One advantage of hand quilting is that you can work out little puckers into the quilting and they disappear. If you have noticeable puckers you may want to find a good handquilter. I've been amazed how much extra fullness I can work in and the finished quilt looks flat. Handquilting covers a multitude of sins. :-)

I have been machine quilting, first on a domestic sewing machine and now on a LA, for more years than I care to count. Posts like this, and there have been several recently, really bother me. Never, I repeat never, have I delivered a quilt with a tuck stitched in either the back or the front, and I might add---I never will. However, I must quickly add that I've gone through all kinds of maneuvers to avoid tucks, including ripping out quilting as Bobbielinks stated earlier! Unless both sides of a quilt sandwich are meticulously pieced and square, and most ARE NOT, edge to edge pantographs are out of the question for me--again referencing Bobbielinks' point. Fullness needs to be worked in---a recently completed quilt measured 2 1/2" longer on one side than on the other (a textbook example of wavy border). I've come to realize that customers resent having their piecing 'sins' pointed out to them, so I do whatever I have to do to fix the piecing and charge accordingly. My clientele evidently appreciates that because I always have a backlog. My advice to ANYONE about to send out a quilt for quilting is to look at some of their work. There are all different attitudes among long armers---just like among piecers. Some folks are really anal about their work; some think if you can't see the problem from town, it's all good. One last point: when you find a 'Particular Patty' long armer, expect to pay a little more and wait a little longer for your quilt to be quilted.

I am glad that you have had a conversation with your LArmer - and am hoping for a happy resolution for you. I am hoping that you post a picture of your quilt!

I quilt my own tops now, but have sent out a couple of my tops in the past (to my wonderful cousin who is a LArmer). That was years ago, on my first quilts, and my quilts came back beautifully quilted! After reading posts like these (there have been several as of late) - I think of calling her and asking her - do you remember quilting my quilts? Did I have wavy borders, etc that you had to take pains to work out, or other issues? Because if I did - she never said anything to me.

These posts make me determined that I will continue to quilt my own tops on my DSM. Invariably somewhere on the quilt (usually in the border) - I will have a small area that I come to that I have to really slow down and work with to ease in a little fullness (to avoid a pucker). And yes, I have ripped some quilting out to re-do it. Sometimes it is such a small area I leave it be, because I know that since I wash my quilts and like that "puckery" look - it will disappear when the quilt shrinks. My quilts are generally square (I say generally to mean that I do not have one side that is substantially longer than another - very minimal difference if any - but that difference is obviously enough to cause some problems).

From these posts I am learning. I think if I ever choose to send a top out I will either use my cousin (involves mailing my quilt out of state), OR make sure I communicate closely with the LArmer before leaving my quilt. It seems to be very important to see their work in person, ask them how they handle quilting issues that come up (ie, wavy border), ask them to let me know if they see any problems with my pieced top BEFORE they start (actually, anywhere in the process where it is causing them grief), seems it would also be beneficial to speak to other quilters they quilt for (references). Communication seems to be key.

And - WOW - all of you LArmers that do such beautiful work on this board!!! I would have never said it was a walk in the park, but I didn't know all of the intricacies of what you might face as you work on other people's quilts. I am amazed at the beautiful quilting that you do! :o

Was the top squared up to begin with? Opposite sides the same length?

It seems to me that some piecers/appliquers expect major miracles from the people that do the quilting. And some LAers do work wonders.

I sure do. I want each quilt I finish to be my best work. Sometimes the puckers are easily fixed and sometimes the owner doesn't care. I have one client that doesn't care, her work is always messy.

sorry this has happened to you, i agree with everyone else , i would contact the person and ask what happened and ask that she fix the problem

This has been an interesting subject. I have learned a lot. Thanks to all you LArmers and others who have provided your expertise and advice to us here on the Board. Do we have a list of LArmers here on the Board who are offering their services?

the long armer should have talked to you when she or he first encountered problems. why was it not mentioned? yes, talk to the long armer about your quilt. make her or him remove the stitches and re-do it if willing. if not, refund your money.

Let me suggest that you "block" the quilt; that is, pin it securely to a carpet and spray it with water. Let it stay until dry. You should see no holes from that, or massage it as someone else suggested. So sorry that that happened to you.

Certification! No. I have 2 certifications that are required for my profession and I cannot tell you how many times I see professional that barely meet the minimum requirements tooting themselves as something otherwise. Besides, quilting should be fun, creative and unrestrained. Sorry girls, but this question should never have come to us until after the LAQer was advised and given an opportunity to explain.