lclang

Many have tried to quilt for others, meaning to make quilted items or quilts for profit...it just doesn't work very well because of the cheap stuff available at the big box stores. If they can buy a cheap quilt for $25 they will expect you to make one and furnish the materials and labor for $25. If you do hand or machine quilting, that is a different story. Many people do not like to take the time to quilt their tops, or do not have the ability to do as nice a job as they want and will pay good money for you to do the quilting. You won't make a living at it but I know a lady who has done hand quilting for at least 30 years and still does it and she turns out a quilt every week or so and she charges a good price, however she works at it like a job, many hours a day. Machine quilting is also a paying proposition if you like to do it and practice until you get really good at it. Not a living but an extra income.

sewbizgirl

I am trying to! After I lost my fulltime job a couple of years ago I have tried to market my quilts and bags through my Etsy shop. Sales are very few and far between... If I was depending on this to eat, we would be starving.

Perhaps longarm quilters, people who offer services for other quilters, do a lot better than those of us trying to sell our quilts.

sewbeit

missred212...be careful with this,you have a growing family..perhaps start at a small scale..charge,set a deadline and see how it goes with your friend..she will no doubt want something else..and then word of mouth will come along.you can say yes or no but if you make it a business you will then be obligated..

ptquilts

Back in the 80's and 90's we had a pretty good business making quilts for sale and also doing hand quilting for others. When the imports started coming in, business dropped off some, but there were still people willing to pay for the genuine article. It helped that we are in an area that gets a lot of tourist traffic (well, the state does).

I never liked doing craft fairs, etc and quickly gave it up. I now sell mostly tops on Etsy and Ebay and will still do handquilting if requested.

I agree to start small and don't give up your day job just yet.

Tiggersmom

I started longarm quilting in 2004 and have been retired from it for a couple of years. I did do ok until lots of ladies thought they would la quilt also, then the customer base gradually slowed down. And yes, many want it done for free or almost free........they don't realize the time it takes to load a quilt, etc. not to mention how Hard it is on your body! If you are free motion quilting the machine head weighs 65 pounds [Gammill classic plus], yes it is on casters but you still have to guide it manually even though you might have the auto stitch. With that said if I spent another $14k I could get the statler stitcher [computer program] which guides the machine. The new Gammills have what is called an assist so their is not as much drag on the machine head when you are hand guiding the machine.......ok How many quilts and how much time will it take for you to recoup you $30,000 investment, and No I'm not kidding on the price. You also have lots and lots of bobbins, threads in various colors, etc. etc. It does add up Fast!
If I would have known all the pot holes, I would have not opened my own business.
I know many la quilters that have had to give it up due to their bodies falling apart!!!
I am not trying to discourage you, but it is a physically challenging business and it takes a good 6 months of practicing to get good if you are free hand quilting and not using a computer. JMHO

BellaBoo

I would never offer my quilting for money unless I knew the work would be as perfect as I could get it, not just good enough to pass. I fmq many of my quilts but I don't pay myself so I can accept the not so great results.

BettyGee

Nope, I put in my time working. Quilting is my hobby and it makes me happy. Folks have told me I should sell my projects, but I'm happy just making things for friends and family. It makes me feel good and the recipients happy. I'm not going to blow it by making it a business.

DonnaPBradshaw

After reading all the posts I'm satisfied to just quilt for my family and friends. Getting involved in a business seems overwhelming to me. I've found out that people do not want to pay what a quilt is worth!

jcrow

I know a gal who makes quilts beautifully and has them in all the downtown stores, hanging on display. She has a price tag on them. They are about $600-800 each. And she sells them. They are very striking quilts!! I wish I could afford to buy one of hers. She makes a living selling them. People call her and ask for specific quilts and she does it. She loves doing this and she's not burnt out. She also teaches quilting classes on the side. I think putting them in the stores on display is what is helping her sell them. They are gorgeous!

nstitches4u

I agree completely. I made this mistake with machine embroidery. I started a home-based machine embroidery business about 15 years ago when DH thought he might be down-sized from his job. By the time I got all the orders done, I didn't have time to do any embroidery for myself. I got to the point that I didn't enjoy embroidery. I am closing the business now that DH is retired, but I don't know if I will ever enjoy embroidery again. Besides, there are too many quilts I want to make! lol