OOPS!!!!What would you do?

[Starla]

I quilted a customer quilt.....I neglected to ask ( and she didn't bother to mention it ) if the back was directional ( it didn't look directional to me ...front and back are diamonds ). She is not happy about it. She says she is going to unquilt it ( big quilt )....Should I offer to quilt it again for Free.

Please what would you do?

Thank you,

Starla

[Dave-Jane]

That's a tough one, you didn't, she didn't, I think if it was that important to her she should have said something, then again you didn't ask either. I would try and work out something if she's a good customer--I have an intake form I use and though not religiously, I try and ask all possible questions I can so there is no confusion. If she was happy with everything else and not being out of line give her a call and ask what we can do to work this out. I find that communication and straight forwardness may hurt sometimes, or have you doing things you don't particularly care for, but you know where you stand and the stress factor is not there. Work it out with her but don't give away the farm until you find out where you stand. Good Luck in this! Sincerely--Dave B.

[DoryJM]

I would probably offer to quilt it again for free if she's going to remove the stitches. Was she happy with your quilting? I had a customer tell me once to attempt to center the back, I didn't and didn't remember until I'd taken it off the frame. She was/is a good customer, so I gave her the quilt at no charge. She still paid me some $, but since she didn't get a bill, she had no idea how much I would have charged her. Or if she opts to keep it as quilted, you could offer to do her next one at a discount.

Dave-Jane...what are the horses behind your photo?????

[Quilting Heidi]

Starla,

Definitely happens. I'd probably say, "Bad on me for not asking, Bad on you for not saying so if you rip it out I'll restitch it." I'm sure both will learn from the experience. Sometimes we get so busy it is hard to remember all the right questions. I'll bet she won't forget to mention it in the future.

[Dave-Jane]

[Dave-Jane...what are the horses behind your photo?????

Dory,

That is center fabric panel from a quilt our local 4-H Horse Club made for a fund raiser raffle about 2 years ago. They did a great job. Dave quilted it. They did very well!!

Jane

[DoryJM]

I LOVE that...at least what I can see of it!

[LadyLake]

I would not re-quilt it for free, but perhaps at a discounted rate because she was partly at fault.

[Chocoholic]

I agree with Heidi. Since you are both sort of 'at fault' I would quilt it for free if she removes the quilting that is there now.

FYI - I had a quilt where I noticed that the quilt was directional after I had done the first, very very dense, first row. (Took 20 hours of ripping.) We took it all out and re-did. In my case neither the customer nor I could see the directionality (is that a word?) before I quilted it.

NOW I always make the customer put a safety pin in the top of the back and the top of the top for the top. If they say there is no top or bottom, then I write that on the Work order of which they get a copy.

[ffq-lar]

Re-quilt for no charge IF she takes out the stitching.

Or reach an agreement on some money back if she will accept as-is.

I have never seen a quilt where both sides are visible at the same time, so why is it so necessary that "this side is up" if you can only see one side at a time?

:P:P

I guess it is all about the customer's "vision" of the finished quilt and not about any logic that might be involved.

Now if the quilt was used as a room divider, I guess there might be an issue there. I'm a little goofy today and can't see why this is such a major issue.

It would kill me to rip out beautiful quilting that I had paid for to give the quilt back to the quilter just to do it all over again--all because the questionably-directional backer was upside down. Especially if it was going to take me days to do it! I'm at a loss....

[Judi]

I agree with others - bummer though. I am still ripping out my Pansy Park - that I paid someone to overall before I had a machine. I want to do custom quilting on that baby - and was talked into an overall...... I looked at it for years before I made up my mind to start ripping!

Good Luck - let us know how it goes....

[Janice]

I had a sofa reapholstered. When I picked it up, I noticed that all of the flowers ( tulip like) were upside down. The nice little man who had reapholstered it was so proud .. It had a plaid design and all of the plaid lines were perfect. I paid him, took the sofa home, didn't say a word. It wore just fine and no one else seemed to notice .

If the lady puts the quilt on a bed , turns back the top a little, The back will be going the right way. Isn't that the way it is suppose to go?

I am sure you did a beautiful job.

I am sorry this happened to you. I can understand how it would happen. I wish she were more understanding.

[witha'K'quilting]

Life is too short to sweat the small stuff! The quilt is quilted. She forgot to mention the directional backing. She should let it be and just enjoy the quilt. It can't be that obvious if you didn't notice the directionality of it. You might offer her a slight discount...but I wouldn't do any more than that.

[Starla]

Thanks for all the advice.

I offered to negotiate a deal with her IF she ultimately takes the stitching out.

I have definetly learned a lesson.

Thanks to all,

Starla

[RitaR]

What I'm seeing is diamonds.. that are almost a square on point, and one that is elongated, like a diamond in a Lone Star..

Obviously if it's elongated, and one is laid side ways, as on the back, and the other is left upright, as on the top, when quilted around, one is going to have öut of place stitching over parts of one of the diamonds..

does this make sense?? lay a diamond on top of another which is laying side ways, or draw it on paper.. it would to me be sort of not the best way to finish it.. Wish I could draw it in paint~!

[JustSewSimple]

Janice hit the nail on the head. If this ever happens again, just thell the customer that is the way it is done. That why when you put it on the bed and turn it back the motif is going in the right direction. You were right all along! I love it! Perhaps you could pass along this information to her and she'd feel better about the whole thing.

[victoriasews]

Tell her you did it that way on purpose because when she turns down the quilt, the back will be the right direction. Only when the quilt back is not seen is it upside down.

[Starla]

Janice and Victoria sews...good answers......I like that......

Starla

[quiltaholi_518]

Well, if it's a bed quilt then when you would turn down the top edge, the pattern would be right side up!

I would tell her that's what I was thinking, lol.

Always making lemonade!!!!

[quiltaholi_518]

OMG! I wrote my reply before reading all the way down! Great minds think alike!!