Mrobert…..I know this isn't what you had in mind, but it's lovely. I wouldn't change it at all.

very pretty quilt. I don't see anything wrong with it and would love it like it is.

It sounds to me like there wasn't clear communication between you and the maker of this quilt. I agree with Watson58 and Lindaschipper that even though this quilt wasn't what you envisioned it is very nicely done and highlights those beautiful embroidery blocks very nicely. I too would leave it as is. I suspect she had reasons for making some of the design choices she did and I think the quilt is really appealing. For example, the embroidered blocks look beautifully centered and not swimming in a sea of white. Had she left the blocks at 12" I really think the embroidery would have been diminished swimming in such a large field of white all around them. As they are now, they look perfectly centered in the blocks. I suspect the checkerboard layout was simply poor communication. If you handed her the green and said "I want this between each block" it can easily be interpreted as checkerboard instead of sashing strips.
If you remove the border and attach something different it will be very difficult to line up the end to end quilting design used, so will need to be quilted differently. I would definitely discuss this with your quilter as a similar situation is likely to arise if you don't have clear lines of communication. I would recommend you find pictures on the internet to show her what you want if there is a next time. Also learn quilting terms so you are both speaking the same "language". Strips between blocks are called sashing, those arrow triangle things are called hourglass blocks and from what I can see they are very well done. Size matters so be very specific about size, both the finished size and sizes of elements. Like saying "I want 2 inch finished size sashing strips between the blocks with no cornerstones, I want a 6" finished size border to go around the completed quilt, I want the quilt to finish at 72 x 82". And stress that any design decisions cannot be made unilaterally. She must discuss with you.
I am sorry you are so disappointed with the outcome but the quilt really is very nice.

I think it's really pretty and the greens highlight your embroidered blocks. I think you should live with it for awhile before doing anything drastic, which cutting off the borders would be.

I think it is beautiful and the quilter did a great job with it. I suspect that it wasn't what you had in mind and the shock of seeing something else has led to you being unhappy with it. I wouldn't change a thing--except my mind. Perhaps put it away for awhile and then get it out again.

What's that line from the movie--what we have here is a failure to communicate?? She did put the green between!

I also think it looks nice as it is.

That is stunningly beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. I would leave it as is.

Yes, well I did lay out the way I wanted it and printed off a picture and gave it to her. Okay, I guess I can live with it, but I hate that the top and bottom borders are different sizes and not symmetrical.[ATTACH=CONFIG]620950[/ATTACH]

I think it is very pretty.

Can the bottom be cut off and rebound without too much hassle?