Laser Stylus Is Not for Me
 

Now that I have finished several quilts on the longarm, I finally tried the laser stylus on the longarm. Ugh! My sis-in-law sometimes tells me to slow down but the laser slowed me down so much I thought I'd never finish the design. Thank goodness it was just some practice fabric! I think I would much rather spend my time practicing drawing my designs freehand than trace an image with the laser.

Does anyone else use a laser? When especially do you find it helpful?

Yes I use the laser often. What panto did you try. I am an HQ rep and when I train folks we talk a lot about the death grip. Avoid that and try a flowy panto like drift or double plume. You really can do beautiful work with them. Have u tried rulers yet?

I am with you, Christine. I just can't get it. I end up using the groovy boards a ruler because I can't follow a panto. Everything gets sharp points in it.

My husband doesn't believe anyone could do that. I keep telling him some people do but he is very disbelieving. I wonder sometimes if new tracks would help me. Lizzy? I have an HQ16 that I think is 3 or 4 years old. I have had it for 2 years. The quilt shop I bought it from said they had done 4 quilts on it. I have probably done 25 or so.

I have used the laser on every quilt we've done. I'm not confident that I could do anything free-hand. The laser and pantos are my friends!


Darren

Practice, lots of it. You'll get it. I love using the laser up front with patterns that I've drawn on paper. It all just takes practice!! You can do this.

I use the laser on all of my quilts!

I use mostly laser and pantos on my Tin Lizzie...my free motion looks like a 4yr old's scribbling on a good day. However, I wish there was an easier way to learn the free motion because panto don't always fit the quilt. When I bought it, the rep said I would love the free motion quilting, it would be sooooo easy and to stay away from pantos until I was more familiar with the machine.
Well, I never got my lesson, my DH and I set it up and I have not heard back from the rep EVER since I bought it, so did I listen to her...NO. I am pretty good at pantos, but, like I said, my free motion looks like scribbling.

oooo, please tell us more about this! What exactly do you mean? Where is the stylus mounted? What machine do you use?

I have only done a few quilts on my friend's machine, but I like to just move along and see what I come up with. I find it a very creative process, which I think lasers and pantos would take away from! That's just me, though!
nancy

I have only done a few quilts on my friend's machine, but I like to just move along and see what I come up with. I find it a very creative process, which I think lasers and pantos would take away from! That's just me, though!
nancy

I have used pantos with my Tin Lizzie, but can't seem to get the hang of getting the quilt in the right place for the next row. I'm always too close or too far.:(

I have a Nolting Fun Quilter. Would love to use a laser but want to use one for front quilting. Where would the laser be mounted & where would you put the panto?
Thanks for any info.

I use the laser on my Gammill extensively but I also free-hand as well. I like using the laser but there are times when it's overkill.

I probably had a death grip! I also had to remind myself to breathe! I was using a design out of a book of a tree with leaves. My machine is a Janome Artistic 18. I don't know if I had the laser attached in the right spot. I've done about 8 or 9 free motion quilts so far and have really enjoyed it, but I felt like I had to go so extremely slow using the laser stylus. Later, I did the same design free motion and while I still had to work slow to get details, I felt much more comfortable going without the laser. I've use a few simple rulers for straight edges and continuous curves, but since I don't yet have an extended base, I've had trouble using some of my rulers. I suppose if I practice the laser more, I'll get more comfortable with it.

Don't despair! I could not do a panto to save my LIFE for about 6 months. I find that I need MORE control over my machine with a panto than I do with freemotion. Now BOTH are my friends! I like to prove to myself I am relaxed by quilting with two fingers on each hand...two on each handle. My machine and I are now good friends (so much that I finally named her!). Give yourself time to really get to know your machine...and try again in a couple of months. You might surprise yourself! I did!

this is done on long arm quilting machines which cost a lot of money to purchase.

If you plan on using rulers, definitely do yourself a favor and invest in an extended base. It is worth every penny. I can't imagine trying to use rulers without having the extended base on. I take it off when I am not using rulers.

I use my laser light little over 1/2 the time, the other time I mostly do freehand, then a little ruler work. I have a set of grovey boards I use the laser light instead of the stylis, which jumps out of the grooves. Maybe there is something wrong with my stylus?