My New Quilt Loading System - The Red Snapper!

Whooo hooo!  My Mom went to the MQX show in Kansas City last month and purchased me the Red Snappers (actually she bought herself some and went home and ordered mine online).  They came to me in record speed - I think only a few days and I think I really LOVE them!!!

The official website for this loading system is:  http://quiltsonthecorner.com/home  If you are pinning your quilts on your longarm, I highly recommend you go check it out!  I heard of them when I went to quilt school a year ago...but was "too busy" stabbing myself with pins to check them out and buy them.  Everytime I stabbed myself with a pin (usually drawing blood and having to wait until it stopped bleeding to finish pinning my quilt on) - I would curse and say "I HAVE to get those Red Snappers!  I talk to my Mom on the phone a lot when I am pinning on quilts and she heard it soooo many times, she bought them for me : D.  I LOVE my MOM!!!!!

So, how to put them on...I recommend that you check out the official site and watch the youtube videos, but here is a quick tutorial on how I do it. 

First you have to take the red tubes and screw them together (so that they go the length of your leaders). Then you thread the tubes through the hem casing on your leader - like so...

Roll the bar until the red tube is on the top of your bar - see above.

Then, you need to find the center of the top and bottom of the quilt back and lay it over the back and forward bar on which you load the top and bottom of the backing fabric.  (If you don't quilt, this won't make much sense...don't worry it confuses even those of us who quilt : D). 

Line up the center (see the pin) with the center of the leaders (which should be marked).  Then, check t o make sure that there is the same about of fabric over the bar all the way down.  (You should have made sure your backing fabric is squared up by now anyway.)

Then, snap the red snappers on across the top.  I find that it is good to have them hang off the ends of the backing fabric a few inches to hold it really well.

  Next do the same with the back bar where you usually pin the top of the backing fabric...  It works best if you put the red snapper on top of the tube and press down with your palm...you will want to NOT push on the bar, but wrap your fingers around the bar and use your fingers to press your palm onto the bar to snap it on.

You can put the system on for the front bar on which you usually load the bottom of the quilt top - if you choose not to float your quilt.

Then, it is loaded.  On the website, it talks about how fast it is...it is faster for me, but I have a feeling I will get even faster...but the BIG reason I wanted it is to STOP stabbing my fingers & it is heaven for that reason.  Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  : D

Then, roll it tight to get it ready to add batting and top and you're loaded.