Zipper Leader Tutorial - Part 4

Next you'll make the zipper leader for your "Lining Roller" canvas. Follow the same steps with one exception. Position your closed zipper face up with the tab to the right as before, but you will be positioning the canvas above the zipper instead of below it. Hopefully you can see the difference in the photo below where I have already attached the new zipper canvas to the Lining Roller Canvas.

If you chose to make zipper leaders for your quilt top roller also, you will use the same steps as the "Lining Roller" canvas above.


To make extra sets of zipper leaders, position the closed zipper face up with the tab to the right. Stitch a new canvas to both sides of the zipper along the 1/2" folded edge of the canvas. Stitch them on your domestic machine as before using a zipper foot starting at the center and stitching to the ends.

Label the top canvas "Lining Roller" or "Quilt Top Roller" and the bottom canvas as "Pick Up Roller". The Lining and Quilt Top zipper leaders are interchangeable, but the Pick Up Roller zipper leader is not.


Each zipper will make one set of leaders. With the 4 zippers I purchased I have one machine set of Pick Up Roller and Lining Roller leaders, and 3 extra sets of the same. I chose not to stitch a zipper to my Quilt Top leader at this point in time. I may change my mind in the future, though.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I just wanted to thank you so much for your leader tutorial. It was awesome!!! I used faux suede material which you can pick up cheaply at stores like Hancock's and didn't have to serge edges cause it doesn't fray. I also attached one 6" strip to back of top leader strip with zipper so I could attach backing and top on same leader. Thank you again for information - you rock!

Yvonne
Susan Loftin said…
Thanks Yvonne. I'm glad the tutorial was helpful. The faux suede is a great idea of yours, too.
Sue said…
Did you ever attach a zipper on the quilt top?
Susan Loftin said…
Sue - I haven't attached a zipper to the quilt top, yet. I purchased an extra set of zippers last month and plan on adding them to the "Top Fabric" roller later on. I haven't had the need for the zipper on that roller before, but with other people using my machine now, I'll need it.
Debbie Davis said…
Thanks for the detailed tutorial. I just heard about zipper leaders, seems to be the way to go. I have a few questions though:

I already have leaders on my poles, so I'm thinking the zippers can be attached to the existing leaders, correct?

And secondly, my leaders are attached to the pole with velcro. This remains right? The zippers actually take the place of the pins you use to attach the backing and top to the leaders, right?
Anonymous said…
One more question, it seems that the zipper is attached to a 6 in wide leader and then that unit is attached to the original leaders on the poles. Is this correct? Thanks.
Susan Loftin said…
Debbie - Yes one side of the zipper is attached to the existing leaders on your machine poles. The other side of the zipper is attached to a 6" wide piece of canvas. You can then either pin your quilt top and backing to the 6" canvas piece, or baste it on with your domestic machine. The zippers make it easy to take the quilt off the machine to either look it over carefully to see if you need to make changes to your quilting, or to take it off before it is completed in order to put a different quilt on the machine. I find the zipper leaders extremely helpful because I often zip off my own personal quilts to work on a customer quilt. When the customer quilt is done I can just zip my own quilt back on and not have to repin it.

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