New to long arm quilting

[dnice 0]

I am new to long arm quilting with renting time from a friend who owns a Millennium. I figure that I will rent time until I become comfortable with the machine. I have done 3 quilts. The one thing I am constantly doing wrong is putting the zippers on backwards to the backing and top. Any hints on how to get them right so I do not waste my rental time on repinning the backing and top?

[barbm 323]

Dnice,

Welcome to our forum! Hope you will share your joys and trials, hits and misses.

As to the leaders, if you own your own zipper leaders, maybe next time you have a quilt on the machine (and you know it's pinned on correctly!), take a permanent marker and write on the zipper fabric: "top - face up" or "backing - face down" or whatever will help you remember which way is right.

Keep us posted as to how things go with you.

[dnice 0]

Thank you Barb.

That sounds easy enough.

I will give it a try later this week when I go to see my friend at her open house.

Thanks.

[Quilting Heidi 1,396]

Dnice,

I put gross grain ribbon on my zippers to help keep them in like new shape and I pin or staple (preferred) to the ribbon. I have a loop on the left side so I know by looking at them which side of the zipper attaches. I also color coded my ribbons. The take-up and backing zippers have dark blue ribbon and the one for my quilt top has light blue. Saves me lots of time from redoing!

[Gator 457]

I also have color coded my zippers but customers still get them backwards. I bought zippers that can match up no matter how they're attached (reversable).

[cmoore1223 0]

Connie,

Where did you get the reversable zippers?

[Gator 457]

Coleen, they're called "flip sets". You can get them at

http://www.longarmconnection.com/Our_Products.html. They work like a reversable jacket.

[Quilting Heidi 1,396]

Connie,

Thanks for the info. I had no idea they had flip sets! The link doesn't work because you have a period at the end. Here is a cleaned up one.

http://www.longarmconnection.com/Our_Products.html

[Persephannie 0]

I used to do this all of the time, and I still do. To prevent it, I leave the zippers on the machine and attach the center of the back/quilt top with only one pin. I then unzip the zippers and continue pinning from there. Hope that helps:)

[Gator 457]

OOPS, thanks Heidi!!! Guess I hadn't fininshed my first coffee when I posted the link.

[juliagraves 6]

Here are some tips I give my renters on putting on their zippers (if you got the zippers from Sue at Longarm Connection):

1. the start of the zippers are always to your left when facing the machine

2. There are two zippers with handles - they both go on the BOTTOM - one for the back and one for the front

3. the zipper without the handle goes on the top of the backing

4. you need to be able to read the words when you pin the zipper to the quilt - otherwise the zipper is upside down.

5. After you put the zipper on the bottom of the backing and then walk around to the top of the backing, remember that the start of the zipper is NO LONGER ON YOUR LEFT - it is now on your right because you are now facing the back of the machine.

Good luck!

Julia