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Really Easy Panto Question-I think


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Before going to bed last night I was reading some of your past posts.  I always seem to think of 1000 questions when I do that so I'm going to ask one now.

 

One lady posted about putting panto designs on a plastic sheet and storing them in a binder.  When a customer is trying to decide what design to use she takes a sheet with a panto design on it and lays it on the quilt so that you can see what the quilt would look like with that design on it.  (Wonderful idea)

 

The question that came to mind is "Do you have a certain number of pantos or groovy (pattern)  boards, etc on hand to show customers the designs or do you just show them pictures of designs from the internet and then order the designs.  Yes, I know you have to own a design to mark it on the sheet but I was wondering how many pantos is normal to have on hand and how you decide which pantos you will keep in stock.

 

I'm learning so much from all of you but it makes me think way too hard.

 

David

 

 

 

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I'm sure that others will chime in here, but here's my 2 cents.  I have a collection of pantos that started in 2007 when I bought my girl.  I keep photos of mine in a binder for customers to look at, and when they've narrowed down their choices, I'll pull those pantos out so that they can see what they'll look like on their quilt.

 

I don't have a certain number, just ones that I've collected over the years.  I'll usually buy them when there's a reason for needing to look for more.  Customer wants a Halloween panto, or one with dragons.  In that situation, I'll look for the online, copy them to the customer and let him/her choose which one they like best within those.  That way I've gotten first look at them, because if I don't like them, I'm not going to suggest them to the customer.

 

For a time I belonged to Anne Bright's panto club, and you might look at other suppliers and see if there is a designer that you like and might want to collect.  The club gave a slight discount as well, so if you're looking to build up your stash, this was a good way to go.

 

I guess what this boils down to, is wait and see what you need before you rush out and buy everything.   It's hard to go slowly, I understand, but worth it in the end.

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I have way too many pantos. Vickie calls me the panto queen. Yes, I have all my pantos copied onto report covers that Ardelle told us about. I keep them in binders sorted. Animals, feathers, Christmas, novelty, geometric, stars and waterlike and maybe some more. When someone brings me a quilt, I ask questions. Like who is the quilt for and what do they like. Then I get the binder out and go to the section that has what I think might work. We go though the binder take out the sheets and lay them on the quilt. Take away the ones we decide that don't work until just the right one appears.  Hope this helps.

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I have lots of pantos but I don't have them copied and in binders. Way back when, I thought I'd do that but it never happened.   I'm blessed that 99.9% of my customers say, "Do what you think is best" and so far I've been successful.  I will say that I also use Machine Quilters Business Manager software which does a wonderful job of keeping track of customers and the quilts I quilt for them, including which panto I use.  My goal is to never use the same panto twice for a customer unless customer requests it.  If you don't have the software, consider making it a part of your business.  One of the best decisions I made when I started out.  

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I don't use pantos or quilt for others much, but I do use the pattern boards.   I have used the quilter's preview paper (clear plastic) and traced the design with a sharpie.  Then I can lay that over the quilt to see how it looks or if a design will fit in a block, etc.   I have also used a practice sandwich and stitched out a design to see how it looks that way.  I keep the plastic sheets for my own use.  I do need to organize them better though.    :unsure:

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Good question Dave. While it's wonderful to offer your customers a wide variety of pantos or pattern board designs, having them look on-line for the "perfect panto" and then you buying it, isn't a good use of your resources. Ethel Quiltmaker might fall in love with a panto with a jillion hearts all over it. You spend the cash and then never use it again. (I'm speaking from experience where I bought a panto a customer picked out, never used it again, and finally sold it for half price three years later.) Remember that the cost of the panto comes right out of the profits unless you charge extra to cover most of the cost of the panto. I wouldn't offer that option unless you want to build your panto inventory at the beginning.

 

You can build up your panto inventory slowly. There are popular standard designs that are appealing because of the ease of stitching or the overall look of it stitched out. Have a few standards available and remember to charge by the intricacy of the design and not just because it's a panto. Some pantos take five minutes to stitch a pass and some take twenty. Charge accordingly. 

 

Once you've mastered staying on the line and stitching sweeping curves from the back you can try your hand at freehand overalls from the front. The advantages are--nothing to buy. You can enlarge or reduce the same design to suit the scale of the fabric or piecing. You can charge according--more for denser overall and less for open ones. You never mess with lining up the next row---nor are there obvious rows with freehand overalls. You can take a motif from the designs in the fabric and use that as a part of the quilting design. Customers think you're a magician when you do that!  ;)

 

If stitching pantos is your niche, get really good at them and build the inventory. They're great for fast charity quilts. If you want to be a custom quilter, buy what you can use now but maybe not go overboard.

 

Watch the forum for members who add computers. They'll eventually be ready to sell pantos and pattern boards, so contact them early to let them know you're willing to buy, when they're ready to sell.

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Although I don't do pantos much yet, (I only recently got my Millie, upgraded from a mid arm that did not have a laser) I do lots of free motion overall and E2E designs.  As I learn a new design on a personal or charity quilt, I stitch out a square sample sandwich on muslin or scrap of micro print fabric.  I have a grommet tool, so I put a grommet in one corner, and put similar design samples together through the grommet on large binder rings I get at Staples or other office supply.  I can fit maybe 10 sample squares per ring.  I have started to bind them as well, like a small table mat, to show actual stitched out samples of the various basic designs I do really well.  People love to see them sewn out.  I can then scale them to the job at hand, etc.  I store them easily on coat hooks I have installed on the side of my book/supple case in my studio for eye candy for visitors.

Not exactly on topic, but an idea for showing your work for hire, and I think it would translate to pantos samples also.

;)

Beth

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Go slowly as you build your panto collection so that you can learn what works best for you.  I have had serious buyer's remorse with pantos that require advancing the fabric every 6 inches, pantos that require perfectly parallel curved lines, and those with designs too big or too small.  They all look so wonderful on the website, but some just don't work very well.

 

Carol

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The ones that are hardest for me are ones that have a lot of symmetry, straight diagonal lines, or patterns that line up directly on top of each other that make it obvious if you mess up or aren't exactly on the line.  Go for organic open shapes and patterns that are offset with each row.  The size of the pattern is important too - I like wider pantos that I don't have to advance as often as narrower pantos.  I like pantos that have more open space (quicker) than very dense patterns. 

 

I too bought used patterns and quickly found I prefer custom. 

 

Julia

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I do mostly custom quilting but do love to get those now and then pantos - all of my customers seem to say do whatever you think looks best, I usually suggest one or two pantos (if they are wanting e2e) and they will either pick one or say again - whatever you think looks best.  I find that it is easier if they have too many choices (and most don't usually think ahead of time what they want quilted just how densely they want it quilted)...I just keep mine rolled up in a shelf with divisions that I have marked for seasons or baby, kids, hobbies, etc....

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I like to ask a few questions of the customer regarding who will be using quilt and how it is going to be used.  Also if they have any thoughts at all about what they might like to see ie. more open space/more dense; more curves/more straight lines (often, they don't).  From there I can gather 2 or 3 panto designs for them to choose from.  I've found that customers can get overwhelmed with too many choices- so narrowing it down really helps.  Good luck.

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