Unbelievable! Any longarmer should be able to deal with different battings, and different threads. This LA seems to have poor communication skills as well. I wouldn't have paid for the first quilt and would have been tempted to tell her to pick out the stitches and do it again with the correct batting. If she does that even once she will learn that the customer is always right. You absolutely should warn your guild friends, and the LQS if she does business through them.

wow--REALLY???? i've been quilting for people for 10 years now---i would NEVER be so presumptious!
if a customer comes in with a batt i use their batt- or if checking the packaging it does not (work) with the quilting the customer wants we talk about that-the reason (like if the quilting needs to be every 2" and they want a design that will leave too much space between quilting lines) if the customer asks for a batt i do not have- i go get the one she wants! if the thread she chooses turns out to be a problem we talk about that--- i always get my threads out & let the customer choose (we spread threads out & decide together---and if i wind up having some problem with that thread i call & talk to her about it-before making any changes...I would not have given this person 3 chances---if it's not done right the first time (unless there's a good reason & communication has been open & honest) i would never go back- or give a referral- i'm quite amazed this person has customers.

Send them to one of the amazing quilters on this board???

Uh no. No LA - regardless of how fabulous, well-known, whatever - should change a customer's instructions without discussing and getting the OK of the customer.

Run in the opposite direction and find someone else!

If you like her quilting I would ask her if I insisted that that is what I want would she do it. Depends on her answer. My LA priced me right out of the market. I sent mine out and was happy. Except for my first quilt I sent out and this woman charged me way toooooo much for what she did.

I hate to break this to you Bellaboo, but you never had a Longarm quilter in this person. What you had was a computer operator. IMHO that is the problem with people who go out and invest in a computer operated longarm setup, they never really learn how to LA quilt. They learn how to load a quilt, Input the proper data into the program the computer operates on and let her rip. If faced with just one teeny tiny obstacle that isn't normal for their computer run setup they don't have the foggiest idea how to proceed. It is obvious from her responses to you about using only one kind of batting and stating the classes told her to change what the customer wants to what is best for her CG setup, same with the thread. I am sure there are CG quilters out there who are sensitive to their client's needs. Rose Maynes on this board comes to mind. Quilted Dove may be another to consider. You want the perfection of CG quilting I think you need to find someone who learned howto LA quilt before they learned how to digitize a design into a computer. Makes all the difference in the world.

she would get one chance remeber you are the paying customer

You have been more than tolerant of bad business behavior, no matter what the service the customer should get what they paid for... any deviations should have been discussed. Drop her ! There are plenty who do very nice work, are a pleasure to work with and are members of this board.

My thoughts exactly!

Did she return the batt and thread you supplied since she don't use them? :mad:The third time would be the charm for me to start looking for another longarmer!