this is what I did too...less chance of slitting the front...I used really small scissors and snipped very carefully, you'll need to take the binding off and new backing and batting but its worth it, you'd never be happy with it...

Yes, yes, yes.......remove all the quilting. I too am a longarm quilter, and that is why! I had someone quilt two quilts for me, and I was so upset when I got them back....I cried and cried and then got to work. After that, I looked into doing my own quilting. Can't blame anyone then......I have been a quilter for 13 years now and love everything I do!!!!!! gloria g. in South Carolina

Sorry to hear you had a bad LA'r experience. Is it possible to work around what the LA'r did and add some more quilting so that you can get the look you'd like?

If you go through with ripping it out, I would suggest that you remove the binding as well. You'll be able to put a new backing & batting so if you send it to a different LA'r they can start fresh and do a good job for you.

I would let your LA'r know you really weren't happy with the work she did. I would like to think that those of us who do LA professionally REALLY want their customer's to be happy. I have ripped the quilting out of customer quilts because a tuck happened on the back or something got messed up w/the tension. Occassionally, we misinterpret what a customer wants (especially if you're getting instructions via email or a written note & not face-2-face). Things DO happen, even to the best of us.

I like to think my prices are reasonable & that the quality of my workmanship is WELL worth it. I often wonder how some LA'rs could afford to offer such low prices. Depending on the intricacy of a pattern a 62 x 82 quilt top can take between 6 - 10 hrs (taking into consideration most quilts need some touch up w/an iron, perhaps extra care because of wavy borders or fullness within the quilt, square'n up backing & battings, etc). So if you figure the 'average' e2e design takes 7 hrs that means 62 x 82 =5084 @ 0.015 = $76.25/7 = $10.89 per hour. I consider that a very REASONABLE amount to pay someone for their craft, especially if they offer more than your basic e2e styles and the quality of their work is good.

But, I ramble & a need to get back to work lol

I too have taken out long arm quilting. When I first got my machine and was practicing I did a design on one of boys boys bedsize quilt. I decided I didn't like the design so took it off and undid 3 full rows on a full size. My hubby helped, though it took both of us two evenings to take it all out. It is time consuming but worth it.

If you don't like it now.....you won't like it later. Your work is worth it! I think we all feel this way.

Oh, many a time!!!!!!!!
If some stitches are just small mistakes, I mark them with a small safety pin, and go back later to decide if they're really worth "fixing", but I've been known to rip several borders. Oh yeah ...

As a short(mid)arm quilter, I hesitate to machine quilt any project such as
yours. First, you have put too much effort into the beautiful applique, and
no amount of machine quilting would enhance it. Second, it deserves hand
quilting to retain value. Just my opinion and I share this with ladies who
have brought me tops such as yours.

Several posts recently mention poor quality longarm quilting. I am a "longarmer," so I can say this: I would NEVER EVEN THINK of delivering a quilt with 'eyelashes,' pleats, or any other such atrocity! First, if a longarmer mounts the quilt correctly and tension is adjusted properly, those mishaps are rare. When they do happen, there is only one thing to do, and that is rip out and fix. Time consuming? Pain? You bet! I charge more than other longarmers in my area, and I refuse quilt tops that are too sloppily pieced. My best customers are those who've had a 'nightmare' quilting job done on a quality pieced top by a sloppy longarmer! They are more than happy to pay my higher rate. There are lots of 'it's ok if you can't see it from town' type piecers AND longarmers. They need/deserve each other. Quilt snob? Too picky? Maybe so, but I have happy customers who appreciate my snobbish, picky ways, and I'd happily sign anything I quilt. My suggestion is that you ask to see a longarmer's work before turning him/her loose on your quality pieced top!

Yes I have done it many times. It takes a while but worth it in the end. I saw on here where someone else said she does it between the backing and the filling and I also find that is the easiest way.

My daughter is a machine quilter (pricey but worth it). She quilted a quilt for one of her customers and, when she got through, my daughter was unhappy with the quilting. She said she spent almost a week picking out the quilting and requilted it. When the quilter entered the quilt in a major show it got a first place ribbon.