Side Clamps---Favorites

[sammi357]

Oh, you all are brilliant!

I have quick grip type clamps, they're big orange things, they hold really tight, but they're big and bump the frame.

(hate that!) :mad: and I'm usually trying to move them, run the machine, and hold the quilt tight at the same time!

what a great idea to hook them to elastic!

Whoo-hoo...Have a sewing day on Sat, and can't wait to share this with DGF!!

sammi

[carolinequilts]

Hi. When I bought my machine back in March (was it that long ago?), that is when I first started 'perusing' the APQS forum. This is when I noticed the 'tip of the day' on the main page of the APQS site. I'm not sure anymore who it was from, and of course back then I knew no names (not even Dawn's - sorry Dawn), but it was the tip of turning the straps around and using the elastic end to pin to the quilt. Best tip of the day ever!! When I went to my beginner/first owner class and told my instructer - boy was she impressed! I now always look at the tip of the day..

PS - I think many of us might miss that tip of the day because we branch immediately to the 'today's posts' site - am I right?

[Judi]

Caroline - you are right! I have never read the "Tip of the Day"....

But I do know who Dawn is and she is the one who told me too about turing the clamps around and let them hang off the machine.

I finally made myself some of those extra side leaders to pin to the backing. You really do get a nice even tension on all of the quilting area, like in the first photo Boni posted, and I used that fun LongArm quilters Fabric!!!! Love them! Now I just need to get the hang of using them. Oh - and I still pin my elastic to the side leaders, NO clamps.

Boni - can't wait to see that quilt - looks great so far!!!!