On Pins and Needles Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 Im trying to do a simple pantograph and I cannot get it right once I advance the quilt. Im using the same method I always have, got it wrong once and spent the last three days frogging, dont want to do that again. this is what I do: Put my needle down in the highest point of the pattern...I think I'm inserting a pic of my highest point, cant remember how to ddo that and cant find Heidis instructions any more so here goes. image by riciclare, on Flickr Then, with needle down I advance until laser light reaches lowest point in pattern, the next picture (hopefully) is my lowest point. Correct? image by riciclare, on Flickr When I do exactly that I'm off by about 2". Going to post and see if my photos work. thanks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delld Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 You have it right to put your needle down in the high point of the flower. Carefully move or roll the quilt sp that the laser light in on the same point of the flower below the first flower! It will be the flower drawn with the dotted line! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 Ditto what Dell says! It's not high point/low point--it's high point/high point. You find the exact spot on the "shadow" line that corresponds to the solid line. You can use a high point or a low point--either will work for aligning as long as they are the same point on each progression. As an aside, I usually have my laser almost perpendicular to the panto. Yours is at quite an angle. I know that won't affect the quilting line, but does your point of light get "smeared" at that angle? I'm not much of a panto person and have to re-learn how to do it every time! So ignore me if this is how you were taught or are successful with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delld Posted February 24, 2013 Report Share Posted February 24, 2013 Linda, I didn't even notice the position of the laser. You are so right. A sharp angel sure makes it hard follow that dot!~~~~~~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
On Pins and Needles Posted February 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2013 Thanks to both of you for the clarification...I'm in the process of re-adjusting now. I've only done a few pantos, now I'm wondering how they ever turned out right! Yeah, I know my laser light is a bit wonky. I've been trying to compose a concise explanation of why I adjusted it like that, has to do with not enough room, a 10' quilt on a 12' table, a brick wall and a jumbo size operator, but as I was typing it occurred to me that no matter where that light points the machine still has to stitch to the end of the quilt and what actually made it all work was when I moved the tv out of the way! Sheesh, good thing I never tried to be an engineer or a brain surgeon. Thanks again for the help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted February 25, 2013 Report Share Posted February 25, 2013 Like Dell says, I usually put my lazer light on the top of the dotted flower and then roll the quilt until what I already quilted is under the hopping foot and then I know it is lined up with the dotted flower. This should line you up correctly for the next line, I also sometimes check by just running the machine down the line once without sewing just to see where it will be sewing and make sure that it is in the right spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitepinesquilter Posted February 25, 2013 Report Share Posted February 25, 2013 Cindy, Now that's funny!!! What an awesome sense of humor you have! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
On Pins and Needles Posted February 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2013 Marci, I have a lot of experience laughing at myself but I have to say I'm glad I recognized the major flaw in my thinking about that laser light before I seriously proclaimed to the whole quilting world that I got more room at the end of my table by aiming it differently. Whew, that's a sentence... It's been a day of lessons...lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
queenie123 Posted February 25, 2013 Report Share Posted February 25, 2013 I always glide my machine across after an advance ,cant explain it but somehow half way down the panto my sewing lines get wonky ,I think it might have something to do with my laser moving from the machine vibration ,just ever so slightly but I am guessing that each micro movement starts adding up the further I get down the quilt ,I am still a newbie tweeking lil things as I learn and the great thing is I just keep sewing ,no frogging for this gal ,well maybe just a little bit ,I quilted a quilt for a quilt shop owner and knew it would be seen by many but for myself I just quilt for fun ,I will quit when its not fun anymore ,lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
queenie123 Posted February 25, 2013 Report Share Posted February 25, 2013 I am such a newbie that i was also moving the whole panto ,I know it wasnt the right way but it worked for me at the time so this post is very educational for myself right now ,thanks for all the tips Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fineseams Posted February 25, 2013 Report Share Posted February 25, 2013 I *always* check my alignment by running across the new row (without stitching - just checking the position of the laser with respect to the previously stitched row) - checking that the top of my new row nests properly with the bottom of the already stitched row. Check the high point of the new row with the low points of the previous row. That way you are sure your laser hasn't gotten out of whack, and you have done your alignment correctly. It only takes a minute or two and you can then stitch confidently knowing that you won't be frogging the whole thing out later. Ask me why I do this:-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
On Pins and Needles Posted February 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2013 I agree Queenie. This is my own quilt and while the first row wasn't perfect I was prepared to just go for it figuring all practice is good and I would be happy with the improvement at the end. I really wasn't happy with the panto though, it was kind of a small intricate design so when the second row didn't line up I decided to take it all out and switch to a panto that wasn't so dense. I knew this one was also wrong Bonnie by doing exactly what you described. It was easy to see I was off by about 2", I just didn't know why. Thanks to the experts here who quickly came to my aid...I actually made some progress today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mestuart Posted February 25, 2013 Report Share Posted February 25, 2013 Okay, gals good tips on lining up the pantos, Another one is once your pattern is in place, move the machine to the edge of the quilt and put a plastic ruler or a piece of tape or something where the laser light shows the edge of the quilt. Do this on both ends, and you can see where to stop quilting as you get to the end. You can also adjust the panto , preferably before any stitching is done, to have a nice motif on the edges. I don't always start a panto at the very beginning if moving it just a bit gets the nicer looking motif. Does this make sense? Hope so. Marion in BC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CWBowser Posted February 25, 2013 Report Share Posted February 25, 2013 Marion, I use blue painters' tape on each side to mark the start and stopping edges of the quilt. I can draw on the painters' tape and it doesn't mess up my Patterngrid by the Colorado Quilting Company LLC. Cindy, We have all done what you have done. Also make sure once you have your laser light where you want it tighten it down good. It can loosen up and that can throw off your row and can be very frustrating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibbyG Posted February 26, 2013 Report Share Posted February 26, 2013 I do mine like Vicki. After I quilt a row, I go to the front and check it the whole way down to make sure I didn't have any loops or a skipped stitches before I move the quilt. If I have to fix something I know the quilt is still aligned. Then I don't needle down. I take my machine and put the laser light on the top of the dotted pattern at the bottom. After that I advance the machine until the quilted part of the top is hitting the laser light. Then I move the machine down the panto stopping at the same place on the other dotted parts to see if the alignment is OK. I read once that you should give the canvas a little tug to the side to make sure it isn't pulling in as you do the panto. I remember it took me quite awhile to figure out what to do as I work better if I can see something rather than have it explained to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted February 26, 2013 Report Share Posted February 26, 2013 Also, one of the issues I had with it being just a little off when I would advance is the canvas leaders were stretched more in the middle so I got into the habit of tugging the outside edges of the leaders to keep them straight everytime I would advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
On Pins and Needles Posted February 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2013 I'm going to save all these pearls of wisdom, you ladies are amazing. Marion and Charlotte, I'm with you on the painters tape. Have gone through a few rolls, the good news is they come in so many pretty colors now....I'm working my way around the color wheel. I'm going on try your method Libby. It scares me to advance the quilt with the needle down so this seems like a good alternative. Vickie, my quilt seems to bow just a bit in the middle and I bet the stretched canvas is the culprit. I've never ad anything nearly this big on the frame so the outer edges of that canvas is definitely unused up to this point. Now for the issue of this day...I'm trying to knit my first pair of socks. I haven't had knitting needles in my hands for 30 years, never even thought of working with 4 double point needles, 6 rows done so far and its not pretty! Thanks again to you all... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitepinesquilter Posted February 27, 2013 Report Share Posted February 27, 2013 Cindy , you just need to come to NE Iowa and my daughter, affectionately called the 'sock lady' , will gladly teach you how to get them made with one set of circular needles and both socks being worked at the same time. It's the neatest thing , and they fit so well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CWBowser Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 I am now into reading mysteries. The series I am in right now are " A Knitting Mystery" series by Maggie Sefton. The main character is learning how to knit. I thought of you, Cindy, when you said you were having trouble with 4 double pointed knitting needles. She has trouble with the circular needles while she is making a sweater in the second book. Good luck with your sock knitting. I tried to make a Christmas stocking and it turned out to look more like a sock for Big Foot. Scary!!!! I didn't get the gauge right. I will stick to quilting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delld Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 Cindy , you just need to come to NE Iowa and my daughter, affectionately called the 'sock lady' , will gladly teach you how to get them made with one set of circular needles and both socks being worked at the same time. It's the neatest thing , and they fit so well! This is the very best way to knit socks!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamu Posted February 28, 2013 Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 You have it right with the laser hitting the highest point....picture shows top of the flower, make a mark (I use red wet erase pen on my plastic sheet).....advance to where the laser hits the top of the flower on the lower row, making another mark. Then when ever you need to advance the quilt your can always put your needle down on one mark and advance to the next mark, that way it will be advance correctly with each row. I also use painters tape, the blue kind, to mark the edge of my quilt beginning and ending. This helps me to know where to start and if I have the quilt straight and it helps to know when to stop. Also, the tape shows where the pattern will be on the quilt and so you can adjust your pattern to show what you want on each end. This helps with not having to worry about ending or starting right in the middle of a design. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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