If you are a new longarmer, you may see terms used that are a bit confusing. So before you get started, make sure you understand the most important terms.
Here are quick descriptions of what you might see on designer websites, online forums, or in the tags we use in our Evernote directories. Once you understand these terms, you can order quilting fabric and supplies from Jukebox Quilts in Fort Collins. Make sure you follow our blog to learn more about quilting, like:
Terms to Know
First, we have some terms that are used to describe patterns that can be used by different types of machines.
Paper Pano, Panto, Pantogram, or Pantograph
These are generally long strips of paper (18 inches x 12 inches) that are placed on the back table of a longarm. These are used if the machine is regulated or unregulated, but not computerized. A laser or stylus is used to trace the design from the back handles while the machine stitches the pattern onto the quilt. They usually include registration marks that help you advance the quilt and properly position the next row/pass.
Downloaded Pattern
This pattern can be a physical panto or digital design. For the physical paper panto, you would print the design off, tape a bunch of pages together, and use as described above.
Digital Patterns
These are generally downloadable from a designer’s website. You usually get a zipped or compressed file containing different file types for different machines. For instance, a .pat or .dxf can be used on Innova robotic systems. Gammills use .qli files. After you download the compressed file (which is a way to package the designs so your virus protection doesn’t question them and block them), you have to unzip the file, then save the unzipped file to a location on your computer or transfer it to a thumb drive to take to your machine.
Encrypted Patterns
A very small number of designers will ask you for information identifying your specific machine, and will encrypt patterns so that they can only be used on your system. This can become a bit problematic if you have to replace certain parts of your robotic system that are part of the encryption. Designers will usually re-encrypt to another controller or red key number if that happens, but might push back. If you sell your system and switch to another, they may not be willing to reissue them.
Pattern Types: Define How Pattern is Used
Blocks
These patterns fit in a block and are usually designed as a closed shape. They can not be used as Edge to Edge, and the start and end of the pattern are usually in the same place. Because they are generally a closed shape, you can use your echo function with them.
Right: Virginia Dale Feather Block designed by Kelly Gallagher-Abbott, Copyright Jukebox Quilts
Get the Heartstrings pattern now.
Edge to Edge (E2E)
These generally start on the left, end on the right in the same horizontal plane. This puts it in position to start the next repeat so that the pattern can be tiled to run across an entire quilt.
Get the Sewing and Knitting Fun pattern.
Pantograph
This term is used interchangeably with Edge to Edge, but is more frequently used to refer to paper patterns that are designed to run across the whole quilt.
Border to Border (B2B)
These are E2E patterns that fit cleanly inside the edges of a quilt or inside of borders of a quilt without gaps forming. There is no need to use trim or fill functions with them. All B2B patterns are E2E, but not all E2E are B2B. Use these patterns if a customer is going to self bind the quilt by turning the backing quilting fabric to the front.
Get this Feathered Fern pattern.
Point to Point or Autofit Patterns (P2P)
These are patterns that start on the left, end on the right, with both starting and ending points being on a horizontal plane. When using the Autofit or Point to Point pattern function on your machine, you’ll use the head or mouse to click where you want the pattern to start, then click where you want the pattern to end, which also becomes the start point of the next repeat.
By definition, all E2E or B2B patterns would qualify, but usually the pattern is designed as a triangle or simple shape that can be used to complete blocks, but run as one long pattern, with one start and stop. These patterns can be run with aspect ratio left on, so all are scaled both directions to the different distance of the clicks, or with aspect ratio disabled, so they are the same height no matter what the distance is between the clicks.
You can find the Triple Pointed P2P pattern here.
Butt to Beak
These are P2P patterns that are designed for Flying Geese Blocks. Designers will create them for either the goose part, or the background parts. They can be placed by clicking on the butt of a goose, then its beak, which then becomes the butt of the next goose.
Find the Leafy Flying Geese P2P pattern here.
Borders and Border Corners
These are specially designed sets where there is a border unit and a border corner unit. Combine them by rotating the border corners 90 degrees, not reflecting them as that can change how they’ll meet up with the border units. We have three pieces of advice for using these:
- Use the boundary tool to mark around the upper border and corners. Scale the border corner unit to fit the upper left corner, copy and paste, then rotate 90 degrees to place the upper right border corner. Scale the border units to fit between the corners. Stitch them in this order after dequeuing the last border unit (or toggling it sewn): upper left corner, upper right corner, and border units from left to right with the exception of the final border repeat. Mark boundaries where the last border unit will meet the previous stitching, make adjustments to the pattern and let the final one stitch. The reason for this is to prevent misalignment. If you stitch the left corner then the border units, there can be shrinkage and the right border corner will stitch off the right edge of the quilt.
- For the bottom border and corners, copy the entire top border and corner units, rotate 180 degrees and fit it into the boundaries.
- After stitching the bottom border and corners, we then turn the quilt so we can stitch the side borders as one unit, again marking where the corners have been stitched, scaling and stitching all but the last border unit between them, remarking the second to last repeat and the left corner unit with boundaries, then adjust the final border repeat before letting it sew.
Get the Marlos Feathered BC Set here.
Sashings and Cornerstones
These can be single patterns or sets of units that are designed to set up to sew as continuously as possible in sashings and cornerstones. They can also be used for borders, as E2Es, and sometimes as P2P.
Get the Posies Sashing Set pattern here.
Patterns for Trims or Fills
These are designed to stitch from the outer edge of a block toward the center, then back out again. They’re used when you are trimming out a central appliqué shape. The design prevents the pattern from coming up to the appliqué and dragging across the appliqué to continue, therefore preventing tie-offs or a lot of over stitching if you are using a fill function. With the Innova M3 software, it will resequence any pattern to prevent over stitching.
Get the Radiant Fill pattern here.
Trimmable Patterns
This is a name we came up with that describes a pattern that is designed at 80–100 inches in width, but prevents over stitching. If you have a pattern with individual circular designs that start and end on the left, you must overstitch or build in quilt lines to get to the next repeat. Designing the pattern to stitch half the design all across the quilt, then to complete the circles working back to the left resolves this over stitching. It is also used for complex shapes and patterns, or for horizontal lines that go the full width of the quilt.
Two pieces of advice:
- Try to leave the left edge intact, position the pattern to sew off the right edge only, and use trim or fill to remove the excess pattern. We frequently design the left-hand end-of-pattern to be the position where you start the next repeat, so you need that information to not be trimmed off.
- If you have long uninterrupted lines going from the left back to the right, you’ll spot issues with timing or needle bar position because you’ll have frequent thread shredding or breaks. Some designers will have the pattern tie off and always restart on the left to prevent this, but it is better to have a conversation with your dealer or manufacturer to resolve the underlying issue.
Get this Citrus Flowers Trimmable pattern here.
Get the Microbio Modern Trimmable pattern.
Concatenating Patterns
These are pattern sets designed to all start and end in the same location, but can be used in an alternating placement. This set by Kim Diamond of Sweet Dreams Studio is an example of this pattern type. Each block is different, but they can be joined to run as a full row.
You can find the Ride Into The Sunset pattern here.
Pattern Sets
These are groups of patterns designed for a pieced quilt, for instance, a double wedding ring or a Judy Niemeyer quilt. We have these, including wholecloth sets. It may seem expensive to purchase these, but keep in mind that individual components can be used on other quilts. For instance, our borders from our wholecloth quilts are great when used on other quilts.
Get the Radiance Wholecloth pattern.
Nesting Patterns
These are patterns designed to be nestled together to make the repeats harder to see. Sometimes there are designer notes included in the pattern or in a PDF sent in the zip file that instruct you on the appropriate negative spacing. This pattern by Natalia Majors is an example of a Nesting E2E.
Find the Simple Waterdrops pattern here.
Project Patterns
These are designed to piece quilting fabrics with your longarm. You load the fabrics right sides together (with no batting) and run the pattern (using 100% cotton thread or Innovatech) to make strip sets or half-square triangles. After the pattern stitches, you take it off the machine and cut it apart into units for piecing. We have several of these on our website.
New Technology
New technology is emerging that use these pattern types:
Longarm Appliqué
These patterns may or may not require special software with your machine. The machine can stitch an outline, and you then place precisely cut fabric backed with fusible or adhesive within that outline and then the machine appliqués that quilting fabric in place with either a straight or decorative stitch.
Longarm Embroidery
Innova has the new Grand Format Embroidery option that can read files designed for embroidery machines (.dst). Your machine becomes an embroidery machine, capable of doing fills, decorative stitches, appliqué with decorative finished edges, etc. The embroidery files are digitized to dictate needle penetrations, so they can not be scaled more than about 10% or you’ll have thread breaks or inconsistent fill.
Patterns for Yarn Couching
These are patterns that can be used with both thread and yarn fed through a special hopping foot. The thread stitches the yarn to the quilt top. Ideally, there aren’t a lot of areas that cross over each other to prevent too much thickness. Since this is an emerging trend, not a lot is available yet, but we predict this will change!
Find Quilting Patterns at Jukebox Quilts
So, there you have it! If you need additional information or we forgot something, make sure you let our team at Jukebox Quilts in Fort Collins know! From quilting patterns to sewing machines and quilting fabric, we have everything you need to get started!
