Using Pantograph Patterns on your frame

This is a message that Kathy posted to one of her Machine Quilting Groups that I wanted to share on our Blog.

Can anyone give me any hints on following a pattern (where to start, direction to go etc.) I can't seem to be able to see the starting point and direction or how to make it flow smoothly. Tammy


Tammy,
With a pantograph pattern, I was always taught to move from the
Right to the Left. This is opposite from the way you would normally
read or write. This makes your quilting machine move in a 'forward'
direction. Your tension will probably be much better by moving in this
direction as often as you can. It doesn't mean that you can't move
'backwards', but to constantly move that way is like going in reverse,
and that's when I find that my threads could pop or skip. (I do suggest
that there is probably no right or wrong way, but this is just the way I
was taught years ago, and it's worked great for me.)

First, after your quilt is attached and ready to quilt, you want to
put your needle down into the quilt at each corner of the quilt, so that
you can place your blue tape (or however you mark each side of the panto
so that you'll remember to stop) at each side of the pattern. Twist and
turn your laser light so that you won't go off your quilt and into the
leaders, etc. I also move the machine along that top edge of the quilt
(while looking at my panto) to make sure none of the parts of the panto
run off the quilt. (I often only quilt half that panto on the first
row, especially if it's an interlocking pattern, so that I don't have
empty spots on the quilt top edge.) Move your panto pattern around
inbetween these two marks so that you can center the pattern or how you
want the pattern to look on your quilt.

So, when you're standing behind your machine, start at the right
side of the pattern, and follow it all the way to the left of the
quilt. Then, I put my needle down in the Red dots on the pattern that
say "top of pattern", and gently roll my quilt. I slide the Pantograph
Pattern so that the 'bottom of pattern' dot will be at the approximate
spot where the laser light falls. With the needle still in the quilt
(be very careful here so that the quilt doesn't rip or tear - gentle), I
get the quilt ready for the next row by getting my quilt tension right
and attaching the clamps, etc. I slide the panto pattern until the
laser light exactly hits where my next red dot is, and this will offset
or align the panto pattern correctly. Then, I quilt the 2nd row.

On panto patterns that don't have 'top' and 'bottom' of designs, I
make my own by deciding the appropriate distance between the pattern so
that it doesn't look like I've made 'rows' of quilting. I put my 'Dots'
on the top and bottom of each design (sometimes I have to put the panto
over the top of itself so that I can see exactly where I want the offset
to land.) I want the look to look like it's all one continuous design
on my quilt, without obvious lines where there is no quilting. Some
patterns are very elaborate with lots of crossing of the lines of
quilting, and most of these either have an arrow to follow so that you
move in the right direction, or they have a different color where the
lines cross so that you don't mistakenly move in the wrong direction.
Also, on many patterns, when you unroll the pattern and put it on your
frame, you want to be able to read the words and directions that may be
printed on the panto, and many of these show you with arrows the
direction to quilt (and it's usually from the right to the left while
standing behind the frame.)

That's probably as clear as mud, I know, but the machines do run
better if you try to feed fabric through them the same way as if you
were sitting at your domestic machine, in a mostly forward motion. I
always quilt a panto from right to left, and never follow it back the
other way. This can get your quilt to zigzag (how do I know this?), so
aligning your quilt and panto with each row, makes your quilt come out
perfectly in the end. Remember that quilts have a lot of variation in
the size through the center, the different fabrics used, the grains and
bias, etc. This means that each row will be different from the last
row, and I usually treat each new row as if I were starting the quilt
all over, aligning the laser light up where I need it, etc. I don't
want my panto patterns to 'shift' unless I want them to on purpose.

I do about 95% custom quilting, but sometimes a panto pattern is fun and
can enhance a busy quilt. I find it fun for a change, and can really
listen to my books on tape or CD as I go along, and don't even realize
that I've finished my quilt so quickly. I don't have to think nearly so
much when I use a panto pattern.

Happy Quilting!
Kathy w/ gam classic 7 years - almost 1800 quilts