May be in big trouble
 

This is a follow up to "If your LAer sees something add" and "Really Screwed Up"

I am now quilting a top that I "fixed" without calling my customer. This top was presented once for quilting when my customer and I noticed that it needed borders redone before quilting as there was too much fabric in the borders making them quiet wavy. My customer took the top home to fix it than dropped it off a couple of weeks later on her way to another appointment, not having the time to discuss the top at that point. When measuring the quilt and the backing to load them, I find the top still has too much fabric in the borders (about 10 inches too much) and that the backing is not long enough for the top (backing is plenty wide enough, but is 4 inches shorter than the top). Knowing my customer is facing some health issues, I remove the outside borders from the top, trim the inside border to make it the same width the full length of each border. Trim the outside borders so they are the same width from end to end, reapply the outside borders to the top. Then cut off enough backing from one side of the backing fabric and sew it to the length to make it long enough for the top. Square the backing, load everything and am almost done quilting.

After reading the answers in the prior posts, I may lose this customer. But I have always felt it very important to make sure when a customer picks up their quilt, they pick up a beautiful quilt, which I have tried to do my best work on. Yes, I did return the top to the customer once, and yes, I usually call my customer if I have a question, but sometimes I feel my customer just wants it done. And me, being me, want that quilt to look it's best.

I agree with what you did. She tried to fix it and apparently thought she had done a good enough job. I think treat customers as individuals. Some would not want help and some would.

Hopefully she will be grateful for your efforts and expertise! Sounds like the quilt really needed some help and you saved it. But to be safe in the future, I would suggest calling first and making sure the customer is OK with your improvement plan. Also, your efforts took some time, and I think you should be paid for that, but without agreement on that ahead of time, the charges might be a nasty surprise to the customer.

Hopefully, the customer will be glad you took the initiative to fix her quilt so that it can be beautiful when it is picked up. Personally, I would feel badly that she had to take the time to fix my goofs (even if there is an additional charge), but would be thrilled that she did so before quilting it!

Linda in Missouri

If you did that for me i would be thrilled.

Since she agreed to fix it once, I think you're okay... provided you're not adding on a hefty charge for the fix without discussing it (your time is valuable, but a major change in the price should be discussed).

I would never have the patience to fix someone else's mistakes like that. You have a big heart; I hope she appreciates it.

I would appreciate the fix but still want to be notified. Just tell her what you did! just text or email with photos so she knows.

I use to quilt for others so I have been in your shoes. You are damn if you do and damn if you don't. It can be an unwinnable situation. Good Luck.

If it were mine I would be very happy you fixed it. It sounds like you spent some time and work to make it a beautiful quilt.