sewing ribbon on zippered leaders?

[lorihufford]

I remember reading a while back that some of you have attached either ribbon or another extension to make your zippers wider for pinning quilts on. After 6 years of loving the zippers but sometimes getting too close to them when a back is a bit small, I think I would like to extend them. What do you use? Any and all suggestions welcome!

Lori

[srichardson]

I bought canvas at Joann's. I sewed my zippers to a strip of canvas and then stitched them onto my leaders. I have sewn onto the canvas several times but no harm done!

Sue

[Sparkle]

I have zippers sewn on to med. weight canvas like Sue to avoid wear on the zipper fabric. I sew my quilt backing onto the med. weight canvas with a basting stitch I'm lucky to have on my Babylock machine. It takes a stitch every inch--then feeds the fabric backwards and then takes another single stitch.

I tighten the top thread tension so that I just have to clip a few stitches when I'm finished---pull on the loose thread and it pulls off the quilt backing and leader with one long thread.

Sort of like the dog food bag and charcoal briquette chain stitch thread does---

Love my zippered leaders!

[Quilting Heidi]

I sewed ribbon onto mine and it lasts really well. I'm on 4 1/2 years now. I just bought gross grain 1 1/2" ribbon. Doesn't stretch and holds up well.

[o2b Quilting]

I use the gross grain ribbon that is 2 1/4" wide.

[cjtinkle]

2 inch grosgrain ribbon as per Heidi's suggestion. Works great!