Printable View
I have a Grace Machine Quilter frame (with the King extension) and want to make my own cloth leaders. The directions say I need a 14" for the back rail, a 10" for the middle rail, and a 3" for the front rail. The width of course would be the width of my frame.
Any advice on making my own? I will be making these tomorrow and thought I'd ask here in case anyone has made their own. I don't want to buy ready made ones - saw them for about $80. and up, just for the 3 of them.
Thanks.
I made mine from canvas and I put a mark at the center with a permanent marker and lined that mark up with the center of my rail(s).
You could use sportswear weight cotton if you can't find canvas. If you have a serger, serge the edge then turn over 1/4" for a hem. Don't make the hems too thick, or you won't be able to pin through them.
I bought mine from Grace, they were way more than $80. Good luck on making them for way less.
The one thing you want to make sure of is that the edges of the leaders are absolutely parallel to each other. When mounted on the poles. This is how you know you're quilt is square if the backing ( especially) is stretched squarely between the two backing leaders. My backing leader at the back is the short one, it is about 6-8" wide. I certainly wouldn't make any leaders too narrow. You can always wind the excess onto the poles. You said one would be 3" wide. That seems very narrow.
Duck cloth will work. That's what Joann's sells their canvas as.
On the hand-quilting frame that Al made for me, I used pillow ticking. It was great because of the printed lines so I knew I had it on straight. I attached those using velcro (the sticky-back kind) and it has held up really well. The Grace frame I have came with the leaders.\
I'm like Jean, the leader size seems off. I just measured and mine are 8", 18" and 24". I have the Inspira frame.
I'd go with canvas. You need something that is not going to easily stretch out of shape. We use to use canvas on the back of our big weaving looms because they were always under a lot of stress.. It lasted for years always keeping an accurate distance.
I was lucky, when I got my Blockrockit and Grace frame as a package deal, the leaders were included in the price which was very handy :-). Otherwise I would have made my own too.
Thank you EVERYBODY. I am going to print off the answers tomorrow and carry them with me to The Cotton Patch (aka my quilt room).
The only other thing I found so far is the frame is turned so the front is along the wall. Guess I will rastle up the 2 strong kiddos tomorrow morning and get them to help DH move it out for me. There is no way we can turn it around now.
I bought pillow ticking at Wallmart and used that. Be sure to check the widths of your leaders again.
OK - so I will go buy canvas, duck cloth, or pillow ticking - if I use Sandy's measurements I will get 8", plus 18", plus 24" equals 50"- add another few inches let's say 10" just to be on the safe side - for the 1/4" hems on all three and then I have to sew down about half to full inch to fit my dowel rod through it. So, 60" I buy.
So, on one - back the bus up! I need double that cause won't I cut the 8" one - add 3" to it for the hems - so that's 11" x 2 cause I am thinking I have to fold that 22" piece in half - sew the long sides together - then sew in from that sewn seam 1/4" inch cause that's where I will pin my backing and top to and then the fold long length I will sew in the amount I need to stick my dowel rod through.
So, I need about 120" of the leader stuff I am using?
Does this sound right or is it too early in the morning for anyone to think straight? :)
Trish, what are your rods made of? Are they wood or metal? The grace frame I have is metal and the leaders are attached with velcro. It really holds well and that way you don't need the extra fabric to make a pocket to slide the rods into . . . does that make sense? Wish I was right there to help you but I'm still fuzzy from sleeping in late this morning and can't wrap my head around your measurements.
Hi Sandy!
The long rods look like they are made with aluminum and they have a slit through them where I slide the dowel rod in them.
So, if I do Velcro - aaack! I'm not sure I know what to do. Do I just wrap the fabric around the rods and then sew on the Velcro where I would Velcro it together?
I am not a sewer - I am a quilter. haha. Sewing these things runs right up a sewist ally.
Oh man, did that last sentence or two get those fuzzies out of your head?
Okay - got it - the dowels you have aren't that big. Think we have the same 'poles'. Mine also came with rubber tubing that you could force into that groove to hold the leaders in place. I'll go scan the page of instructions for you if you didn't get them with your frame. Maybe that would help.
Let's see if I'm defogged enough now that I'm on my second cuppa. You have a king frame - so assume 120 inches? Pillow ticking normally comes 54 inches wide. You need 50 inches for your leaders plus the hem allowance so if you buy 3 1/2 yards of 54" pillow ticking you should be good to go - I don't know that you need to double the leader though. If you do that you'd need 7 yards of the pillow ticking . . .
Thanks Sandy!
I did get the instructions with the frame. I also downloaded and just printed a instruction thing about what to do with the Velcro. I'll let you know later how it's coming along. If you hear someone screaming, that's probably me. haha.
Doesn't she just need the length of the longest pole? :icon_beuj:
If it's normally 54" wide, that will double when I get it home and open it up so that would take care of the length - well, that only adds up to 108, not 120 - but I doubt I will be doing king size - oh, one never knows I suppose. And then the 3 1/2 yards, well that would take care of the amount I would need for the 8, 18, and 24 measurements mentioned earlier.
This is what I am understanding.
Anyone want to just come over - I guarantee a good time!! I'd even let you look at my stash. :)
Just measured my leaders on my Tin Lizzie/Grace Frame. Serge around all edges of leaders after they are cut. Front leader is 9" (add about 1/2" to one edge and 3/4" to other edge for hems) 2nd one is 19 1/2" (add same amount for hems) and third is 26 1/2" (again add 1 1/4" for hems). My leaders are attached to metal poles with velcro...so the hem on that edge matches the width of the velcro. Other edge is serged and turned under about 1/2". My leaders are about 114" long (add 1/2" to each end for hems...so cut 115" long). By my calculations....buy 60" width fabric and then the length of the leaders.....mine would take about 3 1/4 yds. When adding the measurements for the leaders 9" + 1 14" (hems) + 19 1/2" + 1 1/4" (hems) + 26 1/2" + 1/1/4" (hems) = 58 3/4". So you are within the 60" width of your fabric and should only have to buy the length to match length of your poles/leaders. My fabric is kind of a twill/canvas. Not that heavy....but not lightweight like muslin. Mine has all kinds of printed measuring lines on it, but don't use them, so not needed. I will definitely make my own if I ever need new ones. By my calculations $80/3.25 = $24.61...surely you can find canvas for less and the sewing is not difficult. Hope this helps. Even if your canvas is not 60" wide, there is a little wiggle room in how wide you make your leaders....you could fudge probably an inch on each and still be good.
Just measured my leaders on my Tin Lizzie/Grace Frame. Serge around all edges of leaders after they are cut. Front leader is 9" (add about 1/2" to one edge and 3/4" to other edge for hems) 2nd one is 19 1/2" (add same amount for hems) and third is 26 1/2" (again add 1 1/4" for hems). My leaders are attached to metal poles with velcro...so the hem on that edge matches the width of the velcro. Other edge is serged and turned under about 1/2". My leaders are about 114" long (add 1/2" to each end for hems...so cut 115" long. By my calculations....buy 60" width fabric and then the length of the leaders.....mine would take about 3 1/4 yds. When adding the measurements for the leaders 9" + 1 14" (hems) + 19 1/2" + 1 1/4" (hems) + 26 1/2" + 1/1/4" (hems) = 58 3/4". So you are within the 60" width of your fabric and should only have to buy the length to match length of your poles/leaders. My fabric is kind of a twill/canvas. Not that heavy....but not lightweight like muslin. Mine has all kinds of printed measuring lines on it, but don't use them, so not needed. I will definitely make my own if I ever need new ones. By my calculations $80/3.25 = $24.61...surely you can find canvas for less and the sewing is not difficult. Hope this helps. Even if your canvas is not 60" wide, there is a little wiggle room in how wide you make your leaders....you could fudge probably an inch on each and still be good.
OK just read where your leaders are attached with dowel rod into groove. Just have to make a pocket on one edge to insert dowel instead of sewing velcro on it. That is actually easier. All measurements above should still work.
Trish, I think the 54" is a single width - like regular fabric . . .Quote:
Originally Posted by quiltingtrish
Thanks everyone! I am heading to the store!!