She is probably not well versed in using a longarm machine. I have a TinLizzie18LS...it's my 2nd longarm machine...I can use just about any thread brand, size, type & combo of them.
All the things you mentioned are NOT things you change without a valid explaination to the customer. Now, I will say...if a customer wants cotton...I lead them to Warm and Natural or Warm and White...it's needlepunched...and the Warm and White has a bit of poly in it...not much (20% I think). Why not 100% cotton? It is awful to quilt with..shreds, thin spots, and when you wash that quilt..it will ball up, just like gramma's quilts did. I carry Warm & White, and I carry several thicknesses of poly...and Hobbs Tuscany wool. Most of my work comes via US Mail...having batting on hand saves my customers money by not having to pay to ship the batting with their quilt(s), I charge my cost + 10% (to help pay for my gas/shipping). Thread..I have soooo many colors & types of thread. If a customer has a certain color they want...or if they send me thread...I will check my supply to see if I have a color match for what they send. Why not use thier thread...again in defense (I guess kinda) of the person you used...some threads have to be tested, tensions adjusted numerous times to use a certain thread...time consuming, and if you are not very familiar with your machine, can take all day to just get the tension right...I KNOW what the tension should feel like with the threads I use. I usually put the thread the customer supplied in with her return quilt...she/he can use it in their home machine.
I don't have the fanciest machine setup...but it does what the more expensive setups do, and the result is the same...and I can charge less, because I don't have a payment to worry about. I would discuss the issue with your longarm person...and if she is unwilling to try the batting & thread you want on a sample fabric..then it's time to move on. BTWay, Cotton is thinner (needlepunched that is) than all but one poly I use..so not sure about her thinking there...except it takes a tension adjustment to use it. She will learn that every quilt will take some adjustments to the machine to get the stitching just right.
Originally Posted by
BellaBoo
This is the third quilt I did not get what I asked for from the LA. The first one I asked for cotton batting, I got poly but the quilting was okay. The second one I asked for cotton batting, and green quilting thread to be used in top and bobbin. I got poly batting and white thread front and back, again the quilting was fine. The third time I sent the batting I wanted and spool of Aurifil thread 40wt of the color she could use or match the color. I got poly batting and cream color thread, quilting was fine. I asked her why she used the poly batting when I wanted cotton. She said poly was thinner and easier to work with and her classes said the customer always ask for things the LA can change. And she didn't like changing thread, it messed up the tension. Ugh!!@!!!! Now to find another LA in the area which is more like find out who bought a LA recently and put up business sign. Even the quilt shop that does LA, the quilting isn't that good, skipped stitches and too many knots on the back for what it cost. Frustrating!