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Leaders have a loose spot off center


hbuchwitz

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Similar questions have been asked. Gained some advice from those. Pinned my leaders and rolled up. I have a loose spot halfway between center and far right. The leaders get nice and taut across the left in the center and far on the right. The bad part is most of my backs end at about the soft spot! This machine is about a month old and Bob from Apqs set it up for me.

It's hard to see but I put the blue tape in the soft spot. Thanks!

post-97189-0-27613700-1470945342_thumb.jpeg

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Do you pin your backings to your leaders?  I think if you use your channel lock to stitch straight lines across your leaders, and then use that line when you pin, your soft spot issue might be resolved. 

 

If you don't have channel locks, you can use a clamp on the carriage to keep your machine from rolling frontwards and backwards when you stitch your lines.

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If you have your leaders pinned together, as they are in the picture, I think you need to make sure you take up the slack in that area when pinning.  If the tension is even all the way across, hopefully that will give you a nice even line.

 

Here's another thought.  Have you unrolled you leader all the way to make sure it's attached to the roller evenly in that area?  That may be the cause of your issue.  Or you may be able to move where it is attached in that spot to adjust for the soft spot.

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If you have your leaders pinned together, as they are in the picture, I think you need to make sure you take up the slack in that area when pinning.  If the tension is even all the way across, hopefully that will give you a nice even line.

 

Here's another thought.  Have you unrolled you leader all the way to make sure it's attached to the roller evenly in that area?  That may be the cause of your issue.  Or you may be able to move where it is attached in that spot to adjust for the soft spot.

 

 

 

haha - I did & it frightened me so I quickly rolled it back up! :)

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Hbuchwitz:

 

I only have a George, but this seems to be a re-occuring theme.  That being said, I would do a search on "straightening your leaders", and see what great information you find.  I only remember this article, because I learned a great deal from Kimmy by watching her feather videos.  I believe it will help you fix your issues;  http://www.kimmyquilt.com/article/straighteningleaders/

 

Cagey

 

PS:  When Kimmy warns you about the "permanent" chalk line you place on your roller.  You might try buying a brand new chalk line, and just filling it with quilters chalk.  They are cheap, and just filled with string before you add the chalk.  I have tried exactly that to square up my finished quilts, and the quilters chalk came out fine.  I use white chalk, which should show well on a black roller.  Though I am not sure if quilters chalk will stay on the roller.  You test it by rolling a piece of kitchen twine in your quilters chalk, and test snap a line on your roller.  Since your only using it once, you could do exactly that with a roller length piece of twine, and just throw it away after your done.  Use a paper clip for your hook to hold it to the roller.

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B:  To take any slack out of the leader you're working on before stitching your reference line, take scrap pieces of batting and stuff them in the securing leader to pull the one you're marking taught.  Start with your take up leader.  Pin the backing leader to it, stuff the backing leader so that you the take up leader is uniformly taught, put on your channel lock and about two to two and a half  inches up on the take up leader, and stitch.  Pin the same securing leader to your stitched line, fold the excess of your take up leader over, and again with your channel lock on, stitch the pocket. ( a one inch pocket works well, and will accommodate quick attachment tools like Red Snappers)   Now trim off the uneven edge that left after the second stitch line.

 

Once your take up leader is finished, remove any "stuffing" and starting about two to two and a half or two inches up on top leader, pin the take up leader edge to your top leader making sure any unevenness in the top leader is pulled out.  Fold the excess from the top leader over, and stitch a similar pocket in your top leader.  If you want, you can trim any unevenness, or simply leave it.  Now do the same for the backing leader, and you'll have the job done.  Good luck.  Jim

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For anyone interested in attaching a new leader to your roller, most tubing that rollers are typically made of, have a visible seam.  I've found that it runs straight down the tubing, and I have used it as my reference line.  A lot simpler and probably more reliable than trying to use a chalk line.  All the rollers on my Ult 2 had seams like this.  Jim

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