Does Your Long Armer Keep Your Extra Backing Material? Not sure if this is normal??
 

I've only used 2 LA's so far and just got a quilt back from one of these and she delivered the quilt with the extra backing already trimmed down to about 1 to 2 inches from the quilt top. I made this backing really big so I know there would have been at least 5 to 6 inches extra around most sides. I was given one strip of the backing material but not the other 3 sides?? I had planned on using this extra material for the binding and now I won't be able to.

I wasn't home when the quilt was delivered so I couldn't ask directly about this and she had a death in the family this week so I hate to ask at this time. I know I should just send an email asking about it, but I am worried she either threw it out or kept it and I just don't want to make her feel worse than she does right now. The quilting did turn out lovely so I am happy about that.

All of my excess batting and backing is returned. I use it to practice my FMQ so I'm really glad to get it back as I need lots and lots of practice.

I do hand quilting for others, I always check with them as to what they want back. Just email her and tell her you had plans for the extra backing fabric, I bet she will understand.

trimming your quilt, well she should have asked first as some people want it trimmed others don't, but keeping the extra NO WAY. I've never heard of that. If the quilt is trimmed, the 'trimmings' go back to you.

absolutely not---i always return any and all materials left over- if the customer requests i trim the quilt after quilting the scraps- fabric & batting are folded & placed with the quilt- if the customer does not request i trim the quilt it is returned exactly as it comes off the frame. i have customers who do not want their excess batting- but they let me know that- i have one customer who never wants the scraps. they are still always with the quilt when she picks it up- it's her choice to give them to me-or take them with her...i would never (assume) to keep someone elses excess fabric.
you should either call or send an email asking for the rest of your fabric- maybe it was layed next to the quilt & just missed when she grabbed it to return it to you & is just laying there...could just be an honest mistake- with so much going on she may not even realize she has it- let her know- (i would want to be contacted- a couple weeks from now she may not remember where it came from)

The problem with her trimming is that she now took what could have been a 5 to 6 inch wide long strip on each side and now I have (if I even got back all the pieces) an uneven 1 to 2 inch strip and then a slightly bigger strip. Not as useful as it could be if I trimmed it myself right along the edge of the quilt top.

I would call her and say very sweetly When will be a good time for me to stop by and get the backing pieces you trimmed off my quilt? I need it to make my binding. What she says would determine if I ever used her again.

I always get back my batting and backing. I always seem to buy more than they need, so Im glad to get it back. Have used it or tablerunners and other small projects.

I try to always send it back with the quilt. One time I did forget(blushing) and I didn't realize it for quite some time afterwards. I felt bad because I didn't know if the person needed it for the binding. If it's really thin(around an inch or so), I do toss it.

I always get my trimmings back. If its a quilt I mailed out for services.. the long arm pro always asks me , or just puts them in the box.
Those Longarm pros that trim( the one I have used) , never trim that far way from the edge of the quilt.
But there have been times when I send a very oversized backing( bought 108 fabric and the quilt width was only 78 inches) and it gets trimmed prior to quilting to make more managable.. but I told them ahead of time if they wanted/needed to trim prior it was fine with me.