Word of mouth is important, but be sure that the person giving the recommendation is looking for the same that you are in a longarmer. Some are only interested in price, others only want pantographs, others want dense custom quilting, some want fast turnaround, others don't care, etc. Although a longarmer may be able to do many things, some specialize only in certain types of quilting. There are a few horror stories on the board, but most seem to be quite happy with the work of their longarmers, so don't stress too much. That said, I think I don't think I would try out a new longarmer with a quilt that was really important to me. Give her a "practice" quilt first.