My first panto quilt..not as easy as it seems!
08-14-2018, 04:38 AM
#22
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Reno, Nevada
Posts: 794
Handiquilter has HQ Live once a month and they're invaluable for the 45 minutes to an hour instruction they give on all kind of quilting machines, mostly long arm, but some sit down as well. Last March they had one specifically on pantographs and groovy boards as well. Every month gives great stuff. Go to:
https://handiquilter.me/hq-live/
https://handiquilter.me/hq-live/
08-14-2018, 05:43 AM
#27
Power Poster
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Between the dashes of a tombstone
Posts: 12,716
This was a very easy quilt to make...I sorted my 1 1/2" strips into brights with a white tone to them, then sewed 1 1/2" strips in a long strip to equal +72"...made 8 of them. Next folded a 2 yard length of white fabric in half selvage to selvage (the short way). Then made 9 cuts parallel to the selvage in varying widths starting at 2 1/2". Then sewed the pieced strips to the white to create the quilt. All fabric was from my stash, as was the backing pieces. Will use a bright yellow that's in the pieced backing for the binding.
Will check out the HandiQuilter site...thanks JoBelmont...
Will check out the HandiQuilter site...thanks JoBelmont...
08-14-2018, 06:06 AM
#28
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 4,783
Don't be so hard on yourself! For a first panto, you did an great job. That was not an easy one to choose for a first time, as you probably realize now. I think the easiest are pantos of flowers, leaves, etc., things that don't have to be perfect. Every flower is different, no one will be able to tell if you veered off the line. Avoid geometric patterns where a design repeats over and over again and any slight differences will be obvious.
Now, to help you round out your circles, you need to push the machine a bit harder---get a little more speed. The machine sits on two bases: one moves vertically, the other moves horizontally. So the machine moves easiest in those directions. If you aren't going fast enough or have too light a grip on the machine, you won't overcome the machine's tendency to go straight horizontal or straight vertical on the curves. Diagonals, circles are the hardest things to execute well.
One thing I do with every panto, whether I've done it before or not, is practice it with the machine off and just the laser light on. Sometimes I feel I am executing the design well after a couple of passes, sometimes I practice all day or two days before I stitch it. Another thing I sometimes do when I am approaching an area I have a hard time with (like where circles or curves want to square off instead of being round) is I put a teensy bit of body weight into the movement at that one part. My feet stay still but I swing my body into the movement.
One of the hardest things I had to learn was how to take a step while quilting without interrupting the smooth lines. I learned to take my steps when I was quilting in the direction I wanted to move.
Good luck, keep practicing, you're off to a great start! And have fun!
Now, to help you round out your circles, you need to push the machine a bit harder---get a little more speed. The machine sits on two bases: one moves vertically, the other moves horizontally. So the machine moves easiest in those directions. If you aren't going fast enough or have too light a grip on the machine, you won't overcome the machine's tendency to go straight horizontal or straight vertical on the curves. Diagonals, circles are the hardest things to execute well.
One thing I do with every panto, whether I've done it before or not, is practice it with the machine off and just the laser light on. Sometimes I feel I am executing the design well after a couple of passes, sometimes I practice all day or two days before I stitch it. Another thing I sometimes do when I am approaching an area I have a hard time with (like where circles or curves want to square off instead of being round) is I put a teensy bit of body weight into the movement at that one part. My feet stay still but I swing my body into the movement.
One of the hardest things I had to learn was how to take a step while quilting without interrupting the smooth lines. I learned to take my steps when I was quilting in the direction I wanted to move.
Good luck, keep practicing, you're off to a great start! And have fun!
08-14-2018, 06:33 AM
#29
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Texas
Posts: 5,546
That's such a pretty quilt & I think you did fantastic on the quilting. I only quilt on my domestic machine so I know nothing about pantos or long arms, etc. I would think it would be sort of like when we first learned to color & tried so hard to stay within the lines. Following lines was not easy for me but I eventually conquered it. I really think the swirls compliment the quilt beautifully.
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