Oh, I'm feeling bad for you = sending you a hug. Best of luck what you decide to do with it. Keep us posted.

I am so sorry that happened to you!

As others have said:

1) Show it to the person that recommended the LAer - it might be that this was a 'friend' and she didn't have a clue what kind of work she actually did (bad person bad person!)

2) Explain to the LAer what is wrong with the job she did - you don't have to be nasty about it - you need to be specific about what disappointed you - she can't fix/change something that she isn't aware of.

3) If she is 'so sweet' - she might feel bad - but if one isn't ready to work on other people's things - one isn't ready.
I'm reasonably sure you won't want a do-over by the same person - I think I would also ask for a refund considering that you will probably have to remove all the stitching.

Some people should NEVER be allowed near other people's things. They just don't have the touch.

Others do magic.

Bearisgray is right on.
I add one other thing, tell those you know who may be using/looking for a LA that this lady is NOT ready. You only have one chance to make a first impression and she blew it, no matter her intentions or thoughts on the matter.

I once had this experience and ended up taking all the stitches out. It was fine, just took time. My $ was never refunded, but a large 400 member guild heard the story of her work and it was years before she really developed her business after that.

Jan in VA

Yep, made an beautiful quilt I designed it from start to finish. I took it to a lady and went through exactly what I wanted and I even took pictures to show her. When I got it back it was terrible and to top it off she used green thread on a white fabric to make it "pop" I threw the whole thing away I couldn't bear to look at it.

How did she ruin it? Is the quilting just poorly done or did she get it skewed, puckered, etc?

I'm just curious how a LA could actually ruin a quilt.

For people who aren't into quilting, the actual "quilting" part is less important that the colors of it, usually. So, I'd say go ahead and give it to your niece if it is the colors that she wanted. Before I started quilting, I never ever noticed the actual "quilting designs" in things.

I would take my time and gently rip it out. Rip on the backing so that any mistakes would be on the back and the batting. I have one that the back was ruined on, and that is what I plan to do to it. I don't get stippling or anything really small on my quilts though. I get things like vines and clouds and figure 8's. Basic stuff.

I probably would have also told her she need much more practice and I did not want to pay for it, or at least not pay full price. No way I'd pay full quilting prices for my quilt to be ruined. I can ruin them for free myself!

I'm also curious by what you mean by "ruined." I've ripped out a lot of stitches, and if the design isn't too close together, would advise that you do that. It doesn't take nearly as long as you probably think it will, and then you will be able to salvage the quilt.

another thought... if you don't really want to rip it out, try washing the quilt. after washing, many times the quilting does not show as much and the puffy, crinkly look will cover the [poor] quilting.

can you post pictures of the quilt? what exactly is wrong?...i know you say the quilt is ruined...but that is a broad statement.....

and, did you let the person know what your thoughts are? i would! the only way she'll learn to improve is if she recieves the criticism!

This is a note to everyone who is considering having a quilt done by a LA quilter. I am sorry that there are some LA quilters that do not have the experience to please customers or simply want the money to pay for their machine and do not truly care.

I have been doing longarm quilting as a busines for over 10 years and I have never had a complaint about my quilting. That may sound like bragging but I am proud of that fact.

Before I started quilting for others I spent several months (that is correct months, not days or weeks) teaching myself how to use my machine because I did not want to mess up someones quilt.

Now even though I have been doing this for years anytime I have a new customer I spend time showing them samples of my work. I have quilts of various sizes, throw, twin, full and queen with a variety of quilting techniques. I feel this is essential if they are going to trust me with there quilt.

If someone has no full size samples to show you then you cannot see the quality of her/his work. At that point I would say "NO THANKS, I need to see some of your quilts before I trust you with mine. I am sorry but a little wall hanging with lots of stitching does not qualify as a proper sample of what someone can do on an actual quilt.

I have one lady, now a loyal customer for at least 5 years, the first quilt she had done by someone who called herself a LA quilter was a disaster. The top was full of puckers and I won't mention the mess of the back. The long and short is I said if she took it apart I would quilt it correctly and if she wasn't happy it would be a freebie. But as I said she is now a loyal customer and she has sent me other work but I am sure she never recommended the first person.

Sorry if this has gotten way too long but I think everyone needs to know there are good and bad LA quilters. It's the old saying someone has to graduate at the bottom of the class.

Longarm