Links, aka L&E

10 years ago

I guess it's not as well-known as I had thought... when I learned to machine-sew, I was taught to use a "link" at the end of each project seam. 2" squares (stacked in face-to-face pairs) were kept by the machine and at the end of your seam you grabbed a pair and 'linked' it on -just like in chain stitching quilt patches. By the time one completed sewing a blouse or shirt, there would be enough links to make a placemat or sometimes even a baby's quilt. My teacher just re-stacked the sewn pairs to grab and link for four-patches; tossed the four-patches into a bottom drawer and when the drawer was full, the patches were all put together to make a quilt. A side benefit was not wasting thread at the beginning of each seam - and not having to sweep up all those clipped-off threads.

I just read Bonnie Hunter's book "Leaders and Enders" (L&E), which turns out to be her term for the 'links' I learned so long ago. She also pre-cuts several sizes of squares for variety. Whatever you call them, do use them -- a drawer full of four-patches is more fun than a dustpan full of clipped threads :)

PS I thought her books were pretty good reading, too.

Comments (5)

msmeow
10 years ago
That's exactly how I'm making my postage stamp quilt. When I'm cutting fabric for other projects, I cut the small leftover pieces into squares, sort by color, then work on sewing them together as leaders & enders.

Donna
grammyp
10 years ago
You are so right. Those little pieces sure do add up, and I hate to waste anything.

beverly
K8Orlando
10 years ago
I heard Bonnie speak at a quilt show 3 or 4 years ago. She talked about L & E and showed many of her quilts. She was as charming and entertaining in person as you can imagine. One of the things she said was 'If you have a piece of fabric that looks ugly to you, you just haven't cut it small enough yet!'. A postage stamp quilt is on my To Do list too.
msmeow
10 years ago
Kate, I've been using that ugly fabric philosophy for a while! I had some truly awful print with santas and Christmas lights on a white background...a few years ago when I made Bonnie's annual mystery that fabric got cut into strips and made into string blocks...you can hardly even find a santa any more! LOL

Donna
meldy_nva
Original Author
10 years ago
Last night while searching for a bit of creamy yellow, I found a box of scraps that had been put aside a couple years ago... among the goodies were some patches of truly Ugly material, blindingly chrome yellow with violet-red streaks. I swear I heard Bonnie's voice saying, 'Just cut it smaller'. I took a deep breath and cut some into 1 1/2" squares, and then folded the edges to see if it would be at all bearable in the 1" finished size; and guess what? It'll do just fine.