hollyc Posted September 28, 2009 Report Share Posted September 28, 2009 Did anyone ever take a class that shows how to do a pantograph from the front of the machine..thought I saw it offered at MQS or MQX. Any idea how you would do this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoryJM Posted September 28, 2009 Report Share Posted September 28, 2009 I'm not sure that you could do an entire row of a panto pattern, but you could do a single motif design for a single block. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted September 28, 2009 Report Share Posted September 28, 2009 Hi Holly, I took the class at Innovations and hesitate to give the details here because this is how the quilter pays her way. I will say that it was logical but not particularly "do-able" with the size pantos most people own. She gave good info and a couple of hints to make it easier, but Dennis set up a similar system for me two years ago ( please no comments or urgings to share--as I said, it is not very user-friendly) and it isn't sell-able in its present form. It really didn't save me any time and I much prefer any pretty freehand overall to a panto every time. Boy--doesn't that paragraph sound prissy--pardon me friends, it's just a disclaimer!!! Pantos from the front require a holder for the panto--at the front. And either a stylus holder or laser holder--at the front. Give it some thought and you can see the limitations of this. Or maybe someone can design something easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IBQLTN2 Posted September 28, 2009 Report Share Posted September 28, 2009 viking at one time had a table that had a shelf at the top that the panto went on, dont know where the stylus connected though. even if you were at the front you still had to be looking at the panto and not the needle, so what is the difference if you still cant be looking at the stitching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hollyc Posted September 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2009 Linda, even without the class, I could see problems and yet the thought was intriguing. Thanks for your followup. NO MORE QUESTIONS! I thought it was a great idea because I could sit--my knees hurt. I would think you would need curtain rods (L-shaped on the ends) and a narrow strip of plexiglass and something to hold the panto on the front, but it would have to be very narrow. You can't lay the paper on the quilt as it jiggles. OK, I'm talking to myself. H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcarmickle Posted September 28, 2009 Report Share Posted September 28, 2009 I took a class at Innovations that taught how to do pantos from the front. It's pretty complicated to explain but basically you have to measure the distance you have from the takeup roller to the front, divide that in half and that is the size panto that you can use. You can use a longer panto but the width is dictated by the amount of space you have available...in most cases about 9" is about as wide as you can go, according to the instructor. It's an interesting process, but there is still a great deal of prep that has to be done, so I am not so sure that there is a tremendous saving of time, at least with the method that I saw demonstrated in the class that I took. The instructor did a great job of explaining it...she was also very careful to explain the copyright issues with changing the size of a panto, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra Darlington Posted September 29, 2009 Report Share Posted September 29, 2009 I had a New Joy Frame (and a Brother 1500S machine) for about 5 years, prior to getting my Liberty. Anyway, the New Joy frame was built to always do the pantos from the front. Probably if you go to their website (I think it is www.newjoyquilting.com) you could see their way of doing it. Perhaps you could improvise a similar set up with your machine. I liked doing pantos from the front. I did lots of them back then. Now I hate doing them on my Liberty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seakitten Posted September 29, 2009 Report Share Posted September 29, 2009 I once had the Viking "Mega-Quilter", which I imagine is much like what Sandra describes. I liked it because it was easier to see the stitches, even though you could not be looking at them when you were actually sewing. Otherwise, I HATED the Viking machine & the frame was 'way too flimsy. I agree with Sandra, I do not like working from the back of the Millie, but that's OK, it is so much more fun to do freehand on a machine that actually works. The Viking set-up had a shelf that fits above the machine, which is much smaller than the APQS machines. I guess that, if you really wanted it, there would be a way to rig up a shelf in the front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator Posted September 29, 2009 Report Share Posted September 29, 2009 The Viking and a lot of other DSM used the "Inspira" frame which had the shelf above the machine. I've never seen one for a LA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katydids Posted September 29, 2009 Report Share Posted September 29, 2009 Originally posted by hollyc I thought it was a great idea because I could sit--my knees hurt. You can sit at the back and do pantos! It is a bit awkward at first, just like doing your first panto. But you can do it. I tried it after a customer of mine said they did it and now I sit at the back all the time. I can do more quilting before taking those breaks and I am more productive when doing pantos. I use my saddle stool and move the machine forward a bit more to make room for the chair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belquilt Posted September 30, 2009 Report Share Posted September 30, 2009 Like Patty, I sit at the back and do pantos! I sit in the front too. Call me lazy, but I have some joint challenges and its so much easier to sit!! I guess its just a matter of getting used to it and slowing down in the beginning. Try it, you might like it a lot more!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatSchafer Posted September 30, 2009 Report Share Posted September 30, 2009 I took the class from Linda. One of the biggest drawbacks was the reach. You basically have the stylus in front and your needle is behind sewing. So you're sewing the panto further from your body - not great for the back. Also, there's a bit of an issue of having the panto bounce a bit - although she'd worked that out. I thought it was too good to be true when I read the description of the class. Pat Schafer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinneaMarie Posted September 30, 2009 Report Share Posted September 30, 2009 You can also get a piece of Plexiglass and bend it in a warm oven with the door open. Joyce Coburn (on this Forum and an APQS rep) told me about how to do it. It would also be nice to have a tray on the rollers close to where you work. The reason for bending it is so it won't slide off the rollers. Maybe she will chime in and tell us how she does it;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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