Mums the Word Pantograph: A Lush Chrysanthemum Design in 9- and 11-Inch Rows
The 223 Mums The Word Pantograph by Linda V. Taylor feels like a garden in full bloom. This continuous-line paper pantograph measures 121 inches long and comes in two row sizes, 9 inches and 11 inches, so you can match the scale of the mums to the quilt you are finishing.
What the Design Is
A paper pantograph is a printed, continuous-line pattern used from the back of the quilting frame. You lay the paper flat on the pantograph table, follow the printed line with a laser light or a stylus, and the needle reproduces that same path on the quilt top. Because the line never breaks, you can stitch a full pass in one smooth run, then advance the quilt and stitch the next row.
Mums The Word is built around the chrysanthemum — the full, layered fall flower quilters love for its round, generous shape. Worked into a continuous row, the blooms flow one into the next instead of sitting in stiff blocks, so the finished quilting reads as an even, garden-like texture from a distance and rewards a closer look with recognizable flower shapes.
What Quilts It Suits
This is a natural choice for floral and garden-themed tops: appliqué flower quilts, botanical prints, and traditional block quilts that need a soft, organic finish rather than sharp geometry. It is a lovely partner for autumn quilts in rust, gold, and deep green, where the mum motif echoes the season, but it works just as well in spring palettes for a general floral all-over.
As an all-over, it suits bed quilts, throws, and lap quilts where you want even coverage and a calm, flowing texture. On busy prints it adds texture without competing; on solids, the stitched mums become a gentle feature.
Row-Height Choice: 9 Inches or 11 Inches?
The pattern comes in both a 9-inch and an 11-inch size, and choosing between them is mostly about scale and density. The 9-inch row gives slightly denser quilting and a smaller bloom repeat — a good match for smaller quilts, throws, and tops where you want the quilting to sit close and even.
The 11-inch row opens the design up. The mums stitch larger, each pass covers more ground, and the finished quilt stays a little softer and drapier. Choose the 11-inch size for large bed quilts and any project where you want the flower motif to make a calm, visible statement without heavy stitch density.
Whichever size you pick, plan first: divide the quilt's length by your row height to estimate the passes needed, and check how the first and last rows will land at the edges.
How to Use It on a Longarm
Unroll the paper smoothly on the pantograph table and secure it so it cannot shift mid-pass. Position your laser or stylus, check that the pointer tracks the printed line accurately, and do a short dry run without stitching to confirm the row starts and ends where you expect. Stitch at a steady, even speed so your stitch length stays consistent through the curves of each bloom.
When a pass is finished, advance the quilt by exactly one row height, re-align your pointer with the start of the next row, and check the spacing before you stitch. Consistent advancing is what keeps the rows of mums evenly spaced from the top of the quilt to the bottom.
Need the pattern to be longer than 121 inches? Find where the pattern repeats, mark that point on your pattern shield, and shift the pattern down to make it meet up. That simple trick lets you extend the pattern to accommodate larger quilts.
Tips for a Clean Finish
Slow down on the tightest curves of each bloom — rushing curves is where wobbles show. Keep thread close to the background for texture first, or use a gentle contrast when you want the mums to be the feature. Step back after the first row and check spacing and scale; catching an alignment issue after one row is far easier than after five.
Shop the 223 Mums The Word Pantograph by Linda V. Taylor at Linda's Electric Quilters.
