Hey Everyone, welcome back to Technique Tuesday.
You may have heard quilter’s talk about using leaders and enders. I had heard these terms many times and didn’t have a clue what they were talking about until I went to a trunk show last fall and was enlightened as to what they were. In the picture above you can see the different fabric at the start and finish of the chain – the leader and ender.
I am sure we have all had these problems while sewing at one time or another – the thread bunches up into a bird’s nest under the fabric as we start out sewing or the fabric gets sucked down into the bobbin area or the piece just doesn’t go anywhere and the needle keeps going up and down forming a small thread ball on the backside. Leaders and enders can help eliminate these issues.
What is a leader?
A leader is when we put a small piece of scrap fabric under the foot to start the sewing off with. Not only does it prevent the issues listed above but it also ensures a ¼″ seam from the edge of your pieces.
Scrap fabric as a leader
What is an ender?
An ender you guessed it is a small piece of scrap fabric at the end of the piecing to ensure a ¼″ seam to the edge.
Scrap fabric as the ender
Instead of using a piece of scrap fabric that just gets thrown away why not have squares to sew together that will eventually be a quilt. These can definitely be scraps of fabric from the scrap bins or coordinated fabrics and when there are enough sewn together a quilt can be created.
2 ½″ squares to use as leaders and enders
I decided to sew some 2 ½″ squares together as my leaders and enders that are part of another project.
The leader
The ender
Leaders and enders are a great way to help ensure the ¼″ seam is accurate at the start and finish of piecing as well as eliminate some of those other issues we sometimes have. The best part is that you can create another quilt at the same time or at least get started on one.
Now I have many 2 ½″ square pairs sewn together – what am I going to do with them?
Have you made a leader/ender quilt?
Happy Quilting!
Absolutely, I am on the cusp of actually cutting out my scraps into 2.5″X 4.5″to use as leaders and enders, these to make a scrappy stairstep quilt by Karen Griska. I only have to match dark & light which is easy. Do you know of Bonnie Hunter, she has books about Adventures with Leaders and Enders. Maybe she gave them this name?!
Juliet, would love to see the scrappy stair step when you are done. Yes, I have heard that Bonnie Hunter has books but I have not seen them. This is the first time I have used leaders and enders. Have fun with the stair step quilt.
I love leaders and enders. They help with the chain piecing and if I have planned it right I am well on the way to another quilt top! BUT because I haven’t always planned what leaders and enders to use, I grab my box of odd shaped and sized fabric and sew them each together improv into a scrappy block or I in the same colour slab. Now just have to work with them!
Nancy your idea of odd shaped pieces sounds great – all kinds of possibilities for them. I have never used leaders and enders but thinking that I should start to use up some of the scraps.
Awesome tip
Well thank you so much for clearing that up for me! I, too, have always wondered what sewists were talking about when they said they were making a leader/ender quilt. Now I know! And it all makes so much sense. I love how smart and talented quilters are!
Yes, I use leader and enders and some of my quilts were made entirely that way. Granted some of those leaders/enders were very long pieces, but still did the job. Bonus quilting.
Jackie that is great and I don’t think it matters how long the pieces are – the longer and bigger the pieces are the faster the tops go together.
I have been using leaders and enders for a year or more and LOVE the technique. I bought Bonnie’s book and found the quilt patterns designed for specific scrap sizes to be very motivational! I had used spidery little scraps for years to start and end my chains, but now I’m actually “scrap busting” and it feels good to get some blocks made up for future projects. I already have a twin sized top and two baby quilt tops done using this method..
Jane, isn’t it great to scrap bust. Feels good to use up fabric that has been around forever whether it is scraps or yardage.
Hi Folks, I have been sewing for over 50 years, taught textiles and never used leaders of enders. If you start with needle down in fabric, very close to edge, hold the thread tails, which should be several inches and then go, no problem, equally, stop slowly (use the fly wheel on machine to control this) at end of piece, near to edge, but not over it. I would strongly advise against sewing in empty space, that is, over gaps where there is not fabric, this leads to problems with machine long term, as well as knots underneath, etc. I have chain pieced many quilts with no problems, as have friends using these methods. I think the new computerized machines especially are more tempremental if you don’t take care and will swallow up fabric, if not sewing correctly – but leaders and enders – shouldn’t be necessary on a good machine, however basic.
Thanks for your helpful hints Trisha. I know a lot of people struggle with the fabric being swallowed up. A lot of people who use leaders and enders create scrappy quilts with them so for some they have a dual purpose of using the leaders and enders. Happy Quilting Jen
I tend to agree with Trisha. I too have been sewing for at least that long and have never used leaders or enders. I really don’t see how that helps with a 1/4 inch seam allowance. I can see how it would help with thread being swallowed up. Sometimes that happens, but all you have to do on some machines is hold onto the threads until it is started a few stitches. I do that with one of my machines. The other is a machine embroidery/sewing machine and it never jams. It has an automatic thread cutter and cuts the thread to the perfect length to start sewing. Now I know everyone does not have the same kind of machines and if leaders and enders work for you that is fine. To each his own. I just wanted to point out that there are alternatives. And I would never make a quilt with that small of pieces. That is just a personal thing. I realize you are utilizing every inch of fabric. And that is great, just not for me. In fact I would like to see a finished product with those small 2 1/2 inch squares. I know some of us have to use what we can afford. I remember my Mother cutting up old clothes to make quilts. Not fancy but serviceable. So this is not a criticism . Those of us who have been sewing for 50 plus years have probably all come up with our own ideas.
What a great post! I have seen “leaders and enders” mentioned so many times and had no clue. Finally this morning while reading a blog that mentioned them I googled the term and your blog came up in the search. While I was reading, I had the “ah-ha!” moment along with the “I could’ve had a V-8” head slap! Just last night I was sewing with 1-1/2 inch squares and got very frustrated with the very same issues you mentioned. I finally pulled out a single scrap and used that to start the stitching, which helped to begin the sewing, but I was still skewing the end, plus what a waste of that scrap.
(As to Trisha’s helpful comments above, that is exactly what I was trying with those tiny scraps – to hold down the thread tails and start with needle in the fabric – and it didn’t work for me, maybe because my scraps were so small.)
Thank you SO much for posting this!
You are most welcome Linda. Glad it was a help to you. Happy Quilting Jen
So, I started using them as my leaders/enders and even in betweeners! 🙂 It’s fun, creates a whole new quilt so easily and my scraps don’t have time to reproduce as quickly overnight!
This technique is wonderful – though difficult to understand: until you try it! I would encourage everyone to give it a shot and watch your scraps disappear as beautiful quilts emerge!
Jen, thank you for sharing and wanted to let you know that I am linking back to this site on my own blog! 🙂 https://faithtrustandbreastcancer.blogspot.com/2016/11/philippians-127a-leaders-and-enders.html
Thanks Patricia. Happy Quilting
Just one more thing on preventing your thread from being swallowed up. Make sure the up take lever is in the highest position when you start sewing.
Great post. I have been using small scraps for leaders, but didn’t know why the ender was important…now I do. The idea of using another block in between is a new one that I am going to use when I have smaller number of blocks in a chain that I am building on. That helps!
What I don’t get is using another block for the leader….won’t you still have the same issue/potential problem that you would if it was your quilt block?
Thanks for all the insight/helpful hints.
Hi there. I have used leaders and enders but I use them as single layer scraps. I am a bit confused as to how you do it to end up with them pieces together ? Would you mind explaining it to me ? Thanks
Hi Minette. You can put 2 pieces together to quilt pieces with them, set them aside and when you have enough then sew them together into a block and when you have enough blocks make a quilt. It does require some organization to have them ready at the sewing machine. The quilt will usually end up as a scrappy quilt. Happy Quilting Jen
I am new to this concept. I am wondering if the same problems of bunching fabric, inaccurate seam allowance etc, would occur on the leader. Would you trim problem areas off the leader?
Hi Laurie, yes sometimes it can but I don’t use mine to make another quilt just to get something started and so I will start sewing in the middle of the leader fabric then I have no problem with bunching, etc. Happy Quilting Jen
Thank you so much for explaining this to me. I never understood what they were. You did this with pictures and samples and I get it now.
Sandra you are most welcome. Happy Quilting Jen