Stagecl Posted December 11, 2006 Report Share Posted December 11, 2006 I am soooo tempted to return this quilt! It is quilt made of satins and brocades with embroidered Hummels. It is not square, it is poorly pressed, it is poorly stitched. I think it is going to be a nightmare...I know it is going to be a nightmare. Just trying to get it flat and the sides pulled as straight as I can...eeggaads. Then there will be no mistakes on stitching...thank goodness she just wants a large overall meander. On top of everything the backing is the same size as the quilt and I get to add to the backing and lastly, the backing is brocade too. Eegaads...just needed to vent. Wish me luck Cheryl Mathre Stone Creek Quilting Sandy Hook, VA:mad: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mxley Posted December 11, 2006 Report Share Posted December 11, 2006 I'd give that one back! Good luck if you choose to go on- but seriously, life is short, do you really need this customer? I know I'm in a bit of a mood tonight, LOL, but a quilt like that would make me tear my hair out. Mary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SherryRogers Posted December 11, 2006 Report Share Posted December 11, 2006 I have. Both times they were out of my comfort zone. One was flowers, poppies to be specific and I was too stressed everytime I thought about doing it. The other was art quilting and again, it just created too much stress to be fun. I guess this is why I like to be the one to decide, that way I am assured that I will enjoy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennan100 Posted December 11, 2006 Report Share Posted December 11, 2006 Sounds like someone first time project. I'm not LAing yet, but if I were this is something I think I'd make go away...far, far away.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stagecl Posted December 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2006 Well, I am heading up to my sewing room to quilt. I am working on a different one right now but I am still debating on the satin quilt. I don't think it is out of the comfort zone...just a lot of issues to work through at this time of year which means slow going and fusterations. I think she probably should have take the top to a dry cleaner of a good pressing. I think it is smart to return quilts that are out of one's comfort zone. I know I would return a quilt too. Cheryl Mathre Stone Creek Quilting Sandy Hook, VA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melanie Rouse Posted December 11, 2006 Report Share Posted December 11, 2006 I had one once that I stressed over until it was time to quilt it. The borders were at least 6 inches larger than the body of the quilt. It constructed from Bali fabrics, so it had no give at all. The seam allowance went from 1/2" to 1/8" and there were lots of pleats. I tried to load it and just couldn't figure out how to get it to lay flat enough to even begin. I called the woman to pick it up and told her that I was just not experienced enough to quilt it for her. Not a fib, but I couldn't bear to hurt her feelings. Since I wasn't the one who taught the piecing class, I didn't feel that I could offer her any construction advice. It was a very difficult pattern for a beginner - baby blocks with inset piecing. I felt much better after it was picked up! Too much stress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodsew Posted December 11, 2006 Report Share Posted December 11, 2006 I have not quilted for others. WhenI have had to quilt my own quilts that I had originally thought I would do on my Bernina I added muslin strips to the top, bottom and sides so I could pull it taunt on the frame. I am still very new at longarm but whatever works I will try. I lay batting inbetween the layers of muslin to match the thickness of the quilt going on the rollers. Good Luck with whatever you decide. woodsew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltissimo Posted December 11, 2006 Report Share Posted December 11, 2006 Last week, I almost gave back a quilt. It was partly basted, partly hand quilted and needed to be finished - no big issues from the quilting point of view, so I though I could do it. But I almost gave it back when I noticed, while I was pinning it to the leaders, that it was plain DIRTY :( - cat hair, traces of dunnowhat.... yuck! Well, I finished that one, and it turned out quite ok, but next time I will take a very close look at any quilt that's been "half quilted". On the other hand, I had a wonderful quilt lately made of brocade and satin. The fabric was a bit tricky to handle, and I had to do a lot of pin-basting while quilting to prevent the layers from shifting, but the quilt was perfectly constructed and simply gorgeous, so it was a great pleasure to work on it and to take the challenge. Unhappily I forgot to take pictures from this one! Wish you good luck with this one, Marie-Christine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa Thiesssen Posted December 11, 2006 Report Share Posted December 11, 2006 I have given a quilt back. I felt terrible about it, but couldn't see how I could make it work out the way the customer envisioned it. I measured it as I was putting it on the machine and photographed the measuring tape as I went (as insurance). The quilt was very (read almost 10") different in length from one side to the other, and in width as well. It had all the attendant ripples, bumps and pleats that go with that, and was made out of a poly cotton. Please don't get me wrong, I really wanted to do this quilt for her, and know that she didn't know how to make it better. Once I realized that if I was so worried about this quilt as to photograph the measurements it was one that I shouldn't be doing, I called a good friend (also a longarmer, and a tremendously tactful person) and asked her how I could gently give this quilt back, ruffling as few feathers and hurting as few feelings as possible. The quilt was returned, the quilter and I did all right. I recommended to her that she use a puffy batting and tie it if she wanted to do it the way it was, and gave her a handout that I have here (and on my website) about how to apply borders if she wanted to take it apart and rebuild it. I don't think she took it apart, as it was a gift with a soon-approaching deadline. I don't ever want to repeat that experience and have been extremely careful about measuring the quilt with the customer there ever since - I've not run into one that was quite that shape since then, though, either. Lisa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
countrystitcher Posted December 11, 2006 Report Share Posted December 11, 2006 Yes, I have given two guilts back to a customer. They were old blocks and she set them together and then added borders. She was not a quilter and nothing matched and the borders were so terrible that I could never have gotten them to lay flat. I tried to load it and could not get anything square; I decided rather than ruin it and have it be unhappy that I would gently give it back to her and tell her that I could not quilt it. She was okay with that. I got into this business for fun and creativity not stress, my insurance job provides the stress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay M. Posted December 11, 2006 Report Share Posted December 11, 2006 I have only returned one quilt. The maker was a first time quilter making it as a gift for her grandmother. The borders were way off and after showing this to her, she decided on her own to redo them. For me, it depends on the customer. There are some who would not be able to fix them and really just want them quilted. I have one customer who thankfully only has two daughters. She made each of them a quilt as they were leaving for college. They were poorly constructed from start to finish and were delivered as big balls of scrunched fabric. She disliked sewing and had no intention of making any more (lucky me!). I did my best and she was delighted with the result. I'm hoping her daughters appreciated her efforts. Kay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stagecl Posted December 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2006 Good to know that others have given back a quilt or two. I am just finishing up a custom quilt...then on to the brocade quilt. Thank you for the idea of pinning while quilting. This one will definitely need extra help to prevent it from sliding. Cheryl Mathre Stone Creek Quilting Sandy Hook, VA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CherylUribe Posted December 11, 2006 Report Share Posted December 11, 2006 I have but not because of these issue's. If I have a quilt that is not in very good shape I do the best I can. I explain to the customer that it is not perfect (and they always agree), that there may be puckering etc. but I'll do the best I can. You can add a PITA charge or tell them because it may take extra time you'll have to add a fee. I have returned a quilt because it was so beautifully hand appliqued, I felt it should be hand quilted. I referred her to a wonderful hand quilter, she agreed and was very pleased with the out come- thanked me a lot for the advice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramona-quilter Posted December 11, 2006 Report Share Posted December 11, 2006 I feel so lucky to not have gone thru this. I can only imagine what it must feel like from either end. Stress, hurt feelings and frustration. I don't mean to imply that all the quilts that come to me are perfectly pieced. Oh contrare, my little flower. I have had wavy borders, pieced borders that come undone, hairy (cat, I hope) and smoky quilt tops. I measure them and sometimes know that it will be a challenge. But you cannot always rely on the tape measure to tell the whole story. I have had seams that were barely hanging on go 'pop' when I put the quilt on the roller. And I have had some that were rip-outs that forgot to be re-sewn. I just do the best I can. In most cases that means nailing down the holes, seams and bumps. And knock on wood, so far, the clients with those challenges have loved the quilting. For me, I'm not sure if it is love or just plain relief. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stagecl Posted December 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2006 Cheryl, I, too, have not quilted a hand pieced quilt because it was so exquistely pieced that it deserved to be hand quilted. It was a wedding ring quilt with small stitches, accurate, flat and beautiful. The only unfortunate thing was she had started handquilting it...took out her stitches and then sought out a LAer...she had quilted about 1/3 of it. She was happy that she had it hand quilted. It was completed before she passed on from cancer so she got to see it. I am off to finish piecing the brocade back then on to quilting it. Cheryl Mathre Stone Creek Quilting Sandy Hook, VA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judi Posted December 12, 2006 Report Share Posted December 12, 2006 Cheryl - I hope that you will post photos of this quilt after you finish it. Sounds like an interesting piece. I might just be giving something back, but the quilt shop that called asked if I could please get ONE more done before Christmas, I did say O.K. - but that it would have to be an over-all meander, not custom. SO...... I get it home unfold it all to see it and measure it - and there are 5 little table runners in there! All with seperate backing, cut just 1" or so bigger that the tops! Oh my... tried to call her, I will do them, but she needs to know there is a sperate minumum charge for each piece! grrrr.... Miss that one-on-one with the customer, in person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stagecl Posted December 12, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2006 Judi, I know how it that goes...it has happened to me. I did take on 3 other quilts this week for Christmas, they all will be done by Friday. Every quilt that will be given for the holiday will be done and to my customers. Hurrah!!! I don't have a USB cable for my camera right now, so I won't beable to post a picture. It actually has quilted up quite nicely. I will finish it this morning. There is extra fullness in the border which I couldn't quilt out. The meandering on the quilt was just fine. Cheryl Mathre Stone Creek Quilting Sandy Hook, VA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judi Posted December 12, 2006 Report Share Posted December 12, 2006 It feels really good to be caught up and done in time doesn't it?!!? I still need to do my Santa shopping - but it is so hard when - really - these kidos and the man - already have so much! Need to pickup DVDs for the stockings and chocolate yet - can't buy that too early - or I need to buy it AGAIN!! lol! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stagecl Posted December 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2006 Judi, I know that chocolate doesn't hang around my house either...lol...yummm:D Cheryl Mathre Stone Creek Quilting Sandy Hook, VA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KweerKwilter Posted December 14, 2006 Report Share Posted December 14, 2006 Good evening, On the other end, I have been given a quilt back. It hurt. The woman held on to it for 8 months before calling and saying she "...just got around to it..." She didn't really explain why she didn't want to do it, nor did I really give her lot's of opportunity. The quilt WAS a Christmas gift for my mother. Not any more. Oh well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinams Posted December 14, 2006 Report Share Posted December 14, 2006 KweerKwilter, It's to bad she waited 8 months to get it back to you. If she would have returned it sooner you could have gotten it quilted else where. Tina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stagecl Posted December 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2006 That is really sad it took her 8 months to return a quilt unquilted. I would never do that. Not to offer an explanation is not good either. I can still get Christmas quilts done as long as they don't want it tomorrow. Actually, I am working on my last 2 gift quilts today. Hurrah! The satin brocade quilt actually quilted up real nice. I was pleased with the results. Cheryl Mathre Stone Creek Quilting Sandy Hook, VA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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