I learned to use these by watching my grandmother sew 45 years ago. She always had them made from scrap fabric. She was a professional seamstress before she got married. She told me it was to save thread, but it also does all the things you’ve said
Thank you for explaining leaders and enders to me. I am a brand new quilter, being taught by you and the many presenters on youtube. I am 77 yrs old and this activity helps to settle my soul as I see the outcome of putting fabrics together to make something beautiful. This was an important lesson for me. Thank you!
Since learning the concept, I always use leaders and enders. But they are never just random scraps of fabric. I will always have a secondary project with pieces cut and ready to be sewn. I won't sit down to sew unless I have enough leaders and enders ready to go. It's amazing how quickly you can create another quilt that way.
3:24 I watched your video because my Vintage Singer kept on getting bird’s nests under the throat plate when I started making my first string quilt. Just what I needed and problem solved ! Thank you so much.
I do NOT use leaders, nor have I ever used them. That to say, I am sewing a scrappy quilt right now consisting of 9-patch blocks and I have found this to be extremely helpful. Thank you!
I understand that you don't have the thread nests or the fabric being sucked down into the machine by using a leader, but I never understood the concept of using other squares for a second quilt because those little pieces are going to have the thread nest on them. So you almost need a leader for your leader to avoid that. Love your videos, thanks for sharing.
If you hold your first threads like you are supposed to, you will not get thread nests. And it only happens once because I ALWAYS have a leader/ender under my foot. Since I have a separate machine for quilting I have never had a problem.
If you always have a leader in your machine, you won't have the thread nest. I don't finish a block or a chain without putting in an ender. Then it's there as a leader when I start there next block or chain piecinge that I'm doing
I love using leader and Enders….I have created at least half my simple quilts while making my main project. Also, I always have 2 1/2 inch squares, ready in a basket to make four patches, which I then make into either 16 patches or a four patch in a square. They are nice building blocks for whatever you want to create next.
Excellent, Michelle and thank you so much. I stopped using leaders when I gave up my Bernina. My Brother and Juki don’t eat fabric like the Bernina. BUT the birdnest is a very good reason to start using it again. ❤❤❤
Yes, my Juki doesn’t really cause that problem either. Only if you use the auto cutter sometimes. If you’re not doing those triangles, then I always start a quarter inch in then I backstitch and then continue going on
I do not use a leader or ender. I've been sewing over 50 yrs and was never taught or introduced to them. I don't get birds nest starting out either. I was taught to pull the 2 threads to the right and that's how I do it. Thanks for the demo.
Me too, but that is also time consuming So one day we should have a video of two people showing the exact same size squares, one doing it the way we were taught and one doing that using leaders and Enders 😅😅😅
Those triangles can do hourglasses and broken dishes too. You can web piece two sets at start and end too, to keep a 4-patch's pieces together, for matchy ones. You can sew them into 4's, 8's or 16's etc quickly, when finished with the project for the day. They're all ready for the bext stage, when you get them out again. Put aside until you have enough, or sew 4× 16x's together for a baby quilt, 6 may be a child's lap quilt?. You can use all 4 patches or alternate squares for a 9-patch, disappear it... or mix up with hst blocks or orphan blocks as well. 2"×4", or 2 1/2" ×4 1/2" bricks can be leaders etc too. Smaller blocks can work for mug-rugs, placemats, hot mitts, thread catchers, bowl cosys, pouches, bookmarks, pencil cases, lanyards etc whatever you want to make up quickly. You may have a slightly tedious project coming up, with lots of small units to get through, like flying geese etc. Use them as leaders etc and your next top should go together quicker when you start putting your blocks together? Design boards can hold unsewn or pieced unit bits or both, to help keep yourself organised. All the best.
And the Janome’s always nest - well not my cheaper and smaller Janome, but my more recent one. I just hate the nests so, I’ve given in and I use leaders and enders now. Good tutorial, thank you.
Nice! I have been sewing since high school, 50 years! And I have never learned this. I don't quilt but, even in garment sewing, this is a priceless tip! Thanks for this!
I use crumb pieces as my leaders and enders. I wish I would have known about them 31 years ago. It would have saved me so much frustration with the sewing machine I inherited from my grandmother.
I put 2 small pieces together and instead of wasting fabric on a leader or ender, I now have a tiny block ,I join those with others and eventually have a small quilt mostly finished while making my primary quilt!
This is a brilliant idea!!! Thank you so much!! After sewing garments for 50+ years and never being satisfied with my results, I've started quilting. And the leaders and enders have solved one of my pet peeves-- all those threads!! Thank you!!
All good reasons! I use a folded small scrap piece and use it until it’s full of thread. If I have small blocks cut out and stacked off of the Accuquilt I’ll use it for Leaders and Enders. Currently next to my machine I’ve cut out several Washington puzzle blocks to use for Leaders and Enders. Happy Sewing!
Hello! I'm from Australia 🇦🇺 and just found your channel. I really enjoyed this video. I look forward to watching many more of your videos. Have a great day. 😊
I have been using leaders and enders for over 65 years, since my first school sewing lesson. I always use scraps from whatever project I am working on, that way I can also check tension and stitches are correct before I start. Thanks for the other tips, good reminders.
I've watched hours and hours and hours of quilting videos and this is the absolutely the best tip I've learned from any of them. I tried it out this morning and can tell it will save me so much time and frustration and the end result is so tidy. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I didn't know what it was called but I have done that for several years now.I love how it contains the long thread's as you said, controls nesting. What I got from your video was i pairing blocks for a future project. I've been using a few 3x4inch scraps folded in half multiple times. Thanks for the great informative video.
I first heard of leaders and enders in a quilt video by Marcie Baker. She called them "starties" and "stoppies." I have done that for years, and now Lori Holt has shown me how to have a "bonus project" going.
But doesn’t your secondary/bonus project now have the nests on them? Same thing, then you have to use a leader and ender on it, lol. For me, it would totally mess with my head, one project at a time for me. It doesn’t take much to screw with my head and get everything mixed up. :)
I use them all the time. I suggest that when demo’ing you don’t put your fabric bags so close to your camera/cellphone. It becomes very distorted. Great demo though
As a professional videographer, that is one of my pet peeves with 90% of the people who do these videos They are not using a real video camera. Otherwise they should be setting it on manual focus. At least some of them like Vanessa of the crafty Gemini, her RU-vid channel, she will hold the item for a few seconds to give the camera a chance to focus other times she will focus the camera herself because she has an external monitor so she can see that it’s out of focus
I’ve not heard of using leaders and enders before but I’ll certainly try this in future. What a sensible idea 😊 BUT if you could re-position your camera it would be helpful as your hands block the view much of the time. Thanks 😊
I think everyone who sews on a Bernina will sooner or later get to use leaders and enders. Because the Bernina really loves to eat tiny fabric scraps. I always have a second project next to my machine that I sew as leaders and enders. Sometimes I combine random scraps for a crumb quilt block, sometimes it's an easy block for another quilt, laid out on a small design board so I don't get it messed up.
I never had a problem with my 40 + year old Bernina. I now have a newer one and the eating of my fabric drives me nuts! I figured out to use a leader and an ender. It makes a huge difference. I like the idea of having a little box easily available. You can use them more than once!
I love to use leaders and enders. Usually i have a second project I am working on and try to make blocks for that project as my leaders and enders. Great video!
I'm not a beginner, or advanced sewer. I've heard of leader's, & ender's. I believe I have seen Lori Holt use them. I watched this video, and think I like the idea so much, I'll use them from now on. Thank you.
I use leaders and lenders to save thread. I also use 2 1/2 inch squares to make a 9 patch quilt or some other quilt. Then I’m sewing two quilts at once.
This is great. I pretty much use them all the time but mine I double piece of scrap and reuse until full. (Spiders) I started using them when I learned to do triangles when quilting with Lisa Capen Quilts in 2020 during Covid lock down and our 53 block a day. Some day I am going to use up my scraps and make extra blocks.
I use two squares from two packs of the same charm squares as leaders and Enders while making another quilt. I keep sewing two together until I have 10 rows of 8. I don’t care if two of the same fabrics are together, I just turn the row over For those saying the thread nest would be under this one, if you start out by holding your loose thread ends, there will not be a nest. If you leave an ender under your needle all the time, you will never have that problem. If you have to cut the ender out and have loose threads, just hold them again at the start of any chain without an ender.
Yes, putting tension on the threads as you start sewing really helps keep the nest from happening. Also, we had a group of ladies come teach our 4H kids how to make a jelly roll quilt and one of them taught the kids to sew onto a set of squares and stop before the end put the needle down in the fabric and then turn off the machine. She called it putting the machine to bed. She also said that was a better way for the machine when traveling too. It’s been good to have the machine ready when I want to sew.
I’ve learned to use them recently. I use scraps. You learn to use them when you’re tired of a lumpy stitch. Good to see how you do it, esp using triangles.
I didn't know what these were used for until your video explained it. I would see videos with leaders being used but didn't know why. Im going to try using them on my current project. Thank you!
I should have been using these a long time age. I'm constantly struggling with my machine to keep it from unthreading itself when I start to sew. Thanks .
I use leader often. I usually skip enders. When I am string piecing first piece become the leader for the next. I often use leaders for any sewing I will not be backstitching. If I am batck stitching I start in past the needles opening, back up and them go forward. So that helps. But if it is a fine, thin fabric, I will still use a leader. Threads on the leader are not a nest. It is the thread that tangles underneath the stitch plate that makes a nest and jambs up the project. At least that is my experience.
Hi Karen, I guess my enders can also be viewed as leaders because I always have one left in my machine for the next piece! Lol! Thanks for the information!
I have used scrap strips as leaders and enders since my Mom taught me to use them to save thread when I made clothes for myself...that was probably 50 years ago. Since I've been quilting I still use them to save thread and to help the fabric start smoothly under my needle. Sometimes I use scrap pieces but I've also been moving projects forward by having pieces ready to sew and use them as leaders and enders.
I do use leaders and enders and I started because of your #2--the sewing of triangles and if your thread is going to mess up better on the leader than your project.
My machine now likes me to always use leaders & enders... I used to use fabric scraps but now use controlled color 2 1/2" squares & ultimately end up with nice 4 patches that can be anything! Designated rectangles are great too & it's nice to sew 2 projects at the same time just by using leaders & enders. My machine is happier& sew am I!!
I don't because I haven't gotten into the habit. I think it would be a great idea and I have plenty of straps cut that I could make ready to go, so maybe I should get on board and start some leader & enders
I also learned to use them 30 years ago. I use scraps repeatedly until they are more thread than fabric. I can never stick to sewing them intentionally for another project. I manage for a short while and then lose interest....or the scraps become the 'current' project. I also can't work on multiple projects at once, so that may be the way I am wired.....one focus at a time.
yes, i use leaders & enders, for every reason you listed. tks for the list as a reminder. maybe we could add less wear & tear on machine because we are avoiding the snags, nests, jams.
If your machine came with a single-hole plate you won't get nesting or fabric sucked down. Also, a single-hole plate is also used when free-motion quilting.
I use "spiders" not intended for a project. I have used a pair of fabrics for a leader or ender, I found that I don't like random pieces sewn together, so I had to put some thought into it. But then it became distracting and too time consuming to find the right fabrics. So for me, using a spider is fine, but piecing something else while I am working on a quilt does not work for me.
I understand Jennifer. I mainly use just scrap pieces for my leaders and enders also. I am not a true scrap quilter. I like my scrap quilts a little more organized.
I use leaders and Enders because of the Bernina sucks down the beginning of the fabric almost without fail. It’s not easy to use triangles for leaders because it sucks the tip of triangles in the throat plate. Your video s are helpful but if I can give you a slight recording hint without hurting your feelings, you blink so much when you look directly in the camera and it’s a bit distracting. Sorry for the criticism because I do like your channel and I am subscribed.
Lol! One of my sisters said the same thing! I wonder if I do it all the time? I have tried to stop it but can't! I guess it is something I just can't control.
I do once and awhile but more often than not I pull my threads and hold them to make sure my machine does not eat them or my fabric….but sometimes I get caught and not happy either.
Great tips Michelle. Also, I will use a ender/leader when chain piecing between several blocks as a “flag” to myself where one block ends and another begins. Also, they prevent stitches from loosening easily on what you have just stitched.
my leaders and enders are pieces of fabric like square to make 4 patch or to make crumb blocks but mostly sewing to squares together and throw in a bin to use it for blocks or whatever, hope you understand what I am trying to say
using leaders and enders seems to be a quilting thing. I’m not a Quilter but I can see from your explanation where it could come in handy. I have never used it before.
Thank you for this...I am new to sewing and thought I was doing something wrong with my material getting caught in the throat plate... Is this technique for chain piecing ?
I do use a leader and an ender with chain piecing. Chain piecing is just sewing one piece of a block right after another piece. I sometimes will stack several pieces and then sew them one right after another.
Yes I do. But I use another quilt block from a UFO. AND THEN I SEW MY CURRENT BLOCK, & then I use an ender. I also use one of those little plastic letter opener to cut my threads🙋🏼♀️
Yes, I sew with my walking foot most of the time. I really just like the way the fabric moves through my machine with the walking foot on. The fabrics just don’t get pushed apart. I also don’t have to keep switching feet. I asked the Bernina dealer if it was okay to do that and it said it was fine.
I don’t use leaders and never made a quilt, if you don’t back tack at the beginning and end and using a quarter inch seam then is there a chance the seam wil come apart when washing?
