Pantograph Storage/Organization Help Needed!
Yesterday, 03:15 AM
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Peoria, IL -- Midwest Transplant
Posts: 7,317
Pantograph Storage/Organization Help Needed!
If you work with Pantos a lot, any help you can give me is appreciated. I think I will be doing about half free hand, maybe learn some ruler stuff, and half my time on Pantos.
I bought a new-to-me long arm a while back and am finally getting it set up! It is non-computerized but set up for either free-motion/ruler quilting or pantographs. I have enough physical space so I will be able to access either side. Hooray, long delay but dealing with vision loss and other issues put it on the back burner for a long time.
The quilter I got it from was at the end of her Long Arm career and I got all sorts of extras and nice stuff, including some nice 2-drawer chests that go under the long arm stand to hold the pantographs. There are a LOT, like maybe a hundred?? And since I didn't buy them myself, I don't really know what I have yet.
My plan is to sort the pantos by size, and roughly see what I have that way, and to sort them into the drawers. Currently it is random as far as I can tell. I got some office sticky dots in different colors, my idea is to mark the outside of the drawer with a Size Dot -- so say 6" repeats are Red Dot. Then I will put a dot on each panto and number them.
Once I have the sizes and dots sorted out, I plan to use the scanner on my printer and scan an image. I work well with notebooks so will print out a standard paper size of the design to put in the notebook. I'll also do a spread sheet just as a contents thing -- but also so I can find specific designs quickly without going through the whole book. It won't be quick...
I think for the way my mind works -- this seems reasonable! Yeah, this is a lot of work and effort, but at the end I will know (a) what I have and (b) a usable tool to find them again
Any suggestions for the process or other ways to sort? I think for me that size is the best way for most of them. The spread sheet will have a space for the actual pattern name as well as a descriptive, so I would be able to quickly find subject categories. The notebook will allow me to write notes or comments on the patterns too.
I bought a new-to-me long arm a while back and am finally getting it set up! It is non-computerized but set up for either free-motion/ruler quilting or pantographs. I have enough physical space so I will be able to access either side. Hooray, long delay but dealing with vision loss and other issues put it on the back burner for a long time.
The quilter I got it from was at the end of her Long Arm career and I got all sorts of extras and nice stuff, including some nice 2-drawer chests that go under the long arm stand to hold the pantographs. There are a LOT, like maybe a hundred?? And since I didn't buy them myself, I don't really know what I have yet.
My plan is to sort the pantos by size, and roughly see what I have that way, and to sort them into the drawers. Currently it is random as far as I can tell. I got some office sticky dots in different colors, my idea is to mark the outside of the drawer with a Size Dot -- so say 6" repeats are Red Dot. Then I will put a dot on each panto and number them.
Once I have the sizes and dots sorted out, I plan to use the scanner on my printer and scan an image. I work well with notebooks so will print out a standard paper size of the design to put in the notebook. I'll also do a spread sheet just as a contents thing -- but also so I can find specific designs quickly without going through the whole book. It won't be quick...
I think for the way my mind works -- this seems reasonable! Yeah, this is a lot of work and effort, but at the end I will know (a) what I have and (b) a usable tool to find them again
Any suggestions for the process or other ways to sort? I think for me that size is the best way for most of them. The spread sheet will have a space for the actual pattern name as well as a descriptive, so I would be able to quickly find subject categories. The notebook will allow me to write notes or comments on the patterns too.
Yesterday, 06:18 AM
#3
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 8,695
Iceblossom, here is a link I looked at that might give you a couple ideas.
https://www.apqs.com/tips-for-organi...0sample%20book.
https://www.apqs.com/tips-for-organi...0sample%20book.
Today, 04:24 AM
#4
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Peoria, IL -- Midwest Transplant
Posts: 7,317
That was a great link, Thimblebug. I really liked some of those solutions, especially the clear plastic concept. I have a friend who likes to sew with cork and she needs some better solutions to what she currently has and that might be a good one for her.
Is really nice to start out with a place to put stuff, and not just a box full of rolls and have to find some place/buy something to put them. Because of how the shelf units are currently in the garage I don't have full access to them, but goal is to have them out of the garage and under the long arm within about 2 weeks... and then the process will begin.
First the size sort, I'll probably not start counting until after the sort -- and have to remember to put my own pantos into the mix!
I'm almost hoping I have wildly exaggerated how many rolls there are... I might have 20?? and there is significantly more than that!
Is really nice to start out with a place to put stuff, and not just a box full of rolls and have to find some place/buy something to put them. Because of how the shelf units are currently in the garage I don't have full access to them, but goal is to have them out of the garage and under the long arm within about 2 weeks... and then the process will begin.
First the size sort, I'll probably not start counting until after the sort -- and have to remember to put my own pantos into the mix!
I'm almost hoping I have wildly exaggerated how many rolls there are... I might have 20?? and there is significantly more than that!
Today, 04:29 AM
#5
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Davenport, Iowa
Posts: 4,382
Lucky you! I had a frame at one point that I used a mid-arm machine with and could meander/stipple without a problem, but never got the hang of using pantographs. Even took a class with way too many people and didn't learn much as noone was given enough time to work with one....such a waste of money. I'd have given anything to have a setup as you have been able to purchase with a reliable instructor to give one on one time to this dummy. Wish you all the luck in the world as you learn pantographs....enjoy and show us samples when you can.
