I read your note and I could have written the same thing. I took a machine applique class recently and made a very large wall-hanging of a tree and 20 or so applique'ed animals for my new grandaughter. It really turned out beautifully. I spent weeks on it. I sent it to a dear friend who is a very talented longarm quilter and artist too. I got it back yesterday and when I opened the package I was just devastated. She really blew it! My lovely little animals are just about indistinguishable from the background because she used an all-over white thread and a very large stippling pattern which just makes the dark animals blend in and the light animals look like they aren't quilted. Some of their tails and bodies spill into the border and she did a free motion loopy feather stitch around them that isn't even and was done in bright variegated thread - yuck!
I feel your pain. This is the first time she hasn't done a specatcular job so I will just "grin and bear it". I can only hope we look at our quilts in the future and like them more.
thanks for the opportunity to vent.
Happy Holidays to all ot you.