The Scoop

So here's whats happening (in other words why I have been away)...
* Just did Girls Camp last week, that was exhausting.
* Had Family here before that, they stayed and extra week or so, it was great!!
* Schools out now.
* Hubby is done with his school now (so less me time).

Now I am packing and getting ready to move this weekend. It shouldn't seem like so much because I live with my parents. The only real places that need to be packed are my room and the kids room. Everything else is already packed from our move here in the first place. I guess it just seems like it is taking me so long is because i don't want to take trash with me too. So I am in a way De-junking and organizing as I pack. Not to mention we have no truck to put it all in yet and I have kids that want to "help" and that can really slow a person down.

So onto why I am posting!! My Mom and I took that lovely sunflower quilt to a quilt shop. Sounds like a good plan right? Well, here is what I have learned.
*Just because someone has a shop open does not mean that are the best at quilting.
*Look at the work hanging in the shop. Are there freehand pieces done or are they all automatic patterns the machine does?
*Get a solid price BEFORE you leave your work of art in someones care!
*Find out before hand what steps are taken if you do not like the work that was done.
*Have a number that you can be reached at all times if the quilter decides to change something.

We took our quilt in with the confidence that the quilter knew what she was doing. We were so wrong. She turned that lovely art work to trash. We were so sad and disappointed. There were places where changes what was supposed to be done and we did not like it. She had problems with her machine and got that fixed but then changed the color of the thread so that was not matching all over. Her stitches were uneven, x's off center because she doesn't like the uniformity or something like that, it was just and all over not so good of job. We took it back and talked about how to fix the situation. She even admitted she should not have tried it freehand. I really like the lady so I knew I was not really having hard feelings toward here, I was just disappointed. Well, in the end she gave us a refund and bought the quilt from us for the price of the fabric. Later we realized she gave us even more than that. We lucked out I think, that she was very compassionate about it and wanted to make sure her costumers were happy.

So beware when you entrust someone else with your quilt. I will go to here again but with something not so precious to me and make sure she is not doing it freehand.

I do have a piece that is a work in progress, but will not get finished until after I move. But I will post a picture later of one that some teenage girls helped make that we gave to someone. It might take a few days to get that posted because like I said I am working on moving at the moment and this has been a long break for me. Back to work I go.

Happy quilting. Feel free to ask any questions and I will answer as best I can.