New experience
 

Do you require a written receipt and a description of what you and your longarmmer has agreed she/he will quilt on your quilt ? And do you have a list of items you provide to her/him such as batting?

I think it depends on the situation. A written receipt would be a good idea. It varies on the situation. I had one longarm quilter who required anything or nothing. Others require you furnish all supplies. I may be wrong, it has been years since I used a longarmer. Just ask, they will tell you.

i haven't yet contracted with a professional quilter.
after all i've read here over the years, when i finally do i will definitely insist that everything be in writing before i hand over my top.

i think that protects both parties.

I provide the batting. And I provide the backing. My long armer does not stock every batting on the market. she makes a special trip to JoAnns . just easier to provide her with what I want.

With my long armer...I don't care what she does "pattern" wise. She knows that I don't want "custom" and that I don't want the thread color to be the focal point. She is very inexpensive so I give her my permission to get it done as she sees fit.

IF I had a specific quilt that I wanted "custom" with very specific do & don't s and wants..heck yea...PUT IT IN WRITING. I would not expect her to remember our verbal conversation five minutes after I left. I know that I would not remember.

Sandy

I've only had one small quilt finished by a professional longarmer. They were great to work with but $$ so it may be the last time. :D She spent at least 45 min measuring my quilt, asking questions, making notes, etc. She made note of the quilting design I requested and we picked out variegated thread. I signed the notes and we both kept a copy. They had a backlog of 8 - 10 weeks before they could get to my quilt, so the notes were essential. I picked batting and backing fabric there, but they are ok with me bringing my own supplies. My LA does not have a large selection of batting either.
I would definitely get everything in writing, but especially if it is your first time working with someone. Its better to have no surprises at the end!

There's a great book by Linda Taylor "Ultimate Guide to Longarm Machine Quilting"
http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide...chine+quilting

It's geared toward long arm quilters and has several examples of agreements.

If you are dropping a top off at a long arm quilter and she doesn't have a formal contract, I would still insist on something in writing, stating the size of the top, color thread, type of batting (and who provided it), type of quilting requested and/or name of panto, price and a target completion date. Just write this all down on a sheet of paper and both of you sign and date it. If she doesn't have a copy machine, write it up twice so you both have a copy. Also, don't just drop the quilt off and run. Plan on spending a bit of time with the long armer to look at your top, especially if you are a new customer. Ask to see samples of her work. As far as providing the batting, I would contact the quilter. Often they buy in bulk and can offer a price that is competitive to what you would pay.
Most established quilters have a brochure or prep sheet telling you how to prepare your top & backing.
If the quilter doesn't want to provide something in writing (formal or not) and/or doesn't want to take the time with you up front to look at and discuss your top, I would look for a different quilter.

If had had something I wanted done to my specifications then I would put it in writing. I don't care usually so she does what she wants. I think different people do different as far as supplies. I provide the backing, she provides the batt and thread unless I want something special for batt, then I supply it. I hate to quilt so I feel I am getting a good deal. she charges me .005 per square inch. She even trims for me. What a gal!

I don't LA, but I do sell quilts built to customer specs. I do have a pre-printed work sheet that I use to get answers to every question I will need to build the quilt. I leave nothing to chance....that way there are no surprises for the customer or me. It just helps everyone involved. I have taken quilts to be long arm quilted and we went through the same process. I got a copy and she kept one pinned to the top. She was a very busy lady and it was to ensure that she didn't forget any necessary details.

I can't imagine doing business without a written estimate and description of what will be done, unless perhaps you have been doing business with that longarmer for a very long time and you have developed complete confidence in each other. The written information protects both parties.

My LA is very professional, and writes up everything I have requested, and includes everything I have agreed to, including thread, quilting pattern, and batting etc. She also adds the price we have agreed to and approx. time the quilting will be completed. She has always had my quilt completed on time. It has been quite a while since I have taken her a quilt to be quilted, but I assume she still operates as professionally as usual.