quiltingshirley Posted January 3, 2011 Report Share Posted January 3, 2011 I've got to agree with everyone. Those are really sashing neutrals. Maybe your subconsious made you make the better choice. Okay, just had to throw that out there. T-shirt quilts do take extra effort and that backing stuff. It takes forever to clean up after you use it. (It keeps showing up). I'd be mad but consider it a $700 lesson or donation. There's not much you can do now but forget about it. I wouldn't have kept the quilts since it has the t-shirts in it and I hate to frog. I do community quilts for free since it makes me feel good but I rarely take a specific one from someone to do unless I know them. Sorry you had to go through all this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mswings Posted January 3, 2011 Report Share Posted January 3, 2011 It was a mistake but seriously, no pay??? Ruined Christmas??? She ended up having an extra $700 for Christmas. I think those quilts would not have left my studio until some equitable solution was found. I agree a discount should have been offered but no pay was unacceptable. I'm with Careen. Bring em on over and I'll help frog it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AHuffman Posted January 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2011 Thanks so much for the support and validation, you guys. I really thought she was over reacting so it is nice to get confirmation. I need to find peace with this and move on. The customer is a non sewer so I don't have to worry about her bad mouthing me. What I've learned is: I need to get a full 50% deposit on tshirt quilts. I do this for regular quilts but I'd been lax with tshirt quilts. Plus, she was from a very affluent part of town, driving a big fancy car, and the tshirts were from an affluent private school. I assumed she'd pay in full at the end. Never assume- get 50% up front. I also need to stop relying entirely on my laptop when I meet with clients at quilt shops. Normally I take my laptop, enter in the quilt, design choices, etc but I don't have a portable printer. What I've been doing is emailing the work order but that means I haven't been getting the customer to sign something that protects me. That has GOT to stop. Thanks so much for all the kind words. I hope my mistake has helped others think through their own business practices to see where they've become lax. I know I can see what I need to work on and the changes I need to put in place to protect my interests. I'm also relieved that you guys agree the mistake wasn't so awful, horrid as to have been unusable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibbyG Posted January 3, 2011 Report Share Posted January 3, 2011 I would call her and tell her that I would like to redo the quilts because you don't want her unhappy with them. And that's a lot of money for you to lose since you put in so many hours on the quilts. I'd tell her to make sure the children know that you'll be doing this so they won't be upset with the change. I'm willing to bet the kids like the quilts the way they are. If so, then you need to bring up the money. If she won't give you the quilts, then I'd ask for at least $500. Only do this if you really don't mind doing them over. You have to decide if you want the $700. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted January 3, 2011 Report Share Posted January 3, 2011 Angela, honey you tried to do the right thing, the right intentions. What's that saying::: "No good deed goes unpunished." I think you were far too generous to give these to her for free. I am shocked that she freaked out over such a silly tiny detail. Seriously. I mean really. Seriously. I am .... Seriously. Really. Sheesh! Ruined her Christmas? This ruined her Christmas? SOme people need to get a life...!!!! She got two beautiful custom one-of-a-kind quilts for FREE!! FREE???? :mad: I would let her be and just move on. I wouldn't offer to fix or undo anything. I am sure both quilts are beautiful. They are quality product. Be proud of the job you did with the best intentions. It's her fault for being such a drama queen. It's just a quilt! PS: After the dust settles, in a couple of weeks, I suggest you write her a letter hand written with a card of apology and ask her to reconsider and if she would pay for at least 50% of the invoice to recoup some of your labor. See if she meets you half way. Just give it a try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted January 3, 2011 Report Share Posted January 3, 2011 Originally posted by AHuffman Plus, she was from a very affluent part of town, driving a big fancy car, and the tshirts were from an affluent private school. I assumed she'd pay in full at the end. Never assume- get 50% up front. This is my own, possibly biased opinion From watching stands a quilt shows, the ladies who find fabric or threads have accidentally dropped in to their bags are very well dressed. The ladies who complain about the price of fabric own 3 homes and take several holidays a year. The customer who travels 30 miles back to a shop to pay extra when they have been undercharged and not noticed it until they got home will not have 2 pennies to rub together but would never let anyone else go short. In short, the better the car and the outfit the more careful I am, odds are they have money because they are very careful with it and they will be looking to haggle you down. Ferret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted January 3, 2011 Report Share Posted January 3, 2011 Angela, if she's so extremely upset about this, I think this snobby lady needs to have her interior designer come up with ideas to change her children's bedroom decor so that it matches the 2" sashing on the t-shirt quilts. Sheeeeesh!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IBQLTN2 Posted January 3, 2011 Report Share Posted January 3, 2011 oh come on now, really ruined her Christmas, get a grip lady!! If that is all she has to be unhappy about maybe she needs a little carma to come her way. Not wishing because that wouldnt be nice, hee hee!! but if it just happens, oh well hope she remembers the dirty deal she dealt a hard working charitable person. You know we don't always see it but there is a price to be paid for things like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cblevins Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 Angela, I think you should print off all of our replys and mail them to her! I have had the opportunity to see your work and it is wonderful. This just burns me up. You made a mistake. She had a right to be somewhat unhappy but to refuse to pay you anything is just wrong. We are all human and we all make mistakes. She should have gotten a very nice discount because it wasn't what the 2 of you agreed upon but she should have been willing to work with you to come up with a solution. I'm sorry this happened to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliagraves Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 My advice refers to what to do in the future. When I do a commission quilt, I have several approval points. The first is the design, where we select fabrics and pattern, or with t-shirts, I do a layout of the t-shirts. The design costs $100 and if they decide to stop, they get the design and I get $100 (paid in advance). Then they pay 50% of the quilt estimate (minus the $100 already paid) and I make the quilt top. They then approve that this is what they're looking for. It's clear that any design changes is extra (like changing your mind with your kitchen contractor). But - if I had made a mistake, it would be caught here. Then they pay another 25% and I quilt it and bind it, and the final 25% is paid at pickup. At any time, they can stop, and they keep the quilt in whatever stage it's at, and I've already been paid. I never let a quilt out of the studio until it's been paid for, and I always get 50% up front for quilting. My quilting contract says that quilts not picked up within 60 days become my property. I figure I can sell them on ebay for the remaining 50% I'm owed. I'm very sorry this happened. So far, I've only made minor errors and I've offered a discount (10%) and the customer was happy to get the discount. I too think the swirls look more feminine. Another option, tedious as it would be, would be to applique new sashing fabric over the old sashing fabric, and then requilt those sections. The back may look odd with the criss-crossing lines, but again, these are children's quilts! Do a different bobbin color on the backing and make it fun. Try not to take it too hard. As hard as this may be, try praying for this woman. It may not change her, but it will help you. Julia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenni Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 Put yourselves in the shoes of the customer and give her a break. She custom ordered a gift for her kids. She gets a call that her custom order is ready. A custom order means it is made for her to her specifications. She sees it and it is not what she ordered. Sure she is upset. It is 'just' a quilt but ask yourself - would you settle for something you did not order? $700 is not small change. I personally do not think the dots are something I would choose for a boy either. Add to your lessons learned some sort of QA change so that you catch problems with custom orders earlier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gable428 Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 I wouldn't sweat it. She chose to react that way. Looking at the material, the way you did it is the way it looks like it should be done. Personally, I would never do anything for her again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 Ruined christmas huh? No fire, no serious auto accidents, no deaths? Well, my family witnessed either first hand or suffered all of the above from christmas day through new years eve. Angela...your customer needs to understand that in life some things are more important than the fabric of the sashing! Sorry you didn't get paid for your work done. You can the better for it though and move on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountainquilter Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 OMG I would not have let the quilts out the door. Did she know in advance each quilt would be $ 350.? She probably was crying because she overspent on them for a Elementary kid. She probably wanted them free as she didn't have the heart to tell her husband how much she was spending. Most kids will open a present such as a quilt and since it's not a toy, throw it in the corner and not think twice about it. How on earth does a elementary child have 25 T shirts? Sounds spoiled to me but I would have kept them and taken them apart and given back the shirts back to her. Lesson learned. Diana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitomi Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 I wonder if you could sew over your mistake sashing, a new one, slightly bigger than your old sashing. Then you wouldn't have to rip it off. Just top stitch over and cover up the wrong sashing. That's what I'd do. Mistakes do happen, we are not saints. Human error should be understandable. Tell her you want to fix it and attach new sashing (bigger) over the old one. Then have her pay you. Then she will get the colors she wants. Cheer up, it happens to the best of us. ALOHA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Dinsmore Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 My hope is that the Lady was just having a bad day..and that is was the straw that broke the camels back..(as you DID NOT RUIN CHRISTMAS!!) Now that Christmas is over and the stress is gone...I hope she realizes that she way over reacted and sends you at least partial payment. If she doesn't, she is not someone that you want as a friend or a client. I am sure you did a wonderful job on these quilts..and as quilters we also put love in each one..even if they not for us or someone we hold dear. Lori Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammi357 Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 dittos what's been said about NOT getting paid...OMG, when are we going to NOT let people push us around? :mad: These people are pushy!! PUSH BACK!!!!! I would call the lady back (better yet, go to her door) and say something to the effect that you've felt horrible that SHE FELT you "Ruined her Christmas" and that since it happened, you have given it serious consideration. You have consulted some EXPERTS on quilts with the photos (she probably doesn't realize you have pics) and ARE going to take the quilts back and frog them and re-do them because you MUST maintain your professional standards. Make it sound as non-negotiable as possible. You WILL get the quilts back. She's an unhappy customer, and you're trying to make it right. At that point, if she's not willing to give them back, then you do need to reiterate that the work will be considered complete and she is responsible for payment, and present the full bill. Then, negotiate for payment. If, over the holiday, she's had a chance to cool off, perhaps she'll be more reasonable and re-consider payment options. BUT, you must reiterate that for her to NOT pay ANYthing is not an option, she MUST pay you for services rendered. No judge in the world would rule against that. At the very least, you need to be given the opportunity to repair the problem, or to receive at least partial payment. case in point... a gal I know does leather tooling. She contracted with a guy to do wallets for Christmas that year for all his crew members with their first name tooled into the leather. Some THREE YEARS later, she presented him the wallets! This guy had an automotive shop, some of these guys weren't even employees and not around any more! He refused the order and refused payment. She took him to court and guess who won? Not the customer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mestuart Posted January 5, 2011 Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 OOH, This issue has a lot of variables, doesn't it. And of course hindsight is so much clearer. My suggestions would be, to get a signed work order, with a substancial down payment, so that even if you made an honest mistake, you would have something for your time. I was also having flags with the woman crying and stating that your ruined their Christmas. No, You messed up a couple of quilts, with an honest mistake, She still should owe you for your work, she definitely shouldn't have been able to take the quilts away without you having a chance to repair or remove the T shirts. And if that wasn't acceptable to her, I would have taken the seam ripper to the sashing and made nice big slashes in it so that she didn't get two free quilts. Nasty, I think, but also just as reasonable as letting her walk out with two beautiful quilts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltjunkie Posted January 5, 2011 Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 This is really a dilemma with lots of different options..but first you should have got a 50% deposit up front on anything like this...anything over $300 and a new customer always pays a deposit up front with me. Yes it was your mistake BUT the swirls are more feminine than the dots... even if she doesn't think so. I would send her this list of responses as suggested and tell her you will settle for $350 or you will see her in small claims court..period. No ripping and doing over as she is just unreasonable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDquilter Posted January 5, 2011 Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 Again you did not ruin her Christmas - maybe changed it a little - but on the other hand what about your Christmas? We don't know what your situation is, maybe you needed the money from making them to pay for a present for one of your own? You really should contact the lady and try to fix it. I like Hitomi's suggestion for repair . . . or if nothing else Ferret's for coloring in the dots. . . but you should expain to her that you would like to fix them and she NEEDS to pay for them! Then if you do have to go to small claims court the judge will see that you have tried every way possible to correct the problem and the customer is being unreasonable and I would bet that you'd win. . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeggyB Posted January 5, 2011 Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 I think there should be further contact and some payment should be made. I have tried to look at it from the customers perspective. Perhaps she is very rigid and controlling so little things bother her, or perhaps her daughter's room has polka dots, or the kids helped pick the fabrics... I am sorry this happened to you, but thank you for sharing, it is a lesson to all of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsbishwit Posted January 5, 2011 Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 Sorry that this woman ruined YOUR Christmas. I agree with the others that this woman was over reacting, if she had $350.00 to spend on each quilt for her kids for Christmas and able to send them to private school as well chances are these quilts were not the only presents that these kids got from her, and speaking from a mom's view of having elementry twin kids myself, ummm quilts custom made or not was not on the top of their Christmas wish lists this year. So for her to say that this ruined their Christmas makes me laugh...I agree with Meg that this woman probably was having other issues in her life gone wrong and you just got caught up in it. As for the mistake of the sashings getting switched...well mistakes happen, after all we are only human and with the holidays comes alot of rushing to get things done on time for our customers to be able to give their quilts at Christmas. Your customer was wrong not to pay you anything, a discount or a redo with your appologie should have been enough. And yes those quilts are most likely being used by her children. Try to put this behind you and learn from it. Get 50% up front for all commissioned work...no acceptions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njquiltergirl Posted January 5, 2011 Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 Oh Angela, what a shame. Yes...you goofed up but it is not the end of the world - for either of you! Yes, 50% deposit is a basic - lesson learned. I would have hoped for a concession. Some sort of payment from her not --- an all or nothing. Can you go back in a polite but firm letter asking for your expenses to be covered, again apologizing for the mix up. You have posted many beautiful quilts here. You are a talented quilter...and now a more savvy businesswoman! Sorry you had to go through all this. Thanks for letting us be better business people also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyAboutQuilting Posted January 5, 2011 Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 Oh Angela, I'm so sorry to hear about this whole horrid situation! I agree with everyone's comments! I can't believe that she didn't pay you at least something!!!! How can she figure that she should get those quilts for free???????????????? If she doesn't do the decent thing and pay you something for your time and hard work, I would never do another job for her and I hope you'll be able to let this go and move on, tough as it is. You do such beautiful work that I can't believe that the wrong fabrics made any difference in the overall quilts. Thanks for sharing this painful experience with all of us. We have all learned some valuable lessons at your expense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lib Posted January 5, 2011 Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 OMG, you have to kidding!! I think that the confetti is more girly. I asked my grandson (he's 21) and he preferred the dots. In fact I will even come down over the border and help you and Carreen frog them. Lib Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.