JanicePearce Posted January 10, 2008 Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 As a newbie I am probably asking a silly question but here goes.....When starting a panto, I understand that the stitching of the pattern goes above/beyond the quilt top raw edge and onto the batting/backing and gets trimmed off after (as indicated on the longarmuniversity website panto directions). When this edge gets trimmed, won't the stitching unravel? This question also can be applied to the bottom of the quilt when the pattern gets stitched of the top onto the excess battin/backing - does this need to be secured before trimming? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnCavanaugh Posted January 10, 2008 Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 Hi Janice, Good job of thinking ahead! There are several opinions regarding quilting off the edge of the quilt and then having that stitching cut off during trimming. To deal with the dilemma some quilters take the following precautions: [*] Instead of actually quilting all the way off the edge, quilters will quilt just until they are inside the 1/4 inch seam allowance for the binding. To do this, move the machine until the needle is aligned just inside the seam allowance, and look at where the laser touches the pantograph pattern. Next, use some painter\'s tape and "mask off" the quilting design just "below" the laser beam (the part of the design that would fall off the quilt edge if you kept going.) Then as you quilt the design, when your laser beam runs into the painter\'s tape, travel along the tape\'s edge until you join up with the stitching line again. In essence, the edge of the painter\'s tape would represent a quilting line that would fall inside the 1/4 seam allowance. [*] Use smaller stitches when attaching the binding, to help catch those threads that leave the edge of the quilt. [*] Depending on the quilt\'s use, it might not be a big issue. Quilts hanging on a wall won\'t see much wear, but a bed quilt might get handled and/or laundered, increasing the risk that the stitches could become undone. [*] Other quilters go back and add a second "stabilizing stitch" just inside the 1/4 inch seam allowance after they\'ve done that first pantograph row (using a shorter stitch length) to help catch those stray ends. [*] As a side note, if you do quilt off the edge and back on again, take care not to flip the raw quilt edge over as you come back on to the surface of the quilt. We have some terrific pantograph queens on the website--but my guess they are doing the smart thing and are sleeping tonight. I\'ve got no sense, so here I am in the wee hours chatting! I\'m sure some of them will pipe up with more and better hints in the morning. Have fun, and welcome to the forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted January 10, 2008 Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 Janice, No Queen, but I do love my sleep in the wee hours! Dawn is the best and has the best advice. I do quilt right off the edge of the quilt and just let the binding take care of it. My thoughts are that the binding will go onto the qult, then the excess will be trimmed off. The stitching that intersect should hold it. Just like when we are piecing (gosh, I remember piecing ), we don\'t backstitch at the ends, we let the next stitching that intersects hold it in place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenMcManus Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 Buuuuuuuuut, if you quilt to the edge and then stay inside the 1/4 inch, aren\'t you assuming that the quilt top edge is perfectly even? If it isn\'t (and how many are really), then the top will be trimmed after quilting anyway, and the stitching cut. Do you know what I\'m saying? What would you do in that instance? Jen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenscratch Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 Jen, that\'s what I was thinking, but didn\'t know how to say it. It seems like you always have to trim some off the sides, so you would still cut the stitching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 I constantly stitch on and off the top when I do an E2E or a panto but seldom cut the thread--just jump back on the top to continue stitching. When I bind, I square up the top not by cutting, but with a chalk or water-erase line which I snug the binding up to for stitching. After the binding is applied to one side, the top is then trimmed. That way any stitch-off lines would be stitched down and then enclosed. ( I use my DH\'s big ole carpenter\'s square to help mark the top square.) As for trimming an un-square border where you end up trimming off part of the stitching pattern----that is a whole different problem. Those problems need extra planning--maybe if you want to do a pretty feather across the border you will need to plan to keep the feathers more compact and toward the center of the border and fill in around them to the edge with echoes or stippling. Then the un-eveness would be less noticable. I hope this helps--so far I have never seen a quilt with unraveled stitching lines at the edge after it has been bound--but saying that I will probably get a call tomorrow!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenMcManus Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 I think I\'m doing pretty well with the actual pantos, but I can\'t seem to make the stitch off - edge area look neat. As I get closer to the time I want take customer quilts (ooooh scary! ), I really want the edges to look better. I\'m kind of a neat freak. I guess I\'d better PPP. All these suggestions are great, thank you all! Jen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanicePearce Posted January 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 Hey Girls.... Thank-you sooo much for your great advice. I can see multiple answers to the trimming dilemma based on the situation. Your input is greatly appreciated and is a great welcome for me to this forum. Oh, by the way, how long does it take to get accurate and cumfy stitching a panto out...I think I was a little ambitious in the dense pattern I chose for practising on. I\'m a perfectionist :mad: Happy Quilting!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenMcManus Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 Janice, I think Waterworld and Popcorn are good for practicing. They have a lot of curves, but are not too dense. After a quilt or two with one of these, you are almost cured of squared off curves (almost:D)! Jen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DB Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 OK, so I just read through the above thread, got to Jen\'s posting and thought "hmmm, Waterworld, I don\'t have that one." So I exit this site and go onto Columbia River to look for it. Did I find it? Noooo. But did it stop me from ordering another 8 pantos that I also did\'nt have. Noooo. However I do have to say that I got some very nice pantos, some from Dave Hudson at a very nice price. So who makes Waterworld? DB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenMcManus Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 Go to Willowleafstudio.com and you\'ll find it there. It\'s one of my favs. Jen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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