Question for longarmers
 

I’m new to longarming and I have heard that some pantos give quilters problems. Do you always try out a new panto before you attempt to quilt with it? What do you consider before you purchase and download a particular pattern? I use QCT 5 Pro software. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

When I was using my friend's long arm I used a lot of pantos, we didn't have the software and it was just as ruler work was beginning, so I can't address the download issues, I had paper copies to work from.

The way I work/learn is that practice makes perfect and I needed some muscle memory in practicing how to do complex patterns. Some designs are much easier than others! Even if I just spread out the panto and traced it with my fingers it helped me a lot. Up here, swirl there and so forth -- also helped me decide how to work the edges and whether I could go back and forth or if it was better (for me again) to start each row from the same side.

Good luck on the software aspects, I am hoping to get my own long arm this year but think the most I'll be able to afford is a table that lends to pantos and hopefully both front and rear handles and definitely a stitch regulator. I'll be following this thread to keep the suggestions in mind for my eventual purchase.

I look at reviews of Pantos and I try my best to avoid those with lots of back tracks simply because I dislike thread build ups but more importantly, I dislike trying to place it back in the correct spot should there be a breakage or the thread runs out 🤪. I think any “issues” I have encountered with a design has been thread or just one of those days. Do read the recommended sizing for a pattern as some may not do as well when adjusted.

Are you talking about paper pantos, or are you using robotics? I don't know what the software is that you mentioned.

Peckish, I’m speaking about robotics.

If using robotic automation, you only need to consider how appropriate the design is both in scale and for enhansing the quilt top. For hand driven pantos, l avoid those that are too dense ( l prefer custom fmq if l want closel quilting) , and also those that don't " stack"... ie: next row is offset from first.