How to Start a Leaders and Enders Quilt

If you are here to learn how to start a leaders and enders quilt, then you are in the right place.

When I first started quilting, I was taught to use a scrap piece of fabric to start and stop my stitching while I was chain piecing. This process has worked well for me. However, I have been trying to fit more quilting into less time.

This led me to Bonnie K. Hunter of Quiltville and a technique she calls “Leaders and Enders.” The idea is that you prepare fabric pieces for your leaders and enders quilt. Then as you are chain piecing another quilt, you use these prepared fabric pieces as your leaders and enders. If you want to read more about her process, you can find that here.

What are leaders and enders?

When chain piecing, a quilter starts their sewing on a scrap piece of fabric before sewing on the pieces of their project. This scrap piece is called a leader. When a quilter has finished chain piecing, they will then sew on another fabric scrap called an ender.

Some of the benefits of using leaders and enders are:

• Reduces the amount of thread wasted between chain piecing sessions
• Eliminates the thread nest that happens when you start sewing
• Stops the feed dogs from pulling the fabric into the bobbin area
• Protects your needle from breakage because you place your needle in the down position
• Prevents your fingers from getting caught on the sharp needle

What supplies do you need?

You will not need to purchase any special supplies for this quilt. They are items that you most likely have in your sewing space already.

Aside from your basic sewing supplies, you will need the following:

• Pattern – I am using the Super Easy Hourglass from Missouri Star Quilt Co. You can find the tutorial and free pdf here.
• Fabric – I am using Tula Pink’s Tabby Road. However, this is a great opportunity to use any scrap fabric that you have.
• Container to store your fabric pieces – I am using a wicker basket that fits in the space next to my sewing machine.

How to prepare your fabric pieces?

You will need to cut your pieces of fabric according to the instruction in your pattern.

The pattern I am following needed 5” squares. I didn’t have 5” squares, but I did have a layer cake. So I cut each fabric piece of the layer cake into four 5” squares. After replacing my rotary cutting blade, I was able to cut through about 6 pieces of fabric at the same time, so it was really quick.

How to store your fabric pieces?

After you have cut your pieces, you will put them in your container. I recommend using a container that fits in the space next to your sewing machine. This will make it super easy for you to reach for two of these pieces instead of those handy scrap pieces of fabric that are hanging around.

After cutting my pieces, I mixed them up a bit so that they were not all in the same order. Then, I put them in the wicker basket that fits in my sewing space.

How to use your fabric pieces?

Now for the fun part. When you are chain piecing your next project, you will grab two fabric pieces from your container to use as your leader or ender. When you cut the leader or ender off, you will store them in the same container that you have your prepared pieces.

If your pattern has many steps, you can move through the steps as part of your leader and ender piecing.

For example, after I finish piecing two 5″ squares together, the next step is make a four patch out of two sets that I made in the previous step. I would use this step as my next leader and ender step.

In no time at all, you will have sewn all the fabric squares that you need for your quilt top.

I hope that this has given you some ideas for a leaders and enders quilt. Throughout the year, I will keep you updated on my progress.

If you have found this tutorial helpful, please share this with your friends.

If you are looking for a resource on quilting terms and acronyms, you can find that here.