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Zipper Leader Instructions

 Once you have booked your Certification Class for renting one of our APQS longarms, you will need to know how to attach your quilt top and backing to the Zipper Leaders. We will go over this information with you in your Certification Class also. We use the Quick Zip System, which will allow you to get your top and backing loaded quickly so you can get straight to the fun of quilting.

1)  Determine the most efficient way to pin the material and quilt the chosen design. (Some materials and quilting designs are directional, so you must take this into account when deciding how to load your quilt.) Measure the quilt top in the direction it will be pinned, 3 times (top, middle and bottom), calculate the average ((1 + 2 + 3) divided by 3) and write this number down.

2)  Fold the quilt top in half and mark the centers of the top and bottom edges of the quilt top with safety pins. Unfold the top and lay it out right side up to make sure that you will be pinning the side that you determined in Step 1.

3)  Lay out the zipper half marked “TOP FABRIC BOTTOM LEFT SIDE” and pin the center of the zipper to the center of the bottom fabric edge (of the quilt top). There is no zipper half for the top edge of the quilt top.

4)  Using safety pins, pin out from center to one edge. Place pins no further than a thumb width apart but do not overlap. Keep the edge of the fabric a consistent 1/16” from the zipper teeth and do not let the material stretch or ripple while pinning.

5)  Now flip the unpinned half over so you can easily pin from the center to the outer edge. Note: You may also baste the zipper or use straight pins with a protective cover over the sharp tip (which are available in our shop) if you wish.

6)  Lay out the backing fabric, square if necessary, and determine the direction it will be pinned. Fold in half and mark the centers of the two edges with safety pins. Unfold and lay out your backing fabric WRONG SIDE UP.

7)  Lay out the zipper half marked “BOTTOM FABRIC, BOTTOM LEFT SIDE” under the backing fabric so the backing fabric’s “right” side is against the side of the zipper that has the writing, and pin the center of the zipper to the center of the backing fabric edge. Make sure the backing material is WRONG SIDE UP. Pin out from the center to the edge as in Step 4.

8)  Flip the unpinned half over, so you can pin out from the center to the other edge. To pin the top edge, repeat steps 7 & 8 using the zipper half marked “BOTTOM FABRIC, TOP LEFT SIDE.” When you are finished, you will be ready to load your quilt onto the machine using your Zippers, which we will cover in your Certification Class.