If it's bad quilting and you know it's going to bug you forever, spend the time to pick it out.
I would also talk with the quilter and explain why you're unhappy with it and see if she'll give you some sort of refund.
Most longarmers want their customers to be happy. I suggest you need to find someone else if you plan to send a quilt "out" again.

I have taken out machine quilting stitches from 2 lap sized quilts....I was the quilter and had tried something new...that just didn't do it for me. It took awhile....but not as long as I thought it would....I re-quilted it and was so pleased with the finished product.

I can't get the hang of hand quilting. I have a Janome p6600 and it does a fine job of making easy work of it for me! lol Just let your applique be your guide and it will look fabulous. :)

I had to take the quilting out on my "quilt from hell".....it's a pain, but if you don't like how it's done, then DO it! The one point I want to make....if you have the binding on, and no extra backing around the edges, it'll be impossible for a longarm to do the quilting -- unless maybe you ADD a 5 inch border on the backing to be taken off later. If you hand quilt it -- you'll be doubly proud of what you've made.

Your quilt is too wonderful to allow bad quilting to spoil it. My vote is to remove the offending stitches. All that hand work seems to be asking for hand quilting.:)

That quilt is far too beautiful to accept second best on it! you applique work is lovely.
I would rip out the stitching. Good luck I shall be sending good thoughts that it all comes out easily and look forward to seeing it finished properly

I long arm quilt and I do rip out my own work. I find it easiest on the machine under tension. I cut every fifth or sixth stitch for the entire piece I want to remove. Yes it takes awhile and its hard on my eyes, but then I can just catch the bottom thread and pull and it all comes out. Nothing to fear.
Mary

That is gorgeous!! I'm worried that after you remove the stitching, you will be left with little holes everywhere. I usually run a needle over the holes to "close" them, but I am talking about a very small area. Can't imagine doing a whole quilt.

My quilt group was crazy enough to take the stitching out of a store bought printed quilt and then added a border and hand quilted the whole thing for our annual Christmas drawing. The fabric was really hard to quilt on and I don't think it looked all that special when it was done. If it were up to me I would have started from scratch with a new top. But for your purposes it would be a waste not to redo it if you put all that work into it and aren't happy with it.

I just took out quilting on a free motion piece...where I am not very practiced so the stitches were extremely small...took me 6 hours or more for a strip about 20x4...but it is for a gift and I am so happy with what I did later...have to finish it today.

I love the quilt...it is define....please share where you got the pattern or did you make it up....its so warming...
homey...and welcoming.

Be patient and take breaks...its a neck killer.