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.

Please don't assume that she "kept" the trimmings.
It could simply have been an oversight that it was not included with your quilt.

And too, you have mentioned that there was a death in her family.
I think we all know how things aren't the same during times like this.

I've always been asked if I want it back or it's come back with the batting and backing attached. I want to trim the quilt myself and sometimes the excess is substantial. I would ask for it back.

They don't own the leftovers. If you don't receive them with your quilt contact them. Be sure to let them know for the future that you need the edges returned.

I always let people know that I will have to use some of the edge material to test the tension before I start the quilting but try not to use to much of this area. After all that is good fabric and batting.

Leason learned:D
peace

I always request no trimming be done. I want to take care of that myself.

Sounds like this was a mutual lack of communication. She didn't ask for, and you didn't volunteer, any information about trimming the quilt.

Since it is only my second time using a LA, I do understand that it could have been my lack of communication. However, it seems kind of obvious that the usefulness of a long strip is reduced quite a bit by cuting it in half almost (my extra around each side was about 5 to 6 inches--she cut down to about 1 to 2 inches from quilt top edge).

She is going through a very sad and difficult time and I recognize that it is important to be a caring human being at this time so and I won't say anything. Next time, I'll know to discuss it in advance to see what her protocol is and then make a special request if I need to.

I always get the quilt back the way it came off the long arm and I trim myself, i get the left overs to use as I wish.

I occasionally take that extra backing and fold it over and make the binding that way. You can't do that if it is cut off.
I agree with the others ask nicely for it back.

email and ask if she still has it. binding is important and she will understand.

My policy is not to trim unless requested. This is another good question that should always be asked and answered. Try thinking of your meeting with your LA Quilter as any other professional appointment. Write down every question you can possibly think of then write down the answers they give you if they do not have a form. Then there will be less confusion. I just accidentally forgot to give the extra to a client the other day. I contacted her and we will make connections to return it. She was in no particular hurry.

I always get back what is given. I use the excess batting for mug rugs, etc. Use the backing for the same.

The last time I had a panto done, it required that she go over the side a good bit to do the design properly. Could this be what happened?

I am a Longarm Quilter. I would not keep any trimmings from a customers quilt, BUT:
If your backing fabric was not cut straight and square your quilter may have needed to trim it to square it up. You can't load it if the top and bottom edges are not straight and parallel to each other. If you did there would be uneven tension on the fabric.
I also try to load the top closer to the top edge of the backing so there is more of a safety net at the bottom. This may have accounted for the single trimming she did return,it would have come from the bottom.
Also remember that the finished dimension of the quilt will be less than the original dimensions. The quilting alone can cause the dimensions to 'shrink' a few %. This effect would be equal in the top and back but if you just measured the backing before and after the quilting you should expect to see a few inches 'disappear.
Most importantly talk to your quilter. He or she wants you to be satisfied with the results.

I agree with Bellaboo.She should understand that you need the scraps so to speak to finish it,without having to buy more.

I always get my extra back...I have just started asking my LA'er to trim the quilt because I've had king size quilts that I can't trim on my little cutting table...I pay extra for them to trim them and they are done very close...I have also paid extra to have them sew my binding on the front (I hand stitch to back). I have only used a total of 4 LA'ers...2 in Wisconsin, 1 who always trimmed the quilts and returned the trimmings and the other who didn't trim unless asked (and charged extra) and returned the trimmings. I have now used 2 LA'ers in Arkansas with also the same results...I would definitely request my trimmings back....I usually don't bind with the extra but it does get used and the extra batting is ALWAYS used, ie mug rugs, coasters, etc.

I would just send her an email. Explaining you plan to use the fabric for the binding. Drop the fabric off or mail it to you.
If you take anymore quilts to her I would tell her up front not to trim your quilt.
My LAQ never trims mine.

My LAer returns everything not used. I just used some "leftover" batting in a tablerunner. It was the perfect length and width I needed!!

Have to jump in here---as most of you know, a backing needs to be at least 6" longer and 6" wider than the top for longarm mounting. When the backing is so big that there are more than about 4" on either side (extra at the top & bottom doesn't matter), I trim off the excess BEFORE mounting the quilt. It is extra work for your longarmer when the backing is way oversize, and some longarmers charge for trimming; the whole problem can be solved by sending the correct size backing with the top! BTW, when I do have to trim backing, the long narrow strip ALWAYS goes home with the completed top.

No she does not. It belongs to the quilter maker not the professional who does the quilting. When I got my finished quilt back I also got the extra backing and the extra batting.

I had a quilt done by a long arm quilter and she did not trim it. Ask for it back. If she threw it away, maybe you can find more at your local fabric store.

I had my first quilt long-armed last summer. He did a good job, but did not return the excess. I had sent a king size batt, 120 x 120 inches. and expected about 120 x 30 inches back. I called them, and it wasn't right away. I had to stew a little first LOL. They said they still had it. The next time I was there, I forgot about asking for it. So I called them and asked if it was still there, and it was. They had just had a big blow-out sale, so I was concerned. I did pick it up later. It was stuffed into a bag, so I had to smooth it all out and roll it up so I could use it again. I butt those ends together and use as much as I can in charity quilts, and in family quilts as well.

I make pillows with all the little itty bitty ends and pieces of batting. I have a box under my table near the sewing machine, and whenever I have a little piece of batting in my hand, it can go easily into the box. Then once a year or so, I sew up a pillow ticking and stuff it. My local food pantry gives them away.

material
 

My longarmer returns the leftovers for all of the materials, etc. that I brought in.

Have always gotten mine back.

I just got a quilt back from a new LA. She did not return my excess backing which was a first for me. I emailed her and told her that I wanted the excess back as I didn't think she should be keeping it. At the cost of fabric and for her to keep probably close to a yard or more of fabric I think was alittle out of line. I will definitely mention it to any new LA'er that I use in the future. I did get it back and used the excess to make a hanging sleeve which was my intent all along.

I'd send her an e-mail saying you'd like your trimmings back if she still has them.
My LAQs do nothing without first asking.
I would not use her again were I you.

She should never keep the extas nor trim unless she has permission. I once took a class with a renowned teacher and we were asked to bring extra strips. She took them all and we never saw them again. Not good. No wonder she has such a wonderful array of fabrics in her published pictures. A sneaky way to expand her fabric collection.

Mine is always returned. She never trims anything from the quilt. I like to use it to warm up before I start a FMQ project.

I always return everything that is left over. I doodle a little on the edges after I change bobbins and they even get my doddling back. I do this because a few years ago a customer told me that her former LAer did not always return everything and she actually saw one of this ladies quilts and recognized some of her fabric. Who knows if that is true but if you give it all back there is no questionl.

When I load a quilt, the top is pinned to the backing and batting about an inch down from the backing edge, so there usually is no trimmings from that side when the sandwich is removed from the machine. However; if I trim the quilt before returning to my customer all trimmings are returned with the quilt. The "yardage" of the trimmings might be a little different from what my customer would expect due to some fabric "shrinkage" as the sandwich is quilted. A densely quilted piece might not have much extra fabric left after quilting. Please do check with you quilter. Ask if there were any trimmings left, that you were thinking about using them, if any, for the binding.

I never trim the quilts unless the customer request me to do it. I give back all the fabric and excess batting. You paid for it and it is yours.

If I don't trim the quilt,the customer get everything in one piece. If she tells me that she is going to use the backing for binding I try really hard to position the top so she will have enough for the binding. I always ask for a min of 6" extra all the way around for the backing,this way I will not be short and the cust will have enough for her binding.

I have enough of my own fabric and batting and I don't need to feed the stash..lol

I'm a longarmer,and I can assure you she did not "K E E P" your extra fabric.She just did'nt get it in the bag when she was finished with your quilt.Just wait a short time and give her a call.I'm sure she will feel bad but definately return it to you.Cut her some slack.