Too funny, I never saw your post and I had to resort to the knitting needle way back in 2011, long before you ever posted it. I had always wondered why they included that huge knitting needle with my machine. When my light went on me, Michael from Innova told me that is how all the longarmers followed pantos before laser lights were common and that is why they used to include one with every machine, it was a real life saver for me as I was in the middle of a customer quilt and needed to finish it. I was so thankful I didn't have to drop everything to run to Walmart to buy one. Clever Innova engineered the laser light holder to easily hold the needle with nothing else. As a result I had mounted mine at an angle not straight up and down like you pictured in your tute. My laser light is mounted the same way, at an angle, not straight up and down.

I've purchased rolls of patterns for applying to quilt top and quilting over it. What a pain, trying to get all the paper bits picked off the quilt! Now, I just roll the pattern out on the other side of the machine (where a wood or plastic pattern would go for use with a stylus). I use the laser light for guidance. When done, I roll the pattern back up and store it for another time.

I’ve used a panto, but haven’t figured out an easy way to line up the next row without it looking like rows instead of an all over design. Any suggestions?

Buy the kinds of pantos where they have the partial design printed on top and bottom so you can line up using the partial and then the panto design will "nest". Notice on this panto http://www.willowleafstudio.com/time...paper-version/ The bits of the design that show in blue are the partial pattern. When I advance I line up my previously quilted row to the partial design and start my new row on the full design that is printed in black. I once ordered a panto that didn't have the partial design printed and could not figure out how to make it nest.

I own the sister to your machine, the Block Rockit. I used pantos a lot when I first started but have found many edge to edge designs that I can just FMQ much faster. Check out Angela Walters video on her swirls and paisley designs. I have also pounced template designs to sew over on the quilt.

Be sure to join the Facebook page for Q'nique owners. PM me with any questions. I'd be happy to talk with you over the phone. I love my machine and am so happy that I bought it two years ago!

Sorry if this is considered a "bump" I'm new here and have been reading back a few pages. I have some vision issues and I regularly use parchment paper (for baking) that I get at the dollar store for machine quilting and it is strong enough to hold up (better than tissue paper) but still easy to tear. It's 12" by 25' roll, pretty sweet for a buck! I mostly make bed sized quilts so is usually 1+ rolls for me, still a bargain. I use my friend's quilting machine/frame (pfaff P3 power quilter -- no computer/grace frame), she does not have the back handles and so I can't just use a pantograph but I can copy the design from a bought design on to the parchment paper pretty easily. Or at least much easier than I can see the lines marked on the top. I want to do fancier designs that what I can do with my basic vision and I am not (yet!) a gifted freehand quilter although I can do basic stipples with stars, flowers, hearts, etc. So when I have to spend the time to copy what I want, I consider it well worth it. I have found that you really don't want to go off the sides of the paper, too often it will scrunch up and get caught in the foot, so it's best to try and keep the designs within the 12" of the paper. Be warned that tearing off the paper is messy (the little pieces float about everywhere) and sometimes can be difficult to get it all off, usually rubbing with a fingernail will get off the spare chads.