Being new to the FM process, can anyone give me and suggestions, on how to attempt a pantograph on my DM?
No allover pattern in particular, just need to have an easy
general type, without it being stippled. Would love to own
a longarm, but out of the question. Thanks for your input.

http://patsythompsondesigns.com/inde...free-downloads, here are some free patterns, i have copied mine onto fax paper for my longarm, maybe you could make like a stencil pattern and put on your quilt with disappearing pen or chalk, or maybe put on tissue paper and sew right on it, not sure if that would work, could try a practise piece

Most pantographs are made for LA machines to be traced with a laser stylus mounted on the side of the machine. You move the machine to match the panto and you don't even look where you are quilting, your eyes are always on the panto. I really don't know of any way to reproduce one on a DM because you are moving the quilt sandwich not your machine. I have to look where I am quilting. Unless you have one of those special racks that you can mount you DM machine on I don't know if pantos would work for you. You can try having the picture next to you and trying to copy it via FM quilting. Some people are good at that, I have never tried it myself. Most of my FMQ are just designs I "doodle" on to the fabric with my machine. I practice the design for a bit on a practice piece and then go at it on the quilt.

I don't see how an actual pantograph could work on your domestic machine, as it requires a "tracer" that you follow the pattern with to move the needle around the quilt top. The pantograph is actually a long paper roll with a pattern printed on it, that is rolled out on a long platform attached to the long side of the quilting frame. So..... But you could probably trace the pattern onto tissue paper (like the other post) and try that method.

I would say that you would need to trace the pattern onto your quilt top or onto paper that you would pin onto your quilt and sew on the lines... :D:D:D

Isn't there paper you can buy like that?