If you quilt on a longarm, the sides of a loaded quilt can make or break the finish. Too little tension and a tuck can hide on the back until the quilt comes off the frame. Uneven tension and a border that looked straight when loaded can finish wavy. The Red E Edge Snapper Clamp 16in is a side clamp made to solve that problem, on any longarm machine.
What This Clamp Is
The Red E Edge Snapper Clamp is a lightweight side clamp made of plastic and elastic, designed for longarm quilting. This size is 16 inches long, and the pack includes two 16-inch clamps — one for each side of your quilt. Red-E-Edges are also available in 12-inch and 19-inch sizes, each sold as a set of two. The updated design is made to snap shut easily, open easily, and still hold your backing fabric with the right level of tension.
Why Longarm Quilters Use It
The key idea is spread-out tension. Using just one small clamp on a side can leave you with uneven tension, because all the holding power is concentrated at a single point — and that uneven pull is what can cause a wavy border. Using no side clamps at all runs the risk of a tuck forming on the back. A long Red-E-Edge clamp holds securely and evenly across the entire side instead, giving you evenly spaced tension from end to end. The aim is simple: no tucks on the back and no wavy edges when the quilting is done. Less time fussing with the load also means more time actually quilting.
How to Use It, Step by Step
- Load your quilt as usual. Attach your backing, batting, and top to your frame the way you normally do, and advance to the section you are ready to quilt.
- Position one clamp along each side. Lay a 16-inch clamp along the side edge, over the backing fabric it is meant to hold, centred on the area you are about to stitch.
- Snap it shut. Press the clamp closed so it grips the side evenly along its length rather than at one point. The updated design is made to snap shut easily, so you should not have to fight it.
- Check the tension before you stitch. Run your hand over the side and across the backing. It should feel smooth and evenly held, with no loose pocket where a tuck could form and no hard pull that could distort the border.
- Quilt, then reposition as you advance. When you roll the quilt forward, open the clamps — they are designed to open easily — move them to the new section, snap them shut again, and re-check the tension.
Practical Tips
Make checking the back part of the routine: the point of even side tension is preventing tucks you cannot see from the front, so a quick check before each pass is worthwhile. If borders have finished wavy for you before, check that the side feels evenly held along the full 16 inches, not just in the middle. Choose the size that suits your work — this article covers the 16-inch set, with 12-inch and 19-inch sets also available. Because the clamps are lightweight, they hold without adding heavy drag on the side of the quilt.
Care and Storage
These clamps are made of plastic and elastic, so store them flat, out of prolonged heat and direct sun, and do not leave them snapped onto fabric or held stretched in storage, so the elastic is not under tension between quilts. Keep the pair together in your longarm area so both sides are clamped the same way every time, and give them a quick look before loading — a clamp that is not snapping shut cleanly is not going to hold evenly either.
Project Ideas
Use them on any longarm project where the edges matter: quilts with pieced or plain borders you want to keep straight, and large quilts where the back is hard to inspect once loaded. They help on everyday quilts too, making each pass calmer and more predictable.
Shop the Red E Edge Snapper Clamp 16in at Linda's Electric Quilters.
