How many chances do you give a LA before saying no more?
02-13-2013, 06:10 AM
#131
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: El Lago Tx Originally from Upstate NY
Posts: 654
The customer is always and I mean always right. That is part of doing business. Your customer always gets what they want, not what you want to give them. I have had customers ask for thread, quilting that did not go with the quilt and I did what she wanted, but I wrote out on the receipt and had her sign it. When I was done, she did not like either one, but it was what she asked for. I offered to pull the work out, but she would have to pay for it. She agreed that is what she asked for. She was a return customer and has returned since then. The customer is always right.
02-13-2013, 06:16 AM
#132
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: West Michigan
Posts: 533
I would not have given her a second or third chance. Obviously, she just wants to do it her way and not YOUR way. You are paying her to do a job for you, not a quilt for her. Find another LA quilter who can follow instructions! I have a wonderful quilter near my home and her only restriction is edge to edge. She has done quilts for me with both poly and cotton bats. No problems.
02-13-2013, 08:30 AM
#133
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Littlefield, TX, USA
Posts: 1,077
She is probably not well versed in using a longarm machine. I have a TinLizzie18LS...it's my 2nd longarm machine...I can use just about any thread brand, size, type & combo of them.
All the things you mentioned are NOT things you change without a valid explaination to the customer. Now, I will say...if a customer wants cotton...I lead them to Warm and Natural or Warm and White...it's needlepunched...and the Warm and White has a bit of poly in it...not much (20% I think). Why not 100% cotton? It is awful to quilt with..shreds, thin spots, and when you wash that quilt..it will ball up, just like gramma's quilts did. I carry Warm & White, and I carry several thicknesses of poly...and Hobbs Tuscany wool. Most of my work comes via US Mail...having batting on hand saves my customers money by not having to pay to ship the batting with their quilt(s), I charge my cost + 10% (to help pay for my gas/shipping). Thread..I have soooo many colors & types of thread. If a customer has a certain color they want...or if they send me thread...I will check my supply to see if I have a color match for what they send. Why not use thier thread...again in defense (I guess kinda) of the person you used...some threads have to be tested, tensions adjusted numerous times to use a certain thread...time consuming, and if you are not very familiar with your machine, can take all day to just get the tension right...I KNOW what the tension should feel like with the threads I use. I usually put the thread the customer supplied in with her return quilt...she/he can use it in their home machine.
I don't have the fanciest machine setup...but it does what the more expensive setups do, and the result is the same...and I can charge less, because I don't have a payment to worry about. I would discuss the issue with your longarm person...and if she is unwilling to try the batting & thread you want on a sample fabric..then it's time to move on. BTWay, Cotton is thinner (needlepunched that is) than all but one poly I use..so not sure about her thinking there...except it takes a tension adjustment to use it. She will learn that every quilt will take some adjustments to the machine to get the stitching just right.
All the things you mentioned are NOT things you change without a valid explaination to the customer. Now, I will say...if a customer wants cotton...I lead them to Warm and Natural or Warm and White...it's needlepunched...and the Warm and White has a bit of poly in it...not much (20% I think). Why not 100% cotton? It is awful to quilt with..shreds, thin spots, and when you wash that quilt..it will ball up, just like gramma's quilts did. I carry Warm & White, and I carry several thicknesses of poly...and Hobbs Tuscany wool. Most of my work comes via US Mail...having batting on hand saves my customers money by not having to pay to ship the batting with their quilt(s), I charge my cost + 10% (to help pay for my gas/shipping). Thread..I have soooo many colors & types of thread. If a customer has a certain color they want...or if they send me thread...I will check my supply to see if I have a color match for what they send. Why not use thier thread...again in defense (I guess kinda) of the person you used...some threads have to be tested, tensions adjusted numerous times to use a certain thread...time consuming, and if you are not very familiar with your machine, can take all day to just get the tension right...I KNOW what the tension should feel like with the threads I use. I usually put the thread the customer supplied in with her return quilt...she/he can use it in their home machine.
I don't have the fanciest machine setup...but it does what the more expensive setups do, and the result is the same...and I can charge less, because I don't have a payment to worry about. I would discuss the issue with your longarm person...and if she is unwilling to try the batting & thread you want on a sample fabric..then it's time to move on. BTWay, Cotton is thinner (needlepunched that is) than all but one poly I use..so not sure about her thinking there...except it takes a tension adjustment to use it. She will learn that every quilt will take some adjustments to the machine to get the stitching just right.
Originally Posted by BellaBoo
This is the third quilt I did not get what I asked for from the LA. The first one I asked for cotton batting, I got poly but the quilting was okay. The second one I asked for cotton batting, and green quilting thread to be used in top and bobbin. I got poly batting and white thread front and back, again the quilting was fine. The third time I sent the batting I wanted and spool of Aurifil thread 40wt of the color she could use or match the color. I got poly batting and cream color thread, quilting was fine. I asked her why she used the poly batting when I wanted cotton. She said poly was thinner and easier to work with and her classes said the customer always ask for things the LA can change. And she didn't like changing thread, it messed up the tension. Ugh!!@!!!! Now to find another LA in the area which is more like find out who bought a LA recently and put up business sign. Even the quilt shop that does LA, the quilting isn't that good, skipped stitches and too many knots on the back for what it cost. Frustrating!
02-13-2013, 09:10 AM
#134
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Illinois
Posts: 9,018
Originally Posted by feline fanatic
I hate to break this to you Bellaboo, but you never had a Longarm quilter in this person. What you had was a computer operator. IMHO that is the problem with people who go out and invest in a computer operated longarm setup, they never really learn how to LA quilt. They learn how to load a quilt, Input the proper data into the program the computer operates on and let her rip. If faced with just one teeny tiny obstacle that isn't normal for their computer run setup they don't have the foggiest idea how to proceed. It is obvious from her responses to you about using only one kind of batting and stating the classes told her to change what the customer wants to what is best for her CG setup, same with the thread. I am sure there are CG quilters out there who are sensitive to their client's needs. Rose Maynes on this board comes to mind. Quilted Dove may be another to consider. You want the perfection of CG quilting I think you need to find someone who learned howto LA quilt before they learned how to digitize a design into a computer. Makes all the difference in the world.
02-13-2013, 10:02 AM
#135
Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: South Florida
Posts: 116
I am a LA and I have never heard of someone saying that a LA can change what a cust wants without speaking to her. I have cust mail me their quilts from all over the States,with notes of what they want. If it doesn't work I call them and we make a decision that works for the cust.
I use only good bat, Pellon or Quilters Dream,I carry both cotton and cotton/poly blend. If the cust wants a poly bat,I will do that. I change color of the threads all the time and it never throws my tension off.
It sound like you had a very lazy and selfish LA.
It is time for a change. Good Luck
I use only good bat, Pellon or Quilters Dream,I carry both cotton and cotton/poly blend. If the cust wants a poly bat,I will do that. I change color of the threads all the time and it never throws my tension off.
It sound like you had a very lazy and selfish LA.
It is time for a change. Good Luck
02-13-2013, 10:47 AM
#136
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Florida
Posts: 3,828
Reading this, reminded me of something else. It's hard to say I can't or won't. But I've learned it's essential to be able to say no. Usually because I know my limitations or I know my machines quirks. If I think this commission will be beyond my abilities to do a good job, it's essential I say so, not try and give the customer an inferior product.
02-13-2013, 11:03 AM
#137
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Michgan
Posts: 1,372
my quilts that I make are all special in one way or another - I want them quilted my way...not your way. Once would be the only change I give....
Too much work and time goes into making a quilt top.....no way..find another LA who will do what you want.
Too much work and time goes into making a quilt top.....no way..find another LA who will do what you want.
02-13-2013, 11:49 AM
#138
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: AZ and CT
Posts: 4,898
Yegads! I wouldn't have given her a 3rd chance! Use one of the LAers on this board. Charismah, Green Fairy to name 2 - and there are several more whose names don't come to my mind right away. Board members - come to her aid!
02-13-2013, 01:47 PM
#139
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Wills Point, Texas
Posts: 2,543
Originally Posted by JoanneS
Yegads! I wouldn't have given her a 3rd chance! Use one of the LAers on this board. Charismah, Green Fairy to name 2 - and there are several more whose names don't come to my mind right away. Board members - come to her aid!
02-13-2013, 02:15 PM
#140
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 284
Originally Posted by BellaBoo
This is the third quilt I did not get what I asked for from the LA. The first one I asked for cotton batting, I got poly but the quilting was okay. The second one I asked for cotton batting, and green quilting thread to be used in top and bobbin. I got poly batting and white thread front and back, again the quilting was fine. The third time I sent the batting I wanted and spool of Aurifil thread 40wt of the color she could use or match the color. I got poly batting and cream color thread, quilting was fine. I asked her why she used the poly batting when I wanted cotton. She said poly was thinner and easier to work with and her classes said the customer always ask for things the LA can change. And she didn't like changing thread, it messed up the tension. Ugh!!@!!!! Now to find another LA in the area which is more like find out who bought a LA recently and put up business sign. Even the quilt shop that does LA, the quilting isn't that good, skipped stitches and too many knots on the back for what it cost. Frustrating!
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