If a LAer finds a 'problem' with something you've sent to him/her - - -
 

If a LAer finds a 'problem' with something you've sent to him/her to be quilted that will affect/afflict the finished item -

such as wavy borders, skimpy seams that might pull out, cones, backing too small - whatever -

what would you prefer the person to do?

Or what if the problem becomes noticeable part way through the process?

Are you willing to pay extra to have the 'problem area' fixed - or are you willing to 'hope for the best'?

I've seen several posts where the person was unhappy with the results - and in some cases the LA quilting did look really pathetic - but what if/when the top or backing is very 'challenging'?

Several people have said communication is important - and it is - but some people are very touchy/sensitive/territorial about things they've made -

One person (quite a while ago) had written that she was upset that the LAer had taken apart her 'first' top and redone it - it was 'improved' - but it was no longer 'her work' -

This implies that a LAer has to do an 'inspection' before proceeding - which I think would be fair to include in the overall cost.

Taking the communication concept a step further .......... the piecer should have this discussion with their LAQ as to what s/he would do if/when BEFORE the work commences. And together they should come to an agreement re standards from both sides, when there are no issues at hand.


I have a good relationship with my LAQ, and she knows my standards and expectations for my own work. If I were to take something that I had missed, and not to my standards, I know she would be on the phone quickly to me. One time I took a quilt top that had been flat, and then all of a sudden changed. I frog-stitched and re-frogged and seemed to be getting no where. I was stymied and finally I took it to her to discuss, before I went any further with it. She told me that while it was not as flat as mine normally are, it was far better than many she receives! I was honest ... and she helped me figure out what to do, and I took it home and finished it off. At quilting time, we used poly batting. It can't fix problems, but it can be very forgiving and in this case, it allowed her to manipulate it a little and in the end, we had a flat top! Yes, a wonder woman! NO, I do not expect her to wave a magic wand if/when I have another problem quiltchild! :D

In contrast, she showed me one that she had to fix and what she had done ... and told me how she had repeatedly tried to coach the owner, only to fall on deaf ears. She clearly was getting frustrated, as she doesn't mind helping to teach, IF it is accepted. At pick up time there was going to be a very serious "communicaton" session .... about how to's, expectations ..... and if not, then ..............!!!!!!!!!!! :)

What about mail-ins?

My LA calls me if there is a problem....I pieces the backing one time and she could not get it centered to her satisfaction. I told her to don't worry about it and to finish it as is. I was able to make the correction before I bound it..all was well.....I did appreciate her calling and discussing all possibilities.

I would like to hear from some LAs about this. I am not sure it is fair to have them put in a ton of time going over your quilt top (time is money). Also if they have something on their frame and come across an issue, how long do they wait for you to get back to them? It probably also depends on the type of quilting you are having done - all over or custom. I think that we should know if we put our borders on the correct way or skimped and just threw them on - I have heard that this is one of most common things they see. I have heard - haven't tried it yet, that you can put your top on a table top and pull it across to see where you have any bubbles or extra fabric - haven't got to try it yet. Unfortunately when it is on the ironing board everything seems to lie flat even when it is not. I know they normally give you a list of things that you need to do (have everything square, threads trimmed, make sure all seams are sewn, etc.).

Maybe we can hear what the most common mistakes are - I would be interested so that I would know where to pay attention.

I'm a longarmer -- I try NOT to re-do another person's quilt. They are the quilter, I'm the longarmer. I talk to my customers first about what to watch for. Wavy borders, seams coming apart, dark threads behind white/light fabrics, for example. I've run across every problem and do what I can do. Most do not cause me to spend a lot of time fixing. If a border is too wavy to get onto the machine correctly, I call the owner and have her pick it up to fix or, if it was mailed to me, I ask what they want me to do.

Too many of my customers don't want to take the time to talk with me about what they want and allow me to look over their quilts. I tell them to plan on being with me at least an hour (less time is probably needed), but they seem to busy :(. I have finally resorted to asking how much they want to spend -- I charge per inch, and give them a breakdown of what it would cost from low to hi.

One thing I would like to suggest to all that hire a longarmer....especially if you send your quilts to them. Let the longarmer KNOW if and when you received the quilt back and if you like it or not. I HATE not hearing if a customer got the quilt --- I worry until I know they've received it and, of course, we all like praise. :)

I would not be happy if a long armer (or anyone else) took it upon themself to "fix" my work without discussing with me first. You don't say what the fix was - straightening a wavy border by simply taking off and reattaching maybe would be OK, but I would rather do it myself. And anything more involved than that is *my work* to fix.

I agree with everyone who said communication is the key. If you have top on the machine and run into an issue, and can't wait for a callback, then maybe it should be basted and removed from the machine, and come back to later when you have an answer. But be sure to leave a deadline in your message to the quilter

Basting, taking off the machine, putting back on the machine... those all take time, and time is money to a professional longarmer. They need to keep their prices down to be competitive, but also need to be able to turn a profit. I think any professional longarmer will look for problems before she starts the quilting, and probably look for wavy borders, undone seams, etc. But it's a puzzle, because not all problems can be easily spotted before starting to quilt. There needs to be a good relationship between the longarmer and the customer. I don't longarm professionally, but I do longarm for my guilds occasionally. I've returned a couple of string tops without quilting them because there were seams that were coming undone, and that wasn't a job I signed up for. If I were longarming for pay, I wouldn't fix a customer's work, but would show them how to do it.

A certification system would just be another cost a LAQ would have to endure and would eventually be passed on to the client. Quite honestly some LAQ have talent and sadly some do not. Not all are talented in all arenas. How would you go about cerifying someone who only does handguided as opposed to someone who only does Computer guided, someone who has a stitch regulator and someone who does not? I see no point in putting a regulation on a cottage industry thereby blocking someone who just barely has the funds to get the machine from entering the market.

Availability of funds does not equate skill, artistry and talent. So no, a certification process is not the answer, it is the maker of the top responsibility to ensure the LAQ they entrusted their top to does work that fits within THEIR (the piecers) standards, not some standard made up by a group of "professionals" in the industry.

I agree that communication is key. I have LA for several clients and only 2 have actually hand delivered the quilt to me and discussed options. Of those 2 only 1 actually picked up the quilt in person. I am honored by anyone who likes my work enough (based on photos) to entrust their tops to me. I want them to be confident in their decision that they entrusted their quilt to the right person. I want to make their quilt sing and be even more beautiful then when I received it. And I want my client to be over the moon happy with my work because I want them to recommend me to somebody else.

Reputation is everything to a LAQ so I really don't think a certification system is the answer.

feline fanatic --- once again, we agree. I wouldn't like a certification program, either. For one thing, everyone has a different idea of "good". :) I have one customer that LIKES mistakes!!!!!! She swears it gives the quilt "character". 'nuff said!:D

I refuse to be picky. My LAQ knows this. My quilts are not perfect. I rely on her professional judgement to fix/make adjustments and if it is a significant problem, I will pay more. I also send my quilts across the country to be quilted. I also closely inspect my work before I send it in. Life is too short to worry about everything. I have been very happy with all 4 quilts she had LAQ'ed.

Very informative thread. As a novice it is helping me to understand that pictures I see here of great quilting would not necessarily be possible for a quilt of mine, because I am not accurate enough in my piecing.

I think communication is number one and understanding. I have lots of quilts done and I am now searching for a regular LA'er, since mine is not doing it anymore. There was only one quilt that I ever had done that I was not happy with, and it was just that the quilting design had too big of space between the repeats, that disappointed me. But I still put alot of trust in the LA'er, you have too.
They have a talent that is all their own and I appreciate their work.

I've just started longarming. As with quilting, we all had to start somewhere. We all learned different techniques, & gained in our knowledge as we did our quilts. We all found our niches that we really enjoyed doing also. In Longarming, we go through the same process. We learn with each quilt that we do. We gain experience & are ever improving on our techniques. Each with have their own niche. I'm about to start quilting for others & am fearful of some of the quilt tops that are going to come my way. I've seen, already, quilts with major issues on other longarmers machines & know that I too will be faced with them. How am I going to go about resolving the issue? Communicate with the quilter on the problem. Let the quilter decide what they want done to the quilt. I know that since I've started longarming, I've become more conscientious of my own quilting so as not to have issues when I get to the frame. Certification? No. there are too many variables. Human factor plays too important a role here. What is that saying? Only God is perfect, but our quilts don't have to be? But we do strive for the best we can.

Nov, I have always felt the same way you do. I feel my piecing of the tops is so inferior compared to many on this board. I a self taught and never took classes. I love doing it but most of mine are of my own design. Due to an injury that has required 3 surgeries (in 3 months) leaving me unable to do any quilting, I had to send my GD's wedding quilt to an LAQ all the way across the country. This is what she was ble to do with my quilt. I am really impressed.
http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...a-t196321.html This is the 2nd one she did for me in the same shipment.
http://www.quiltingboard.com/pictures-f5/different-kind-scrappy-quilt-t185454.html

You need to reconsider having an LAQ do one of your quilts. It is well worth it.

I do LA and feel far from perfect... I would suggest before you have someone quilt your quilt you find out if they have some samples quilted up so that you can see their work.. and express to them exactly what you expect of them..
Then you also need to make sure that your quilt is ready for the quilter, meaning, no wavy borders, no seams coming apart, backing large enough. I don't think a LAer should have to be certified. If a person thinks someone might mess up their quilt by LA, then maybe they should quilt it themselves and then problem solved. Some folks are always ready to blame their short coming on someone else....

I've been quilting for about 5-6 years now. I have had 3 longarmers in that time...the first LA was great and I never had any puckers or pleats or lost patterns, etc.....even tho' my piecing was terrible...I quit using her because she took months and months to return a quilt, and I occasionally found out she put someone else's quilt ahead of mine. The second LA would still be my one and only but I moved out of state, and altho' I could mail it to her I just won't risk the postal service and their inept delivery system (even tho' my husband worked for them for 30 yrs). My 3rd and LAST LA is great....Now that I know how to square up my quilts (as taught to me by the 2nd LA) I know before I send my quilt that it's flat and their aren't any wavy borders. I recently sent a baby quilt to her that I had some problems with because the precut 5 " squares, weren't 5" and I didn't discover it until everything was cut...I had some puckers in some of the blocks and I pointed that out to her....normally I machine quilt my own baby quilts but because of the puckers I wanted this to be LA'd because I know those puckers will "quilt out". I know that this LA would contact me if their was a problem because I've asked her to do that. She has quilted 5-6 quilts for me in the last year and they have all been fabulous!!

I had the same problem. Wavey border, LQS owner found it before she sent it to the quilter. The problem was I had used Batiks thru the whole quilt the added the border with regular 100% cotton. It stretched and the Batiks didn't. So I redone the border in Batik. Problem solved.

My husband and I work together......him in the front. If there are any places where it would pucker he smooths
it out before I sew that area. As for wavy borders where even with the clamps it needs extra attention. Again he
works it with his hands so that there are no puckers. I will then tell the customer when she picks about the
problem and how to correct it on the next quilt.

I like the idea of both the LAQ and the quilt top owner, viewing the top together, almost going over it inch by inch....another set of eyes will see things that you do not.....perhaps a seam has come undone or after being folded a border has relaxed.....Perhaps even consider having just a neighbor or friend also look at it....I can very much appreciate however if this was your first quilt and you know it has mistakes, but you love it the way it is....and some one comes along and fixes it to make it perfect and they think they are doing you a favor....I would become very upset. Bottom line COMMUNICATION IS KEY.....in todays world of digital pics and email....how hard can it be......

Boy, I'm getting a little paranoid about sending my wip to a LAQ! It's a king size and I'm no longer able to quilt anything larger than a baby quilt on my machine due to my physical constrictions. I thought problem solved, I'll send it out. Well, as hard as I try with the great tools that I have, (even the Alto!) I can never get my cuts perfect. And as hard as I try with the great machine I have and the quarter inch foot sometimes my 1/4 in seams...aren't! No room to lay a quilt out to square it, (so I square the blocks as I go along and hope for the best). Guess with my less than perfect quilt going to some poor unsuspecting LAQ my name will be Mud by the time she/he is finished. But thankfully, I am in the same class as the one who doesn't mind a few mistakes in her quilting because it's the mistakes that give it character! Boy do my quilts have character!!!!!!!

Talk to your LAQ....look at her work...tell her you know its not perfect, and thats okay with you.....Ask her if she feels she will encounter any problems, tell her what your expectations are....If you have used her before or seen her work or talked to her customers you will know what to expect from her....talk, talk, talk till you are blue in the face....
None of our quilts are perfect, and we know that....I think the honesty, integerity and skill of the LAQ is the most important thing here.

I went to LA university and bought what she uses for the contract. If there are any problems, you note them on the contract I think everyone is correct when they say communication is the key.

I pray none of you quilters become afraid to send your quilts to the longarmer!!!!!! I believe most of us that tell you what problems we encounter just want to educate you, NOT scare you away! These are problems to look for. If you have problems, there's probably not a longarmer in this nation that hasn't encountered your problem and can help you. Squaring a quilt isn't all that hard....If you have a 2 foot section of table or flooring, you can do it. I wish I could connect you to a forum I belong to for longarmers. One woman showed a quilt that for the life of her, she couldn't get it flat. I'm not talking minor little ruffles -- I'm talking that when it was laying on her table it looked like a big dog was sleeping under it!!!! She accomplished a miracle with that one!!!!

Remember this ---- YOU can not make ANY mistake that a long time quilter/longarmer hasn't already made!!!!

I would prefer the LA person would lay out the quilt and check it for errors then call me if they find something. I have had two quilts done that had errors I had not spotted. I think when you work and work and work on something, your eyes can sometimes miss mistakes.
I would want to go pick it up and fix it myself before paying her to quilt something that has a mistake. I can't give a gift that has an obvious mistake in it.
IF it were already on the machine, I would be glad to pay her for the extra trouble too.

My word! I am thrilled to death if my friend, who also is my LAer fixes my goof ups. Sometimes she calls me and sometimes she just tells me later. When she has to do that--not nearly as often as when I first started making tops--I am so grateful. I'm sure she charges me for it; at least I hope she does. She is an artist and she has a better eye for the quilting and the fixing of flaws than I do. If it is something really bad, she calls me. Once I had to take the whole top apart and put the blocks back together again. Goodness, I hated to do that, but she was right. And the quilt was a doozie once I got it right! froggyintexas

I get mail in quilts a lot. I'm a bit of a crazy LA quilter...I like working on those "not so perfect" quilts. I think it helps me learn to work through issues like D cups and too friendly borders. I also accept sheets as backings....yep, I'm a glutten for punishment. I have gotten some fairly sad quilts in the mail...I either call or email the customer, tell her what I've found (send pics if email) and what I can do to fix them. If it's not real wonky, I don't charge extra...if it's really bad..I offer suggestions on how to do it correctly next time...and tell the customer I can fix for a certain fee, or mail it to her to be fixed...they usually let me fix them...the postage back and forth is usually more than my fee.
Once I have the quilt fixed and quilted...I dig through my old magazines, or go online to find a lesson that teaches how to avoid that issue in the future...that goes into the return box with the finished quilt.

Does the customer 'do better' on the next one?

Marge -- that's a really good idea!!! and I'm with bearisgray --- do they 'do better' on the next one????

I love this place. As soon as I piece a quilt I do not intend to give away I am contacting some of you LAs. I just got a new perspective about LAing.

Great ideas everyone. As a LA quilter I have a take in sheet. It lists clients contact info, a space for any noticed issues with top as we look over it, space for their personal likes and dislikes in quilting (hates florals, likes geometric ), thread options, design options, batting selection, (have Quilters Dream on rolls), and at the end is place for client to sign and date. Even a quick run through of the take-in sheet can resolve issues that might come up. I enjoy working with clients on design ideas, asking a lot of questions gives me an idea of their likes and dislikes. If another idea pops up as I am working on the quilt I often will attempt to give a quick call to "run it past them". As nearly everyone has said communication is the key. I note any changes made in original plans on take in sheet and date. Having that signature makes it a commitment on both sides. You can see the take in sheet on our website.

I am a long arm quilter. Some of my customers do expect me to piece their backs together, and iron their quilt tops, piece seams that are not a quarter inch, also take stright pins out of their seams. I will do these things for them, but I do charge them $15 an hour to do it. I think that is only fair. I have a pamplet with information on how to prepare a quilt. If they do not do it, then I will tell them at the time they give me the top, or call them when I find they did not turn in a top or back ready for quilting. If they do not want to pay the charge for my time, I offer to get the quilting pieces back to them for fixing. I think that is just fair. I am not redoing their work. I am just adding the machine quilitng to their work.

My friend is a longarmer and I often help her with some the quilts she recieves. We have a mutual friend who is very prolific, but wasn't awfully picky about quality. Many, if not most of her quilts had wavy borders that were viturally impossible to lay flat. Even though we knew that she didn't really care if they were flat, it was still very frustrating and time consuming to quilt these. We tried explaining how to add borders to reduce the bulk, but it just didn't sink in. As a matter of fact, she said "Well they always look great when they come back from you, so they can't be that bad. Finally we came up with an idea to help with the problem. We asked her if she wanted to watch one of her quilts being quilted and when she said yes, we asked her to help load the quilt. That was all it took for her to realize what we were talking about. She asked us to show her how to apply borders and quite honestly it is now a pleasure to quilt her quilts! Everyone is happy and the quilts look great.

Just like ... a picture is worth a 1000 words ........... sometimes being part of the process is a far better teacher than bieng "told"!!!

Good for you and your LAQfriend, for finding a solution ... and helping this other person to become a better quilter! :)

The price would go through the roof if we are certified.And who is going to set the standards?It just takes time to build a clientel.Customers you gel with.I was a hairdresser for a long time.I didn't keep everybody.I kept the customers I could work with.Sometimes I needed to clean house[so to speak].The same thing with long arming.You will not suite everyone.No matter what your skills are.Just roll with it until you build up.But it still needs to be said," We can't make silk purses out of sows ears."We can't fix everything.

I agree Sherryl --- Instead of certifying longarmers, pick out your longarmer by going to the shows/fairs and look at the quilts. If you like the quilting, and the longarmer isn't listed (horrors), then get the name of the owner and see if you can find out who did the longarming. Word of mouth or SEEING what they do is a lot better than a certification.