grammy.mj

I have been asked to make quilts. Don't have any idea what to charge. HELP please! This is from start to finish, picking out fabric, pattern, and finishing the whole thing. Not sure how to put an hourly wage on it or to charge by the size.

tessagin

Determine the cost of all the materials and threads and batting. What you paid for by the yard, amount of yardage used for top, batting and backing. Don't forget the binding also. Even if you use some scraps. Then your labor and time spent on creating the quilt. Some where on this board is a link poste about what to charge for a quilt. Wish coud help more!

Scissor Queen

Once you tell somebody just how much a quality handmade quilt is actually worth they usually decide they can be happy with the one they saw at Wal-Mart or Target.

Tartan

Make a list with all the material cost for making a quilt plus labour. Get half the money up front before starting in case they don't pay for the quilt. At least that way your materials are paid for and you can sell the finished quilt. Most people disappear as soon as they get the estimate.

Candace

I tell people that my base price is $1,000 and based on the size and complexity of the project, it would likely be more than that by 4 or 5 hundred $. My time and my skill have a value.

Tfch8184

This is just me and is so wrong. But I am just learning yet still basics. I offered to very close friends that if they bought all the material I would make the quilt. For me it works because then I still get more practice and I'm not breaking the bank at the same time. Usually these friends compensate me with a gift card to Dunkin donuts or an online shop so I can buy fabric and stuff.

I only do that because I seriously undervalue my work. I see the imperfections and can not justify what I would and should charge because someone who would buy the quilt is not getting perfect and that bothers me.

Jingle

I only give my quilts away. I get the joy and satisfaction from making them. I get to decide the pattern, colors and who gets it. That is enough for me.
From what I read everyone thinks their time and work is worth a lot more than it really is.

Candace

Really? I don't sell myself short. I'm not sweatshop labor and I consider what I do an art form. I will not work for 30 cents an hour. I think your statement is abrasive.

charsuewilson

Even if you only value your time at $10/hr, the cost is probably too high for many people. The time for piecing the top for my Avatar was 7 12 hour days, or 84 hours. That would be $840 plus the cost of materials, plus the cost of quilting, plus the cost of designing the quilt - hours of research trying to find something I wanted to make, giving up, designing my own, calculating the width of the cuts, the yardages, which I never tried to calculate.

Buckeye Rose

The first thing to do is have a sit down conversation with customer and discuss basic prices of fabric and how much it will take. Most will walk away after learning how much it will cost in just materials. If they don't faint right there, the next step is to determine exactly what size they want in inches....there is quite a bit of difference in what one person says is queen size and the next. You also have to decide on a pattern, fabric colors. quilting style, batting preferences (some want very warm, some want lightweight, some want poofy), quilting thread color, how quickly they want quilt versus how quickly you can make it, and lastly add in your labor (don't shortchange yourself, but don't overprice either)....and get all this in writing. Then tell them that you need the cost of all the materials in advance....non-refundable.....balance due upon completion. Have the customer sign the paper showing all details and that he agrees (even for best friends). I am sure there are probably details that I have left out....but you get the picture.....everything in writing, assume nothing.....this way you are covered if customer defaults on final payment (you keep the quilt).

If after all that, and the customer still wants to proceed then you can rest assured that they understand the true value of a handmade quilt.