Who Let the Dogs Out…

I thought I would make a quick Christmas Eve entry show a little more work from a great piecer and at the same time tie in what true Customer Service is all about.

This quilt is for the neighbor of the piecer, in this case the piecer is my customer (for each quilt I longarm for her she provides a quilt top and back for Quilts of Valor.) I feel like I’m picking her pocket. She has ask me to longarm her quilt…I am as usual honored to do so. Her work is always well crafted, colorful and just plain fun. If it isn’t too obvious her neighbor has some kind of a relationship with dogs. As it turns out she is in fact a Dog Nanny. Who knew?

Okay…it’s not pressing…but if I can do it so the piecer can bind it and give it to her friend for Christmas it would be great. I’m thinking no problem. There is nothing on the machine, it’s Sunday and I have no plans. Within the next hour or so it is all loaded and ready to go. Well almost. I do not have a quilting pattern that would even come close to complimenting this quilt. Off to the computer I go. As usual I find what I am looking for at Digi-Tech Designs (www.digitechpatterns.com). I get it downloaded, unzipped and prepare to transfer the “.pat” file to my longarm tablet. There is no .pat file to be found. I admit I am a little peeved. I search and double search to make sure…no .pat file.

I send Digi-Tech an email and resolve that the quilt will not be done in time for my customer to bind for Christmas. It is the Sunday before Christmas, a family owned business and probably closed down until 2014. I thought. I love it, sometimes, when I’m wrong. Within minutes I get a response from Jessica Schick, Digi-Tech Designs owner (one of…family business.) She says there is a .pat file in the download. But just in case she has included the .pat file as an attachment to her email. I look at the file, it is in fact a .pat file, the one I need. My gratitude abounds. I download the file, go to the folder downloaded to and guess what…NO .pat file. But there is a .gimp file. As it turns out the program Gimp that I use for photo editing, by default, changes .pat extensions automatically. I go back to the original folder and there it is a .gimp file. I have some default modifications to make in my computer.

I have informed Jessica…I have deleted all other digital quilt pattern suppliers from my bookmarked files and make this pledge publically…if Digi-Tech Designs don’t carry it…I don’t buy it. I expect this kind of service from Nordstrom, have gotten it from Virginia Longarm and now Digi-Tech Designs. Customer Service that goes beyond all expectations is alive and well. It is a limited list…but I have a list thanks to those that are in fact paying attention.

Elaine and I wish you a Merry Christmas…and I know of a Dog Nanny that is going to have a really great Christmas. And to all a Good Night.

Quilt till you wilt...we do.