Leaders and Enders

While doing the Grand Illusion Mystery Quilt, I learned about a technique Bonnie Hunter calls Leaders and Enders.  You can read all about it here, if interested.

I hope I can explain how I plan on doing this different technique.  Basically, if you need to make the same unit over and over again for either a whole quilt or for a portion of a quilt, it can get really boring making the same unit piece over and over and over again.  For instance, the Primrose Prairie quilt needs 244 of these units to make the sashing between the main blocks.    Each unit has 7 pieces, which becomes tedious in the making one after another.

But, putting her technique in to practice, if you do a unit before (leader) and after (ender) other projects, eventually the leaders and enders become a finished project themselves.

For example, while I was making the last five blocks for the Patchwork Party 2007, at the beginning of each block, I would make one of these units, and after making the a block, I would make another one of these blocks.  TaDah, I now have 10 units complete and it went quick.  I know this way may take a little longer, but I think I might be able to stay on task of getting the Primrose Prairie done by staying on target using this leaders and enders technique!

Now, I also needed a way to keep all the pieces by my sewing machine, all readily available, so I can just pick up a set and sew away.  I took one of my "famous" cardboard trays and set up all the pieces in it and set it by my sewing machine.  Now, I have the ability to sew a unit whenever I can fit one in before or after a block or project.

Warmest...