Thursday 10 May 2012

Got to keep going.....

I have had a very busy few weeks and in all the six years of being in business as a longarm quilter, I have always felt so very blessed to be doing what I love.  My customers often send me lovely letters and emails and I always try my hardest to do a really good job for them.
The other day however, I had a very strange encounter with an unhappy lady......the quilt I had quilted was not to her liking and the pieced backing was not centred (she had not asked for it to be centred) but it was over a month before she brought it back to me and she had sewn and completed the binding!  It actually looked really good too..... but the complaint brought very personal abuse and she was VERY rude!!  Oh dear...not nice at all.
So this week I have felt a little battered and bruised!!  Now I know that I am not perfect but I haven't come across any really unpleasant quilter and it has quite shaken me!
Move on eh?........with a touch of sadness!

8 comments:

  1. It always makes me very sad when people have to stoop to abuse. What a horrible experience for you, I hope you are able to put it out of your mind and think of all your other delighted customers.

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  2. You can never tell what is going on in someone else's life, and it sounds like this person might have been venting other frustrations on you. It isn't very nice to be on the receiving end though, but please don't let her get you down. Reread some of the lovely letters to remind yourself of what people really think of your quilting, it will make you feel a whole lot better!

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  3. I really feel for you Karen! The hardest part for me as a longarmer is that I am my worst critic and I take such care with each stitch but sometimes its not enough..what I do is to teach myself something from these times...I have a long list~lol! I am sure you will from this point on take a peek at the backing and have full disclosure from the owner before you begin! She was rude for sure but don't fret~just learn! I finished a queen sized quilt for a gal and when it was time for pick up and pay she was shocked at the price! Thank God I had written it all down and reminded her that we had discussed the price the day she dropped it off~ ( I had learned that lesson earlier in my career~especially with the big quilts) She wrote the check and I said "You are going to love it!" (it had custom names and anniversary dates,,) and she said, "I'd better!!" oh my......KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON!! lol!

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  4. Sorry this happened. I longarm too and each time I load a customer quilt I get butterflies and worry will I meet their expectations. Once a customer gave me a pieced backing and wanted it centered...it took me a while to plan how to load the top so it would be centered onto the back but I did it. It was an experience that I don't want to do again. The quilt was huge and when it was completed I was so relieved. I hope you can shake off this unpleasantness and not let it get you down. Take care and hang in there. :)

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  5. Oh Karen, I feel for you. I know how long it takes to quilt a quilt, and I know from your examples that you put your heart and soul into your quilting. There are just some people that will never be happy....no matter how hard you try. Just remember, YOU are an excellent machine quilter.

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  6. So sorry. That must have come out of the blue...especially a month later. What in the world were you supposed to do?!

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  7. There is always one, forget her and remember all the other quilters who have been delighted with your work. Wishing you a good weekend.

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  8. I just discovered your blog, which is a great blog by the way, but when I saw this post, it really made me sad.

    I hope you have been able to shake this off and move on....you know, I always find it finny, no matter if we get a million kudos of people saying something nice, the only thing we ever really remember is when someone says something bad. Shake it from your feet, dust them off and move on!

    Blessings always :)

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