Interesting food for thought......

[ffq-lar]

While talking with a friend/guild-mate/customer today she casually mentioned why she never takes any of her tops to "Brenda Bigstuff"--the Queen-mother longarmer in our Guild. She said that she had attended a talk that "Brenda" gave on how to prepare your quilt tops for a quilter. She was a fairly new quilter and was surprised by the details that were presented using a badly-pieced top as an example. You know--the waving borders, puffy D-cup blocks, chopped off corners and other piecing mis-sews. She was especially intimidated by the quilter's mention of pressing and clipping all the stray threads.

Now, all this info is what we talk about all the time, manage to work around and try to remedy.

Unfortunately, my friend took it soooo much to heart that she was embarrassed to take any quilt that wasn't perfect to that longarmer. She says she doesn't have a perfect quilt in her and doesn't want the joy she gets from piecing to be shadowed by the thought that someone will be "judging" her workmanship.

Whoops--maybe when the guild asks a longarmer to do a talk on prepping a quilt for the quilter--be careful to not scare a potential customer base away!!

BTW--she is a dear friend who gave me my first chance to quilt something from my Guild. I love all her slightly off-pieced, charming, lovingly made quilt tops. I am very lucky!

[On Pins and Needles]

And she is very lucky to have a friend and quilter like you!

Cindy

[delld]

Ditto!

[Neher-in-law5]

good food for thought. I'm not a pro quilter and use George instead of the frame machine, so my choices and experiences would be different from most of you. I, too, would be scared off by that direction of presenting the challenges that you frame quilters encounter. Maybe the presentation could be more from how much those become a challenge to quilt.

Thanks Linda for not being the "official judge and jury" for her and others well loved productions. I do like my quilts and piecing to be well done, but I would cause me more stress than ever needed to have to make it absolutely perfect in every aspect before someone would be willing to touch it.

[Quilting Heidi]

Linda,

I'm glad you passed that story along. It is important to point out the ways you can improve without completely crushing those that really try and enjoy what they do.

[Bonnie]

WOW...Bredna Bigstuff...must have a intimidating bedside manner....and has not been informed that she needs to point out the oops and how to fix them, but its never never a biggy...we have ways to tame them and even those of us who longarm for a living aren't always the most of perfect piecers. That is the least of our problems in life. Quilting needs to be thought of as a stress relief not a stress maker...it needs to continue on a s a fun thing.

There comes a time when we need to vent to others about quilts that aren't perfect, but on the normal we would never hurt a customer/friend...that's why we as LA'ers choose whom we vent to. :P

[Sandra Darlington]

Great story and a great learing experience to remember when I get those quilts. I have become a better peicer since I got my longarm. I learned how important it is to measure borders, etc. I started critiquing my own work and that helped me improve.

[JustSewSimple]

I guess this is the other side of the story we never hear about. I can certainly see her point!

[Primitive1]

Thanks for the reminder Linda....and that's why I take in some of the quilts that are such challenges.....I just can't say no.

This is a good place to carefully vent, but as you mentioned...I would never let anyone know that their piecing is less than perfect...it is good to try to find something about each quilt that you can compliment....because we all were new at one time and we do want to encourage people to continue quilting..for the love of the craft and after all it is income for many of us.

Besides, Brenda Bigstuff was new at longarming once too!

[Butterfly]

Awww. It is a shame that she feels inferior because she doesn't produce perfect quilt tops. Thanks for the reminder to be sensitive to everyone.

Jess

[quiltmonkey]

Awww nice to hear this story. Thanks for sharing. In other words the point is, it's not what you say, it's how you say it. So always try to be cognizant and put yourself in their perspective. Me? I see all types of quilts; and mostly these ladies just want their quilts quilted together and not a masterpiece quilting job. I can handle that. I never ever complain to my customers about their quilts. Sometimes I will note a few issues I encountered (beginner quilters) but I don't make a big deal out of it. They appreciate the feedback. I also will take any batting they give me; even that yukky stuff that everyone hates. I just deal with it. It's not a biggie (in my book) and I try not to be a quilt snob. It's all supposed to be fun. I try to remind myself that in the big scheme of things, it's just a quilt.

[BlueSkies]

How about this one. Several years ago I belonged to a large guild. There was a lovely young lady who had just started her business of longarm quilting. We had just finished a board meeting and were lingering in the parking lot, yakking as quilters do, when she drove up. She got out of her van and wanted to give us a little quilt show. So she dragged out all of the quilts and tops she was hauling around, and proceeded to show us her work and quilts that other guild members had given her to quilt. Yes she dragged some on the ground, used it as a floor while she held them up and discussed each one. Several of us were trying to help keep them off the ground, to no avail. She was totally oblivious. My first thought was that I would never give her one of mine, I didn't want it dragged around a parking lot, nor shown to others unless I was the one to show it. I should add that it was mid-summer in North Carolina, the asphalt is lovely that time of year.

Love "Brenda Bigstuff", I think I know her. LOL I believe that she is the sister to "The Quilting Queen of (whatever state you live in)" ROFLOL

[Kay Anderson]

Good lesson! We all need to be sensitive to our clients!

[Dave-Jane]

Notice and encourage the good things, My you sure did a great job on the ??? I encourage first time quilters and have no right to grip-LOL. I have one who always says--I'm not a great quilter, I always say--How much love went into this quilt, looks like a lot to me. She is disabled and her husband always drives by here from their summer place in Wisconsin to their winter home down south. He says she always smiles when we take in her yearly quilt to you and the kids just love what she still can do. I think they are all trying to get a quilt from Mom/Grandma! In the spring they'll pick it up. She says I never criticize and she had been turned down by others and she likes my jokes and advice to her questions! LOL go figure, grasshopper

[CindyT]

If my customer asks if I had any problems with their quilts, I will politely tell them the issues and make suggestions as to how it could be resurrected next time, BUT I also tell them that every quilt is a learning experience for me and helps me to improve my skills, too. Therefore, we are learning together. When this happens I also try to tell them something they did very very well on their quilt top (I don't ever want anybody to feel bad about their quilts). I think this posting is a valuable lesson to be sensitive to the piecer's feelings and to tread lightly when need be.

[April W]

My 30 yo niece just started piecing this summer. Then she decided to make quilts for Christmas gifts for: her son, her mom, her sister, her Grandma Tiny, her MIL, and a memory quilt for Grandma Rachel (my Mom) from Dad's shirts. She got them all pieced...not great, but progressively better with encouragement and guidance. She has tied several while I'm quilting some for her in trade for hair and nail care. She is also my beautician.

The funny thing is she HAD no idea how much work I would have to do on my end until she helped pin on a queen size quilt (the only large one). Luckily this one just got basted and bound as she tied bright colored buttons at the center of each pinwheel block. With bright squares and black sashing it is gorgeous and her very best efforts. She even helped trim threads offf the top after helping load quilts. I may be teaching her quilting next summer.

It has been a pleasure to watch her improvement!

[Dave-Jane]

April. that's what I need- a good beautician! LOL She probably wouldn't want a lifetime project though, Ha Ha ---grasshopper

[WestieMom]

Thanks for sharing this Linda. It's always a good reminder that we need to be sensitive to the feelings of others. And I love Cindy's approach...each quilt is a learning experience for the piecer and quilter.

[Gator]

Linda great topic and a super reminder. I was one of those "newbies" that was afraid to take my quilts to a LAer. I struggled through several DSMs, frames, PC quilter, etc to do my own tops then one day I met "Gator" and fell in love. I actually do newbies first quilts for the cost of materials only and discuss the process with them.

[Shar Schmutz]

Recently I have a new customer who came to me with a quilt like the one described by Brenda Bigstuff, I took one look at it and asked her a little about the quilt and why she made it. She tells me she is unemployed and has been for quite awhile and she needed a gift for a friend's birthday. She was looking for something to fill her time between job searches and decided to teach herself how to quilt. My heart went out to her, I quilted her quilt and when she came to pick that one up, I asked her about her machine and if she knew how to adjust the tension. I told her to bring it to me and we would work on it to get it sewing better, I had to resew quite a few seams on that frist quilt, then we talked about pressing and direction to press the seams.

Next visit we went over borders and this continues, she had brought me nine quilts from small baby quilts to queen size and each one gets better and better, I find very imaginative ways to cut her bills so she can continue quilting, I've given her fabric and scraps, she can only afford the cheapest stuff and uses coupons all she can. In January I'm showing her how to quilt on her DSM for her little baby quilts, she wants to try to make them and sell them for income. I have offered to do them for free for her but she has pride and wants to earn the money herself. This gal has a real talent for putting wild colors together and making them look great. She has really taken to heart the idea that each quilt teaches you something.

I really like working with newbies! They are appreciative of your efforts and are thrilled to see their finished quilts. I hope I never scare one away!!

Thanks Linda for yet another great lesson!

[Sharon M]

I know I don't post much, but reading this excellent topic has brought me out of lurkdom today! Thanks Linda for bringing this up!

Just wanted to add one more little story.... just 3 short years ago, I really knew nothing about quilting. All the terms were Greek to me. Honestly I didn't even know what a fat quarter was, let alone a long arm quilting machine. So I bought "Quilting for Dummies" and I was on my way. I did a simple SID on my DSM for my first few quilts, but once I pieced a large queen size top, I knew I didn't want to wrestle it on my DSM. So I was off to the big city to find someone to do it for me. The minute I stepped into that longarmer's studio, and saw her APQS Millenium I knew I had to find out more about this machine. So I ran home and googled APQS. It brought me directly to this forum, where I lurked and lurked for months before daring to type that first post!

I am still thrilled to have found this wonderful resource for inspiration and learning, and I do so appreciate seeing those quilts with "issues" and how all of you amazing quilters deal with them. I wouldn't know where to begin if I wasn't able to learn from you all. Having said that, I do still cringe when I occassionally see less than sympathetic or understanding comments about those piecers who have brought their precious works to be quilted. This forum is so easily found with a simple google search, and I am proof that not only longarmers visit this site, but customers do as well. My longarmer had no idea that I was visiting this forum.

In the end it was this site, and the generous sharing of knowledge and expertise that led me to purchase my own Millenium, and although I am not experienced enough to quilt for others at this time, I do hope everyone continues to share pics of those PITA quilts , along with their tricks and techniques that have made them into works of art for their less than perfect piecers! We are all learning here, longarmers and piecers alike!

Thanks again to Linda for opening up this topic and for everyone else who commented, and reminded us all to be respectful and mindful of the feelings of others. This is one of the many reasons why I keep coming back to this place!

[quiltmonkey]

Originally posted by Sharon M

I know I don't post much, but reading this excellent topic has brought me out of lurkdom today! Thanks Linda for bringing this up!........................

Wow Sharon! Thanks for sharing your story, perspective, thoughts. Very Nicely Stated!!!

I agree that as professionals, we all should be careful of what we post out on the World Wide Web Internet. You just never know who is lurking out there and reading.... a current customer... a potential customer... or could be an ex-customer...