RitaR Posted March 18, 2011 Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 I sure will pray, Cheryl... for peace of mind, for enjoying the quilting you have yet to do, for your friends to stay true, and God Bless... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saratogaquilter Posted March 18, 2011 Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 I feel so bad for you!! My first customer quilt was a nightmare! Her piecing techniques left a LOT to be desired. I did the best I could with what I had to work with. Her friend, my almost SIL, entered it into a couple of county fairs. One judge gave her a blue ribbon simply because the quilting saved the day. I just found out from the friend that she will never bring me another top to quilt. Not happy with what I did and the price. I gave a VERY generous discount because it was my first one and I wanted her happy. You just can't please some people! Shana is wise beyond her years. She gives very good advice. You have a lot of support here on this forum, and this is the only one that matters anyway!! ((((((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))))))) from NE IA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoinette Posted March 19, 2011 Report Share Posted March 19, 2011 Cheryl, I am always amazed at the depth of wisdom shared here, I have nothing but admiration for the advice. Were it me, I would not do the baby quilt, she's already show you what you can expect from her. The truth will prevail and you will not have to regret anything you didn't say. BUT....make sure you have another person with you when she comes to pick up her quilt. There can be no mistake as to what is said when there are more than two people present. It's a CYA thing. Chin up, it will pass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted March 19, 2011 Report Share Posted March 19, 2011 Oh this is so sad. How in the world can someone start complaining before she even sees the quilt? Take the high road, follow Shana's suggestions, and don't respond to any more of the posts about the situation. It should have been kept between the two of you to begin with, she chose to air it, and she can suffer the consequences of her actions. Don't feed into her drama. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted March 19, 2011 Report Share Posted March 19, 2011 I am hoping as a bit of time passes that this will sting less and less. From what you have shared with us it appears her only complaint is about money, since she hasn't seen the quilting yet. And just as we here on our chat forum are quick to be "outraged" when one of our own is perceived to be wronged, perhaps her group on the other forum, having only heard her side, are defending her position out of loyalty. And that is a big thing--only hearing her side. But you can't fix that. You can only do the best job you know how and keep forging ahead. Shana is so wise with her advice. This bump in the road shouldn't derail you, no matter how much it hurts. Hoping for sunnier days filled with customers who treasure you and love the great work you do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlnewell Posted March 19, 2011 Report Share Posted March 19, 2011 Cheryl, I have a "completed quilt received by" and "date" for the person to sign and date when they pick up a quilt. I have it on the bottom the receipt I keep for my records. In your case I also suggest you put the unquilted baby quilt also...You sure don't want the possibility of her claiming you never returned her quilts or tops. Good luck...and as said previously, your quality workmanship will speak for itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoAnnHoffman Posted March 20, 2011 Report Share Posted March 20, 2011 It'a amazing how people will use the internet to say and do things they would never have the guts to do in public or to your face. Take a picture and post. I'm sure it's beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judi Posted March 20, 2011 Report Share Posted March 20, 2011 Originally posted by Dave-Jane P.S. You could always poop in her yard!!! Thought you needed a laugh! Oh grasshopper - you wise one - I never want you mad at me!! Cheryl - everyone has already said the best.... hang in there little camper ~ just keep quilting.. just keep quilting... just keep quilting! And smile while you do - it will really make people wonder! :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoseCity Quilter Posted March 20, 2011 Report Share Posted March 20, 2011 Unbeilevable...Hang in there...good advice given here... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Posted March 24, 2011 Report Share Posted March 24, 2011 I can attest that this customer let loose a string of garbage a mile long & hadn't even seen the quilt. There were minor changes in the design. Stars in a row instead of stars & loops in one of the border and instead of trying to perfectly geometric designs so that they hit right on a seam intersection we moved them into the piecing a little bit & spaced them evenly. This way it didn't emphasis any irregularities in piecing. It was easy to tell that this customer was a bully & a micromanager, in addition to not understanding that Cheryl traveled to use our IQs while waiting or Hers to arrive in order to give this customer her best efforts. It's unfortunate this had to be one of Cheryl's first custom experiences. Chin up, Cheryl, it will work out. She really should've asked you any questions that She had or about any misunderstandings first. Of course that's just my opinion. Even if you are in a small rural area, that just means that this customer may have a 'reputation' of Her own and if She chooses to micromanage & fly off the handle in other areas of Her life then people probably already know this about her & will take whatever she has to say with a grain of salt. Ok, it's been awhile, so enough of that. Get it finished up & put the experience behind you. They won't all be like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie Zizza Posted March 25, 2011 Report Share Posted March 25, 2011 I just ran across this thread, and feel compelled to toss in my two cents. I am so sorry this happened to you Cheryl. There has been two times in my quilting career (both times in classes) that a quilter has ran down the person who quilted their quilt for them. One of these people even went so far as to say the long armer "ruined her masterpiece" in front of a class full of strangers. When I asked both of these women what the long armer said when they talked to them about their dissatisfaction, BOTH of them said they never discussed it with the long armer. And when I asked them why not? they had nothing to say. That kind of behavior irks me to no end. They automatically lost all their credibility in my eyes. And I can't be the only one who feels this way. It feels gross to be attacked when you have nothing but good intentions in your heart and are doing your best. You just have to have faith that most people will see her for herself. I guarantee you that you are not the only one she treats this way. And other people see it and notice it too. I think this has been discussed on this forum before - most people like this have issues and you, unforutnately, happen to be the punching bag of the moment. As far as the baby quilt goes, I would give it back to her with a smile and all the warm and fuzzys you can muster under the circumstances and tell her that your professional relationship has not gone so well, and it might be best to part ways. You certainly would not enjoy disappointing her again. Maybe even jokingly you could mention that you really didn't enjoy reading about yourself on the internet, and didn't want to risk another hit to your professional reputation. Nothing personal, it just makes good business sense to send her and her quilt on her way. I'm sure you will come out of this unscathed and find this is just a blip on the radar screen. Although it probably feels like a level 5 hurricane right now! Carry on brave one. Carry on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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