¶ Introduction
The following SOP covers how to load a quilt on the Bernina Q24 longarm quilting machine.
¶ Time to complete
- 10 minutes.
¶ Tools Required
- Bernina Q24 Longarm Quilting Machine
- Renae's Red Snappers
- OR zipper attachments
- Pencil
¶ Materials Required
- Backing
- Batting
- Quilt Top
- Pins
¶ PPE
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):
• Sturdy, close-toed shoes must be worn at all times.
• Long hair, jewelry, and loose clothing must be tied back.
For more information on shop safety visit Digital Textiles under "Safety."
¶ Order of Operations
The most basic series of steps is as follows.
- Attach the backing to the take up bar leader. It must be centered, and then rolled up onto the take up bar until there is just enough out to attached to the bottom bar leader.
- Attach the backing to the bottom bar, and roll the backing onto the bottom bar until the take up bar leader is right at the dead bar.
- Place the batting on the tensioned backing. It must be centered and parallel with the backing.
- Place the quilt top on top of the batting. It must be centered and parallel with the backing and batting. Tuck the extra batting under the top bar and let it hang down.
- Attach the quilt top to the top bar leader. It must be centered. Roll it onto the top bar until the take up bar end is just this side of that same end of the batting.
- Check and adjust tension if needed. Get it laying with even tension-it's okay if it's not taut and the stitch plate lifts it somewhat.
¶ For any step where material needs to be attached to a leader
It really helps to have a friend.
- Center the material.
1.1 Find the center of the material and mark it
1.2 Find the center of the leader, where the darker dotted line is, and align the material to that. - Attach the center, then attach the outside edges. Maintain equal tension on both sides.
- Once the center and edges are secured, work from the center outward and secure every inch of the edge to the leader.
¶ Using Renae's Red Snappers
The snappers fit snugly over a rubber bar that is inside the edge of the leaders.
- With material aligned to the center.
- Press the snapper over the bar until it snaps into place. This can be made easier by resting the bar against the roller/leader bar and using that to press against.
- Make sure the snapper is in place over the whole length, not just appearing to be in place.
Work from one end of the snapper to the other.
¶ Using pinned leaders
- With material aligned to the center.
- Pin the center to the leader canvas.
- Pin the outside edges to the leader canvas.
- Working from the center outward and maintaining even tension on both sides, pin every inch of the material to the leader canvas.
¶ Using the zipper leaders
You must have your own zipper leaders to use this method.
- With the material aligned to the center.
- Baste the material to the leader
- Zip the leader onto the roll.
¶ Loading a Quilt with Renae's Red Snappers SOP:
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Load the Backing Rail.
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Center the backing on the rail. Mark the center of the backing on the top and bottom edges to match to the center of the leaders. The backing goes under the Dead Bar.
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Pin to the leaders starting in the middle and work to the outside edges being careful not to stretch the backing when pinning.
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Complete pinning and roll onto the Backing Rail.
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Pin the other end to the Take-Up Rail Leader, enduring it passes under the Dead Bar in a like manner.
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Attach the quilt top.
- Put the quilt top over the rails right side up.
- Find the center of the top and match to the center of the leader. Pin to the Top Rail Leader from center out.
- Roll top onto the Top Rail.
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Position the batting on the backing with the right of the batting up. If using needlepunched batting, it is placed on the quilt backing with the holes/dimple side up so that the stitches are quilted the same way as it was punched. The holes/dimples indicate the right side and placed up; the smooth side is the wrong side and placed down.
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Use BSR3 to baste the batting to the backing, use the Channel Locks to create a straight line.
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Pull up the quilt top over the batting and align with the basting line.
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Use BSR3 to baste the quilt top; use the Channel Locks to create a straight line across the top.
You have successfully loaded a quilt onto the frame of the Bernina Q24 longarm quilting machine!