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Using IQ with Leadergrips or Red Snappers


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Leadergrips or Red Snappers can be a great addition to your table and they'll make loading the quilt so much simpler.

The only problem is that with their weight, the machine can catch on the grips at the beginning of the quilt. It isn't until you advance the quilt past the leveler bar that the you are in the clear and your machine won't accidentally hiccup there where it trips up on the weight of the LeaderGrips.

I know this isn't a big thing but I have started realigning to a point about in the middle of my panto to the top of the quilt. Then I use Clip/Mark so I am only going to stitch about 2" of the first row before I advance past the grips.

During that small 2" first row, I hold up the grips on each side of the machine to be sure the machine won't catch accidentally. Once I'm done with that mini-row, I advance the grips past the leveler bar and sew out the rest of the rows as normal.

I've started doing it this way because my customers don't really want to give me the extra backing I need to get the grips out of the way due to their weight so they won't accidentally catch on the machine as it moves past them.

Do you have LeaderGrips or Red Snappers on your table and, if so, have you changed how you set up quilts so as to prevent their weight from interfering with the stitching line?

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Guest Linda S

Angela - I bought a set of Red Snappers and before I put them on, I realized that they were going to cause me a problem. I sold them and have stuck with my zippers. I have a chain stitch machine, so I can chain the backings to the zippers and zip them on. When done, I just clip one thread and off they come. Almost as fast as the Snappers, and no wasted space.

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Yep, Linda. For a long time that is exactly how I did it too. I chainstitched my backings onto zippered leaders. I can certainly load my backs a ton faster with the grips but their weight was getting in my way.

Now that I'm just stitching out a 2" mini segment of the bigger row before I roll it forward, I can keep on keeping on even with the regular sized backs my customers give me.

Hooray!

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I wonder if I'm not visualizing this well. I know the problem you are having because I have the same issue as my machine will get caught on the snappers on the first pass and also sometimes on the sides of the quilt as well with the red edge clamps that I have if I have limited backing material space.

When you say you only use 2 inches and hold the clamp up, does that just mean there is less time spent holding the clamp up because you have trimmed the pattern. I usually only trim my pattern down at the top, but I can't figure out how it helps with the red snappers problem so I must not completely understand what you are saying:) I do have a different computer system so maybe that's why I'm not completely following.

My adjustments are that sometimes I don't use side clamps because my machine runs into them and that bothers me and I guess I would pin if I had very little backing. I wonder if anyone has come up with a really good solution though....thanks for bringing the topic up cause I have the same problems.

Jen

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I use the side clamps, as many others here have said, use the cheap window rods, the ones that turn a 90 degree angle at both ends. Slip that under the clamp elastic an when your quilt is totally put on and set up to sew, move the window rod close to the clamps or whatever is used to keep the fabric taught enough from side to side.

Good luck.

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I bought a set of leadergrips and used them twice. All my quilting is hand guided and they interfered in all the ways you mentioned. I would have to have a backing with an extra 20 inches in length to avoid bumping against them (10 top and bottom). I always keep my extended base on the machine. I took it off on the second quilt thinking that might help, but again it caught on the plate over the thread cutter. I turned the grips over thinking maybe it would be better , but just couldn't make them work. I wish I had seen your comments before I purchased them.

However, when I sewed the pockets onto the leaders, I squared them up (a job overdue) so, I am enjoying pinning to a very nice and straight leader! I have a set of zippers, but have never used them. I just don't mind pinning on a quilt! That's it in a nutshell. It's a Zen time when I contemplate my design I will quilt. ;)

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If anyone doesn't want their red snappers I may be interested. I have a set and I have IQ but I have never had a problem with them. It seems as though as soon as I have the backer on and taut (even though it is still in front of the leveler bar) the snapper is slightly raised off the bed of the machine. Is it because I raised my bars for the extended base? Maybe. That might be all it would take.

U2U me if you want to sell.............

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I have the Leader Grips and haven't noticed a problem starting my quilts like I always did before IQ. I use the curtain rod trick (or yard sticks) to keep the machine from running into the side clamps. What is getting in the way and catching on stuff? I must be a little dense becuz I'm not getting it!!!

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The place it catches isn't the side clamps. With the Red Snappers, they are weighty and they will bump against the needle plate when the machine moves towards the back of table. If the Red Snappers are behind the leveler bar then it doesn't bump but if the Red Snappers are in front, it will.

The easiest solution is to just use a bit more backing fabric so you can advance past the leveler bar before starting to quilt. However, that requires a lot more excess backing than "normal".

My customers don't really want to provide that much extra fabric so, instead, I set up IQ to only quilt a partial row initially and I just hold up the Red Snappers physically for that first small row. That way that won't bump the machine. Then, I can advance past the leveler bar and quilt as normal.

I hope that makes sense!

I don't have the Leader Grips but I think they work the same way as the Red Snappers and will also bump the needle plate when they are in front of the leveler bar due to their extra weight just like the Red Snappers.

Does anyone have the LeaderGrips and is that the case?

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Originally posted by Gator

I must be doing something wrong, because I've never had a problem using my red snappers. I also use the curtain rods.

It sounds like you've figured something out that I haven't, Connie! :) When you start quilting, do you have your Red Snappers in front of your leveler bar or behind it?

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I'm not Connie but I can tell you I haven't had the problems decribed here with my red snappers. See above post by me. It may be as easy as raising the leveler bar a little bit and having the backing pretty taut to raise it up just that tiny bit to keep it from catching.

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Angela

You are not alone. I just took to a piece of cardboard from a cereal box and taped it to my my thread cutter plate and the throat of the machine. It seems to make a nice little ramp for the Red Snappers to ride up on and not catch the edge of the plate. I wonder if I could bevel the edge of the plate enough so it wouldn't catch the snappers.

Nigel

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Like Linda S., I also have a chain stitch machine. I start in the center of the backing and chain outwards making sure the leader is on top of the fabric until all is on the quilt. I tried the chip clip system

but didn't like it because of the bulk. If someone wants them, I will sell them for $45 plus shipping. That's what I paid for them. There are ten pieces of the solid piece and 10 of the snap piece to go onto the solid. I chain all back and tops to the leaders then go from there. If I have to use pins, I need a blood transfusion by the time I'm done with the quilt.

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I have the leader grips and found that i had to raise my bar for the grips to clear, This was making my quilt bounce a bit. Also, after use the grips tend to loosen up a bit and weren't holding the quilt, so when I start to put a little tension on the quilt sandwich, the backing would pop out. A solution is to just use the leader grips on the bottom take up roller. I pin the top of the quilt so it's able to go under the bar easily and doesn't pull loose.

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