BFF sent me a stack of embroidered blocks that her mother had sewn. She wanted to give the quilt to her daughter.
I don't remember discussing size, but told her I would put it together with whatever fabric she sends with it (backing and borders). Completed the quilt piecing - had two extra blocks made her pillows. Sent to my LA friend to be finished.
she picked it up two weeks ago. Sent me an email, that she decided to give it to her daughter, but the quilt just fits the top of her queen size bed. She asked if I had any suggestions as to how to make it bigger, possibly add a border all around. Hinted that it was supposed to be a queen size. Got the feeling she was disappointed. No money involved except the LAQuilter. I even used some of my stash fabric to finish the quilt.
What would you do? Offer to take the binding off and add another border? I don't want to lose her friendship, known each other since before Kindergarten.

Take off the binding.... and add more...
Friendships that long ,well chaulk it up to a lack of communication.......

I agree. It would be a shame to lose a friend over it

Yes, I agree. However, I doubt this would do your friendship in. That's a long time :)

I hope the friend paid for the quilting.
I do think that maybe some "drape" could be added, but you will probably have to search to get some matching fabrics. Just hope that you haven't purged the left overs.

Naw, we don't get rid of scraps, do we!!!

Not sure what I would do with the friend but I remember making an applique quilt for my daughter that took a LONG time to complete. In between time she purchased a bigger bed and initially she complained that the quilt was too small for the bed and what would she do. I suggested it be used on a different bed or the couch. But each time I visit I notice that she uses it on her bed and the fact that it doesn't have a long overhang is not an issue...it's nice to see she has grown up!!

I made a quilt for a couple in Vanuatu for Xmas, and didn't intend for it to be a bed quilt-just a couch throw. They wanted it for their bed and asked me to add a bigger border. I had hand-quilted it and sewed on the binding by hand-and just didn't think another border would look good on that quilt. I suggested if they wanted it on their bed, they either got a matching plain spread (in this case, a white spread would have looked best) and use my quilt at a topper. They didn't like that, and kept "hinting" that they wanted it made bigger, even suggesting I "sew" the quilt to a queen size spread. Sort of hurt my feelings a bit, but I didn't do it. The next year, they got an Xmas tree skirt!

I think your friend is expecting too much from you. What you are thinking of doing would take a very long time to do and such a headache. She should just accept things she cannot change or do it herself. What you did for her was very, very generous. She should appreciate it and move on!

Just thinking out loud.... could you maybe add a border without removing the binding... sew it on under the back of the binding.. kinda like having the binding as a "welt" - cant think of the correct word I am looking for. Hope you can visualize what I am saying ;-)

I agree, could you just do a skirt type look under the binding side? How else would you attach another border to a already quilted piece? won't it have a hard ridge to it?

I might do it if she would agree to pick off the existing bindging, That will cool her off, maybe, too much work!

Since the size had not even been discussed, you made the quilt. She has not come directly out and asked to extend it. I would leave it at that. If she does come out and ask..she would need to give you more fabric ...or...as previously mentioned, putting a spread on the bed before the quilt is beautiful. I believe your friendship will always be there, but, I think your friend is expecting a little too much from your genorosity

Unless & until she says directly that she wants a bigger quilt, I wouldn't do or say anything to her about it.
And if she's truly a friend she will know that size wasn't discussed & not press you to do anything.
You did this from the heart for her & don't owe her anything else.

Reply that you used the amount of fabric she gave you.
Say you would have been glad to use more fabric, to
make it larger, had she mentioned it. But you worked
with what she had given you. I wouldn't do any more
"freebies" for this person.

In spite of the fact that this is a long time friend, I agree with EmilieLaFave, no size was discussed to make it, you used all the fabrics she sent you, including using some of your stash, and the only thing she's paid for, is the long arm quilting.

Gads, what a quandry.

1] You did what she asked and even more. You PAID for it to be quilted!!!

2] She doesn't seem to understand what all is involved. Like maybe only a few minutes and pennies. Is she aware of all the time and effort you have put into this already???

3] She has options:
- put a undercover spread or drape under the quilt top
- use it somewhere else
- hang it on a wall or drape it

4] I know she is a friend ..... but .... you are worth more than just doing her bidding to satisfy something she doesn't really need. IF she wants to reimburse you for the quilting and the rest of the work, then by all means do more. Be upfront and discuss this with her non-confrontationally but factually.

5] Friends don't really take advantage of each other in an unequal fashion. If she has done a whole lot for you .... more than just listening ... and you feel right about doing more ... then do it with the understanding that it is a gift of love from you to her.

Tough call.

I have made quilts for friends and have to remind myself they were gifts to be used as they saw fit more than once. I have never regretted what I have done with these quilts. Luckily none of them have become pet beds .... yet.

ali

Make the coffee, invite your friend over and talk over the possibilities.

My first reaction was not very lady-like.

Does this other person have a CLUE as to what's involved?
You could go into a monolog about everything you did to make it and how long it took and what you added AND the cost of the LA quilting.

Do you see her very often? Do you WANT to see her very often?

Is it big enough to use as a couch quilt or a bed topper?

If you used all the fabric she sent you - that to me implies that's as large as she expected it to be.

If size wasn't mentioned at the beginning of this deal, then I think these people should be grateful.

But - as someone else mentioned - they just may be very ignorant about what's involved with what you did and what they want.

gee, if you've been tight friends forever just say outright you didnt hear any mention of size and only made it the size it turned out due to the size of the blocks and finish fabric supplied, and you added some fabric to it to boot. (and really, if you were just working with what was supplied it came out the way it came out! My MIL sewed for people, they took terrible advantage of her, she was a wonderful seamstress. They would expect her to buy sewing thread, embroydery thread, and extra fabric to do their requests - and they seldom paid her.)

let her know you'll help enlarge it. If you try to just ignore this you'll end up really feeling bad at yourself for not being honest. a size difference in a quilt is not the end of the world and can be fixed. sharet

This is a good place to start. You need to tell your friend what kind of work/ time/ expense would be involved to add on to the quilt. Suggest that she could help by removing the binding, and you would be willing to add another border with the fabric she provides. It's called friendship, and you are meeting her half way. Good luck.

Isn't it interesting how quickly we want to jump in and fix something that we didn't break?

I agree with those who say the quilt is finished. You did what you said you would do. Surely, if it's a good friendship she wouldn't blackmail you to change things.

I think she is unreasonable and treating you unfairly.

You are a generous friend and I hope she appreciates what you've have already done.

First of all, if you have been friend that long, I would hope it would take a bit more than 4-6 inches to come between you.
Now, about the quilt. I would ask her, "what is it you would like for me to do?" continue by adding, "We could . . . . " See what she wants.
If you have been friends for that many years, you two will work it out.

Not sure what to advise you, because she is after all, a lifetime friend, but as for me, when I am done with a quilt, I am done with it! I want to move on to other things.

Would it be possible to turn the quilt so that the longest part of the quilt goes across the narrowest part of the bed? I did this with my avatar and then made a pillow runner since then it wasn't long enough to go over the pillows.

Offer to have a sleeve put on the back so they can hang it instead, lol. I have a feeling it will fit the bed much better.

If she is a good friend she would not even ask, you have already done a lot and for no charge.
Once a quilt is bound...its done!
I think a hanging sleeve is a great idea!

Bedspreads in stores often include a skirt around three sides, which makes them easy to put on and gives the look of a dust ruffle without struggling to put a dust ruffle between the mattress and springs. So a dust ruffle could be added at or near the binding without too much difficult, and that might solve the problem.

I had a quilt for our bed that wasn't large enough so I made a strip for each side, backing, batting and pieced top to match the quilt. I made each strip the length of the quilt and about 14 inches wide. I didn't remove the binding but stitched the new panels on, stitching in the ditch of the binding. It really gives the quilt a nice look.
I do think that people don't realize the work that goes into a quilt, however, and assume it would be simple to fix. Sitting down and discussing possibilities before you do anything might be a good way to begin.

Bedspreads in stores often include a skirt around three sides, which makes them easy to put on and gives the look of a dust ruffle without struggling to put a dust ruffle between the mattress and springs. So a dust ruffle could be added at or near the binding without too much difficulty, and that might solve the problem.

Bedspreads in stores often include a skirt around three sides, which makes them easy to put on and gives the look of a dust ruffle without struggling to put a dust ruffle between the mattress and springs. So a dust ruffle could be added at or near the binding without too much difficulty, and that might solve the problem.

Bedspreads in stores often include a skirt around three sides, which makes them easy to put on and gives the look of a dust ruffle without struggling to put a dust ruffle between the mattress and springs. So a dust ruffle could be added at or near the binding without too much difficulty, and that might solve the problem.

I agree. You might tell her that she gave you only so many blocks to work with, and the quilt size came out actually larger because you added more of your own fabric. She never agreed on a given size!

Ah, no good deed goes unpunished. You said it was discussed that the quilt was to made be with the fabric she provided, so the size was really determined my her. The two extra blocks wouldn't have made it a queen size. Is she prepared to pay for more quilting on it? More fabric? Maybe her dtr can use it as a wall hanging or a topper instead?

I agree with most of the posters here and believe that you have finished the quilt. I would also let your friend know that when you add borders to enlarge a quilt that it detracts from the original pattern and then looks like you did exactly that....added borders to enlarge it.....and not in a good way either. There are some patterns that you can play with and make bigger while still retaining the integrity of the design, some you can't. I just hate to see you do something to the finished quilt that will disappoint you and your friend.

I dont think your friend realizes how much work that involves--and then to take it apart?? I dont think i would--i would just explain to her that adding more after its been quilted would be very difficult and may not look good in the end.Offer to make another if she is a very good friend and tell her to use that one on a different bed.I am not saying she is stupid--its just that people that dont do quilting dont know how much work is involved.Good luck with that one.

Take the binding off and do something to make it bigger for her. Friendship matters most.

:thumbup:

I was going to suggest this-I had to add to a quilt due to new bigger bed a yr later and it was easier than I thought and you could not tell it wasn't always a queen sizeAnd the original binding was a nice touch to the overall look

Sugguest that she could use it as a topper and she wants she could purchase a bed skirt. I would not undo the binding, that's a lot of work. She should have specified what size. I think she expects too much!

I'm liking this idea too, then just sort of steer the conversation around to the fact that first it was suppose to be for someone, then somebody entirely different and then it was supposed to have been bigger and you worked with what you had etc....all the while laughing and talking. Good friends are too important to lose.