is now sewing two patches together. Oh what fun!