BethDurand Posted May 12, 2011 Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 I just love Laverna, my 80 + year old customer. However... She gave me the Starburst quilt to finish for her. Looked okay until I got it loaded, and the borders are waving, and need more than just a little starch and steam to get them down to size. Finally decided that it was just going to have some tucks in it. I was describing it to a friend, and she referred to it as the "Topographical" quilt. It's a perfect description. Today I've finally got only one pass left to quilt, but not time to do it this morning. Come home at noon and head down there. Get the top unpinned from the leader, and when I got to the far end of the 101" square quilt, I realized that I'm short about 1.5" of backing. ARRRGGHHH!!!! I think that I can rip a piece of backing off the side and stitch that down. Option #2, is pull fabrics from my stash to piece the backing larger. Option #3, run out to the fabric store and buy another piece. Actually, I might just do that in the end. It would really be easier in the long run. In addition, Laverna being as elderly as she is is quite terribly hard of hearing. Phone calls with her are difficult and require much repeating. Consequently, I think I'll just do what I'm quite sure she's going to want to do, and be done with it. She called me a couple of days ago to check on the status, and to inform me that she's got another quilt top ready to go. Bless her heart. She's actually quite a talented seamstress, but I'm not sure that she owns a rotary cutter. I think that she tears her strips for borders, and they've all got little pulls in the fabric. Instead of paper piecing, I think she must have used templates, which weren't terribly accurate. Here's hoping that when I'm her age I'm half as active as she is, and still spending my time divided between the library books and the 2 car garage that's been converted to a sewing studio. Thanks for listening, I now longer need to scream. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted May 12, 2011 Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 Hi Beth. You are such a sweet heart. I love you and miss you. Bless you for taking care of your elderly customer. I have a couple of those elderlies, too. They are near and dear to me. When I encounter an issue like that, I just don't sweat the small stuff and look at the bigger picture (end product) and just do the right thing and I handle it... just take care of it without asking first. In the end, she is happy (thrilled) and remember...it's not the end of the world, it's just a quilt. Less stress for you to just take care of it, rather than muss and fuss too much. I'd rather just fix it and forgetaboutitalready, rather than involve her and get her upset. Aint worth it. Pick your battles wisely. I know... trust me... btdt... I am glad you are taking care of her. She is lucky to have you, such a sensitive and kind person, with insight and perspective, to quilt her quilts. (((hugs))) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judi Posted May 12, 2011 Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 I agree with Shana, and have done that too. But I do have an elderly customer who seems to like to "push" things a bit. I have mentioned a couple of times now about stay-stitching along the edges of her piano-key borders. Did the first time free of charge, maybe even the second time, but now I charge her. She really likes to make this same pattern over and over too..... oh well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judi Posted May 12, 2011 Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 I just think about my Grandma and hope that somebody would have been nice to her too! (or me when I get that old!!!) My husband is turning 50 this year and our daughter said ~ "Daddy, you will be half-way to old then!" Bless her - she is such a ray of sunshine ~ always positive!! Did something right. :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anniquilter Posted May 12, 2011 Report Share Posted May 12, 2011 I have a frequently-returning customer, not elderly, who never used to bring backings that were cut straight - sometimes miles off straight. The 1st time I fixed it and carefully explained how I need the backing to be straight for loading. The 2nd time I fixed it and charged her but gave her a good discount and reminded her how I need the backing to be straight etc...... The 3rd time I charged her in full. Now they are always cut perfectly!!! For her 11th quilt I gave her a $50 discount and will do the same after her next 10 quilts! Now I just wish she would learn to do bindings and not want the backing kept free so she can wrap for binding! Don't think I'll win that battle but at least she doesn't expect me to bind them that way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janice Posted May 13, 2011 Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 I just quilted a quilt for an older lady who has ovarion cancer and and a brain tumor. I put the backing on the floor with the quilt top on top of it. Quilt was larger than the backing. The quilt top waved at me with both hands! She brought Fairfield poly batting and Joann's cones of thead (4 of them). I took the borders off (3) and cut them down, sides 6" top & bottom 7" off. She had stretched the quilt to fit the border thus opening up the seams of the pieces that met at the border. The batting was not very wide. I hand pieced it (sitting on the floor ) twice across the quilt. I pressed quilt top and put it back on top of the backing & batting ( on the floor). As I came downstairs the next morning I saw she had messed up on some of the blocks and the diagonal design wasn't all lined up as it should have been. I got out the ripper and took out several blocks; sewed them back in as they should have been. I quilted it, with the help of some batting stuffed in the rollers as needed. Thanks to someone on the forum for that tip. Oh, her thread didn't match so I used my Superior. God was looking over me, It quilted up beautifully(custom, lots of feathers) and is very straight and flat. I know she will be pleased. It is for her grandson who just bought a house. I am not charging her anything. I am proud of her for making the quilt . She will not know the problems I incured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted May 13, 2011 Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 I have one of those too, but bless her heart she has given me lots of practice in dealing with "topographical issues" as well as friendly borders ("I had to really stretch this one to get it to fit but you can quilt it out") direct quote from her. I have to say I have learned alot and really feel comfortable with dealing with these issues now - not that I want to! It is a real pleasure to have a wonderful perfectly pieced quilt and I really appreciate those now! By the way, on the last one I dealt with - I started to just baste down a grid in the border with really large stitches and then do my quilting and as someone already mentioned above, it was a breeze to remove the basting and all turned out well. I was doing feathers in the borders that were getting tucks...it works well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra Darlington Posted May 13, 2011 Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 Beautiful, Jan! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeri Posted May 13, 2011 Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 On one I called her first when the backing was about a foot short. I was bad that day and had not double checked the backing size cause always perfect. I went to Hancocks where I knew the piecer had bought her fabrics bought more of the fabric. I didn't have zippers then--one of the deciding factors to invest in them With my doimestic machine on a small table slowly stitched and moved the table down the length of the machine adding the extra backing. She did pay for the fabric but not extra hours of work or going to by more fabric. She also was a long distance customer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BethDurand Posted May 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 Thanks for all the support and knowing that I'm far from the only one out there with a customer like this. Now that I've slept on it, and gotten the quilt off the frame, I'll be much better about just explaining to Laverna the issues that I had, and (hopefully!) remember to check the backing sizes before I start! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda G. Craig Posted May 13, 2011 Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 Beth, I don't quilt for others -- well, other than family, friends, charities......well, you know what I mean, but I have a 90 year old aunty who does the very best she can. Yes, I too have to fix wavy borders, out of pattern blocks, seams that are sometimes 1/4", sometimes 5/8", sometimes 1/8". I decided that it was way too stressful for her if I asked her to repair or fix her quilts, so I too just fix and/or repair, square up where I can. I know she would be so very distressed if she knew what I had to do for her, but she will never know. I continue to tell her how wonderful she is, and she laps it up, and I'm rewarded with a big smile and a big hug. Payment made. Then she is on to her next quilt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BethDurand Posted May 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 And that big smile and huge hug is why we continue to quilt for these lovely ladies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted May 13, 2011 Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 Thanks for sharing these stories. This topic and the responses warm my heart and made my day. It's nice to do good for our elderly and to make them happy. That's what it is all about. Keep eyes on the horizon not the moment at hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CWBowser Posted May 13, 2011 Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 Thanks for sharing your good deeds. These ladies just want to make something that will be left behind when they are gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BethDurand Posted May 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2011 I'm soon off to the fabric store to purchase more backing fabric for Laverna's quilt. Thankfully, we live close by, so I know what store she hangs out at. I really can't thank you all for your lovely comments. While I won't admit to looking forward to returning this quilt to the frame, I'm at least no longer grumbling and complaining about it. Besides, I get to rationalize a trip to Fabric Depot as a part of the process! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFQuilts Posted May 14, 2011 Report Share Posted May 14, 2011 Beth and others, thanks for sharing your stories about various elderly customers today. You confirm that you are quilting angels. And your stories remind me of my two greatgrandmothers - one who taught me to piece by hand and the other who taught me to quilt by hand. Both have been in heaven for over 35 years now - but I bet they both grin about my quilting and know that I am part of their legacy. Quilts are always hugs - some like the 11 lb t-shirt quilt are more like bear hugs:) Quilts from our elders are hugs for the future and reminders that they were once with us. Thanks to each of you for being the caring souls that you are. Prayers for all of us that we find such folks to help us finish our last quilts - and that those last quilts are years and years in the future. Lynn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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