If I lived in your area I would be wanting to know who she is, so I wouldn't have a similar problem. However, the price would probably have put me off. I have paid that for custom work, but never for an all-over pattern.
PS with a friend like that who needs enemies.
I hope you are able to save your quilt and recover your money. Such an expensive lesson. I sympathize with you.

I thought there weren't any quilt police. Sounds like you found her as she sure made comments about your quilt--and fined (charged)you besides! If all of this was "wrong", it was wrong when she accepted the job and she should have said so before she started the quilting and just returned the top to you.
Advertising is the best reward for a job, whether it is well done or not! Don't libel yourself in what you say about your experience but other quilters should hear the facts and know to be wary of this person's service. Maybe all who hire quilters should take a picture before and after?!

buyer beware!!! a little knowledge is dangerous. sounds like she has a very little. Anytime someone doesn't have time to show their workmanship before being paid, don't pay. always look first, no matter how big a hurry they are in. I hope you get some kind of repayment. it will still not be enough for the trouble she has caused, besides the damage. good luck. from a quilting granny

I know. It can get waaay out of hand real quick.
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Oh, and BTW, I am assuming that if she is running a business for 'cash', she is probably not reporting all her earnings to the IRS. Karma is a b*$#@. She can't continue this way for long, believe me.

I am sorry this happened to you but you should know you are not alone. I have heard of two other experiences like this where the LAQ quit in the middle of a project and still made the customer pay to get their top back. This is so bad on so many levels. Both, however, were able to remove all of the stitches that were done and I was able to quilt in an all over pattern and save the quilts. I suggest you do not wash the top yet. Take it, or send it to a reputable LAQ and get their opinion about how to move forward. They will be able to give you better information when they are able to look at your piece in person. Good luck.

I'm so sorry. If the LAQ is a friend, I would try talking to her. Explain that you understood that $250 was the price for a completed job, and you wish she had called you as soon as she determined there were problems with the quilt, to give you the option of fixing the problems or dealing with them in another way. Tell her that it is more difficult now for you to complete the quilt than it was before she started quilting it, and that you think she should refund your money. Be nice, but be firm in telling her that you shouldn't pay for a half-done job. If she is new to the business, she needs to get feedback from her customers on what is acceptable and what isn't. If she isn't new to the business... well, she shouldn't be doing work like this. Good luck.

I am horrified by your story. She's a LAQ, but it really sounds like she didn't know what she was doing and thought she could get practice on your quilt and get money from you at the same time.

Friend or no friend, I would explain how unhappy you are and that kind of treatment is unprofessional! Once you pay her money, she is no longer a friend but a business person, and she cheated you out of what you paid for. I'm sorry if this ends a friendship, but she didn't do you any favors and if anyone asks about her business, I would steer people away from her.

Your experience reminds me of the phrase: "With friends like that, who needs enemies?" If she's a real friend, she will do what's right to fix the ill-will she's caused.

I'm so sorry that you got such bad workmanship from a friend no less! To me she is way over priced. I just got a Cal King quilted last week with a shell pattern all over. My LAQ only charged me $70.00. I thought she did a pretty good job. No it wasn't perfect, but then my quilt wasn't perfect either. (It was my first.) She bought it to me told me that she tried to square it it up for me and gave me pointers for the next one. She also told me that she thought that I did a pretty good job, even tho I knew it wasn't perfect. I think she thought that I was going to be disappointed, because some of the points weren't exact, but I was satisfied with it. I sure hope that you can get something worked out with her, if not then I think I'd find another friend. Just me.