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Panto planning


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Charlene...

I have never tried to "fit" the panto to the quilt. I start with a partial row and end the quilt with a partial row....I think most people do the same. I can't see how you would get it just right without a lot of headache. By the way...I have also never had a customer comment on the way I do it...they seem pretty happy the way it is! :P

Sandra

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Sandra, if I understand this, you just mark maybe half off the design and start there and don't worry about how it ends? I guess I am more anal and thought customers would comment that the borders weren't the same.

Does everyone else have the same experiences?

Charlene

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There is a video by Donita Reeves that goes into great detail about spacing pantos so that everything turns out "just so." I think Linda Taylor's book also has detailed explanations for this. It is useful to know if you are putting a panto in a border. For an all-over treatment, I start with a full pattern and fill in at the end if necessary with a partial pattern. I use the PatternGrid over my plastic and just love it. I mark starting and stopping points, etc. with the wash away marker.

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Hi Jerri,

I'm glad the class helped you and I'm even more glad that you're referring to the CD. I think it's a great resource, but of course I'm a bit biased! ;)

I'm working on a much-expanded CD that will be available for purchase in plenty of time for Christmas; possibly a lot sooner, but I don't want to promise something I may not be able to deliver. (Lots of family stuff happening!)

The CD is "Auto-Run", even if you don't have Power Point on your computer. Just put it in your computer and use the links to work your way through the different pages. There is an Index that has hyperlinks to each section, so it's very quick and easy to go directly to the subject you need to refresh your memory.

The first section of the CD is "Beginning Longarm" with some suggestions for dealing with customers; what their responsibilities are, and what yours are.

The next section is "Perfecting the Pantograph". You'll see up close how to mount the quilt, how to set the pattern, how to set the laser, how to end the quilt, what to do when the thread breaks or you run out of thread. etc. etc.

This information is for "edge-to-edge" pattern quilting. It does not include borders or corners, but will include block insets.

They've called me the "Pantograph Queen", but I have very rarely done a pantograph pattern in a border. Spend some time learning a few freehand borders, and you'll save yourself a lot of time and hassle! (Yes, you CAN learn to freehand the borders!!!)

Hmm....on second thought I may add some border information from my Freehand Borders class. Not how to do freehand borders, but some design ideas that may help you set up the pattern and how to easily design the corners. Of course, you could just get a Compu-Quilter, and then THAT problem would be solved!! LOL

I am in the process of adding a section from my Pattern Drafting 101 class, so you'll know what to look for in a pattern, what to avoid, and how to redesign a pattern you like, but that doesn't interlock well. Also, how to draft a 1 row pattern into 2, or even 3 rows.

If anyone on the APQS forum wants to be the first to get one, just send me an e-mail and I'll put you on the "first-served" list. Postage will be pre-paid if you put "APQS is the BEST" in the subject line! They'll be $30 U.S.

Oh yes! They'll have a pretty label too. :D

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STOP!! My phone started ringing before I was awake this morning and my mail box is filling up and things are going to get mixed up really fast if you don't send me all your shipping and payment information in the FIRST e-mail. This will save me time, which means you'll get the CD sooner!

Goodness! It looks like a LOT of people need help with pattern quilting!

I'm going to give you an option, because some of you seem desparate for this information NOW.

If you want to order the CD of the class I taught at MQS in 2004 (with some updates added since then), please send an e-mail and ask for CURRENT CD. In addition, if you want the added info on the NEW CD, I'll "upgrade" your CD when the new one comes out. The current CD is $20, the NEW CD will be $30. So upgrade will be $10.

Yikes! I hope I'm not opening a can of worms here! :o

Must admit that my mail box looked pretty great with all the APQS is the BEST! subject lines!! ;)

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Please add your phone number/s to the shipping information you send me for the CD/s. E-mail isn't always reliable, and I may need to get in touch with you. So here's what I need:

Name:

Address:

City:

State/Province:

Zip/Postal Code:

Phone #/s:

E-Mail address:

Form of Payment: PayPal (preferred), VISA, Check or Money Order

Charge will not be made until the day of shipment.

Thanks a bunch. Back to work!:)

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Hi Norma,

You can send your Visa # by Phone, Fax (604-852-5074) OR as a Word Document attachment to an e-mail. You may also e-mail me and get an invoice # assigned, then send your # broken into 2 parts in 2 messages, with just the invoice # in the subject line. That's very safe. PayPal is great too, and is much more secure than I could ever afford to make my own site.

Several have asked if I'll be teaching at MQS, MQX etc. next year. The answer is No. The stress does nasty things to a body that deals with fibromyalgia. I LOVE to teach, but am better off doing it in my own studio, with my own machine, my own "stuff", and my own bed at night. It took me 3 years of teaching at big shows to learn my lesson, but I learned it well! So when I go to the shows, it's just to hang out with old friends, drool over the quilts, and sometimes help a teacher out that is overwhelmed.

BTW, if you can possibly volunteer to help teachers that have hands-on classes, please do! Loading 10 tables at 11PM the night before classes start early the next morning is enough to take the wind out of anyone's sails! And then to have to set up chairs, and find a computer table, and screen and extension cords etc. etc. etc. ? And then find out you do NOT have a mic...Well, if you're at a show and the "hands on" teacher looks a bit tired, and unable to focus, try to understand that they actually started working hours ago!

The best experience I ever had teaching at a large show was at the first APQS Show, Quilting the Quilt 2002 in Duluth. WOW! Now THAT'S how teachers should be treated!! It was wonderful to just be able to teach, and not have my mind full of all the other little details. APQS (aka Marilyn Badger & Helen Smith-Stone) thought of everything, and all I had to do was "think" of something I needed and there was someone there to get it for me.

Be kind to your teachers, AND, bring chocolate! :P They need the energy!

Sorry.............I sort of got off on a tangent there, didn't I?!

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I use a computer program from Linda Mae Diny that tells you how many rows of your pantographs fit, where to put them, etc. It's so easy to use. I only paid $20 for mine, but I bought it in Overland Park this past May so don't know how much they are. Her phone number is (608)524-2697. I would really recommend this program. I have had really good luck with it and the only time I've ended up with partial rows at the end was when I didn't figure it out correctly. Goodluck!!

Kelly

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Hi Kelly,

I haven't seen this product or how it works, but wonder how you fill in the spaces left at the beginning and ending edges when many patterns are NOT designed along a straight edge, but rather along a "wave". Could you clarify this for me?

Also, if a pattern has 2 rows, the designer has already determined the row spacing. Do you treat the 2 rows as one, and leave more or less space between the 2nd and 3rd rows so you can get a full row at the beginning & end?

I used to do the math on row spacing until I realized I still didn't get the result I was looking for. You also have to be very careful not to overstretch your quilt, or your math goes out the window.

Isn't it great that there's always more than one way to do something?! I usually solve a "challenge" by working it backwards. What is the end result I'm looking for, and what steps do I need to take to get that result?

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Hi Catherine,

Yes, you can buy the new CD, but since the first one was free, I'll have to charge for the upgraded one. Sorry. :) You'll get a lot of information on the upgrade that isn't on the first one. Plus, I'm redoing most of the pictures.

I'm glad you enjoyed the classes. I do love to teach, especially beginners. Just love to see them get a good foundation to build their skills on. :D

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