Is this how it's suppose to look? Venting here.

[sewbug]

I have tried every LA in the area and I am not pleased with any of them. Skipped stitches, stitches piled up on each other where backtracking, not a few single stithces, I'm talking a few inches of back tracking. No thread clipped at all from any the quilters. Aren't they suppose to be clipped and tied off? None of the quilting was elaborate, I only wanted simple all over pattern done. And what's with the cheap stiff batting? I asked if the batting was a good quality or I would supply my own. The quilting thread is the thick cheap kind and I asked for thin good quality. Don't these so called LA go to classes or at least go to shows to see how machine quilting is suppose to look? I have told all of them I have used I won't be back until they learned how to do it right.

[1quiltinnana]

Wow....thanks for sharing this info. I have not tried LA quilting nor hired anyone to do it for me YET! Appreciate your input.

[Cathy32078]

Before you hire them, do you ask to see samples of their work? That is a must IMHO. AND ask how long they have been doing quilting for others as a paid job.

Ask to see the varieties of thread brands they use. You should be given a choice to choose which you want on your quilt.

Ask which brands of batting they use and ask to see samples. It should be your choice if you prefer to provide your own.

Ask them if the bury their threads & clip threads. Can't imagine them not. That looks so tacky & unprofessional.

Really. You are hiring them. Have your questions written in hand so you will be prepared. If you do not like the answers to your questions, don't hire them.

They should have a sheet of things they also expect from you as well.
I am so so sorry you have had a bad experience. I hope you let your unhappiness and dissastisfaction be known and discussed it with the LA'er. She should have made it right with you.


Hugs & Love

[sewbug]

There are no professional LAs in this area, just a few women that decided to by a LA and make money. Only one has ever made a quilt! I did ask those questions and many more and got mostly stares in return. They made feel like the idiot! One LA wouldn't let me in her house, conducted business in the yard. I said never mind and left. I kid you not. Looks like I'll be sending my quilts off to be quilted. I keep thinking this one will be a keeper. I really would like to support the locals but that's not going to happen.

[petlover]

These "quilters" sound very unprofessional & lacking in basic skills on a longarm machine. They aren't really in business, are they? The professional longarm quilters I know have a business license, pay taxes & abide by the laws of their state. Including me. We go to classes at the major longarm quilt shows, buy books & supplies to learn new techniques & talk to one another online & by phone to find solutions to any problems or find out new things. I think you'd better keep looking for someone who knows what they are doing.
Good luck.
Linda

[MastiffMomQlt]

Sounds like a nightmare! I hope you find someone lickety split.

[Cathy32078]

OMG!!!!!!!!! I cannot believe they expect to do business running it that way!!!!!!!! Some folks never cease to amaze me. I am not in business but have all of the things Linda mentioned necessary and getting all of our ducks in a row for the time when or IF we feel ready to quilt for others. DH has quilted for a couple of close friends but that is it. AND they knew he was new and not proclaiming to be a LA'er. Yep, I would just send them off to someone that would do a good job until your locals get it together and LEARN.

Linda, for the new folks, how about compiling a list of questions a customer might ask a LA'er when first contacting them about quilting their quilt tops? Maybe some of the other gals that do LA as a business here would add to it too. Then maybe a seperate topic of things a LA'er needs or expects from the Customer. Could save some heartache possibly on down the road.

Hugs & Love

[cindyg]

I've been fortunate. I've used several LAers and I've never had a problem. They will use the backing I send or their backing of muslin and they'll use my batting if I want them to or I can choose one of theirs. And I choose the thread for both the top and bottom or I ask them what thread would look best. I trust them and value their opinion.

I think a list of questions for the LAer would be great. Also a list of how we should prepare our quilt for a LA quilter.

[WeSignificant]

Wow, I have had very good luck with the LA's in this area except for one. She didn't have the quilt fabric flat on the top and there is one area of the quilt that sticks up. she had the quilt folded when I picked it up so I didn't see it right away. I did learn to look at the whole quilt when I pick it up. I did send one to a shop in I think it was Ohio, and much to my surprise, it returned with about 3 inch polyester batting! I litterally almost cried when I took it out of the package. I will never send anything there again as I did ask for mid loft warm and natural batting. I had a real hard time binding that one! I send most of mine to a shop in the town where my DH works. She has a statler stitcher and it always comes out wonderful. A little steep on the price but well worth it. I gotta get going on my frame and figure out how to do it.

[petlover]

It sounds like people are upset about the batting in their quilt. If you drop your top & backing off at the quilter's shop or home, they should have their batting choices where you can look at & feel of them. If it's a name brand, everyone knows what they're getting. They should also tell you the brand of quilting thread that they offer. Most have samples of their work on the wall or somewhere in the shop. If they don't have any of this available for you to look at, feel of & discuss, you may want to NOT leave a top with them.
I love to design & piece tops. My DH is the longarm quilter here. I'm amazed at how much he enjoys quilting! And he is quite good at it. We've had the longarm for a year but had a smaller frame system before that. Just wanted more throat space.
If you have to send your top off to a LAer, you probably need to get word of mouth recommendations. If you don't have a word of mouth recommendation, maybe they have a website you can look at. Call them to speak to them personally if you're not sure about it. And I have to say that some of our customers have brought quilts in that weren't their best work to see what we would do with it. When it turned out beautifully, they brought their nicer tops to us. So you may want to try out a quilter by sending a top that isn't one of the best ones you made, if ya know what I mean.
The backing should be 8 inches bigger than the top. If your top is 80x80, backing should be 88x88. I can't think of other things right now, will post more later. It's been a long day. We had a family reunion here today & did most of the work. Yawn.
Linda