Sandygirl

Years ago i was in sales...selling the early cell phones..installed in cars!! A newly minted plastic surgeon -custome r asked me how much commission did I earn on his "deal"?. I smiled and asked HIM how much money did he earn on a nose job. HE replied..."point taken!" We enjoyed a good laugh. He drove a Porsche...I did not.

Sandy

Inez Ruth

Get one of your quilts appraised by a certified quilt appraiser and use that as an example for anyone asking you to make a quilt. The appraiser will appraise it at current replacement value which includes the time and material cost. I made an Anne Orr design called "Postage Stamp Rose." 6205 1" squares, machine pieced and hand quilted, 1/4" inside each square. It's appraised at $1500.00. If you can, get all of your quilts appraised and send a copy to your insurance company as insurance will only pay for the replacement cost of material without an appraisal.

mom-6

I've discovered that people tend to offer an amount they feel comfortable paying, rather than anything close to the actual value.

I understand this because I'm pretty much the same way. I love the look of many people's projects in whatever artistic avenue but know that much as I might want the big one of whatever it is, it won't fit my budget at the moment.

One of my neighbors does beautiful wood carvings. Lacy delicate knot work designs cut out of a single piece of wood, sanded and polished. At one show a customer asked him how long it took him to make one of the items. His reply - 62 years, 8 months, 14 days and whatever hours! Makes one think.

tessagin

My DHs friend wanted a twin size quilt for a his GD. He saw one on the internet and showed it to me when he got home. It was a "Glacier Star". LOL! I'm not ready for that but I did tell him that for a twin it would probably minimum ordered from Judy Niemeyer around 700-800.00. DH sent friend reply and said it would probably cost atleast 1/2 of a weekly paycheck. Friends reply was "Are you ******** me?" It's just a quilt! DH was shocked also so I took him into my sewing room and gave him a list of my inventory. Some price tags were still on bags of backing and I had receipts. Next thing I knew DH called insurance agent and upped content value of our renter's insurance because of what was in sewing room. Most expensive room in the house! Anyway his friend went and purchased a bedspread with stars and fairies for his DGD at Walmart I guess.

Caroline S

Yes, sticker shock will determine how serious a person is about a commissioned quilt. When I am asked what I would charge for a quilt, I tell the person I do NOT do commission quilts as most people have not idea as the the cost of materials and time involved, minimum price depending on size would be $500. Stops them dead in their tracks, LOL

Skittl1321

The $60 class likely doesn't include material, or anywhere near enough time to actually make the thing. And it might not even go over how to quilt it. A lot of quilt classes are just for tops!

Lots of people have asked me to make t-shirt quilts, some have even offered to pay a reasonable amount ($300 for a twin)- but NOTHING is going to get me to make one of those. T-shirts are a pain in the butt! (Okay, maybe not nothing. A really nicely phrased request from a niece or nephew for graduation might work.)

jlm5419

When I was asked to make a t-shirt quilt for a friend of my DDIL, I requested that she buy the fabric and batting. It turned out that there were enough shirts to make two twin sized quilts. The recipient was very pleased. She got a bargain, and I think she knew it. Most people just don't realize how expensive fabric, batting, thread, and time is.

institches33

Funny. I made the Tahoe Tote and took it to work. Everyone LOVED it and wanted one. With fabric, special interfacings, closures, etc. it was $45 for supplies + pattern.

I told them they wouldn't want it because of the cost. Not sure they believed me because I found it hard to believe myself when I tallied the supplies. (There are beautiful totes for $25 in the better department stores - what was I thinking!!!???) So if even a quilter was fooled, go easy on the uninformed.

Wanabee Quiltin

I really can't blame them thinking it cost that little, with comforters and quilts (from other countries) selling quite cheaply. None of my family except DH knows how much effort I put into my quilts or the cost. I don't tell them what their quilt actually cost.

Rubesgirl

Never fails to amaze me when someone wants something custom made for nothing.