Hi Laurie,
Sorry to hear of your experience. Recently I had a problem similar to yours. I go to a quilt group and said at one meeting I wanted a long evening dress making for our forth coming Ruby Wedding Anniversary party. How I wish now, I hadn't said anything. One of the girls said I will make one for you! How nice I thought. My DD came with me to choose a design - Of which I had made an initial sketch of, and a fitting. She showed me a couple of dresses she had made and they were really lovely. When she came round with it on the Monday before the party on the Saturday - with a couple of fittings in between- when all seemed OK, it was NOTHING like the design I wanted - I couldn't lift my arms up - or out - No smoochy dancing with my DH !! I panicked and we went out and after a long search - many shops I found a suitable dress. PHEW !!
I had paid for the material (shot chinese silk and organza) and initially she wanted payment for making it too, but after a chat I just paid for her petrol expenses. I have got nothing to show for it and no material - I couldn't do anything with it anyway.
I have also learnt a lesson from this and won't do that again. I have seen her since and we had a hug - and I said no bad feelings - I know she felt uncomfortable -
Dot.