Help - Price for Quilting?
06-26-2014, 08:33 AM
#21
Super Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Ballwin, MO
Posts: 4,271
There seems to be a gray area between gifting and professional services, where some people like the idea of making a little bit of money doing what they enjoy. I'm absolutely amazed at the low prices people on eBay charge for their work. I think, unfortunately, it does leave the wrong impression with the casual observer, about the craft of quilting being easy and cheap.
06-27-2014, 06:23 AM
#22
Power Poster
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Lowell, MA
Posts: 14,083
My niece and her husband have started a long arm quilting business, part-time for now as they both work. I was talking with her the other day and asked how much she charged for quilting a quilt. She told me that for an all over design it was $0.01 per square inch and if more complicated quilting was done it was $0.02 per square inch. Because she lives in KS in an area with farms and the area is not densely populated she charges the $0.01 per square inch. I hope that helps. I'm so proud of Judy and Gene for launching this business, especially since they both quilt and are very hard working people, I'm sure they will do well.
06-27-2014, 09:54 PM
#24
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: kansas
Posts: 6,407
Whenever I see discussions of "what should I charge - I'm not very good/experienced/ professional", I think of how that sentence would sound if you were a doctor, an airplane pilot, plumber or mechanic. Would you want to tell someone you went to a doctor who charged less because he admitted he was not very good? Or have your overflowing toilet fixed by a plumber who admits that you might not be pleased, but just won't charge you as much? NO! Of course not! If you can't confidently say " Here's my work and I'm proud of it and I charge accordingly! ", don't charge ANYONE! Get quilts to practice on. Most quilters would love to have their donation quilts quilted for free. I understand your sentiment since you are just starting out, but you diminish not only yourself and your business, but every other professional long arm quilter whose prices will be called into question by being undercut if you don't charge the going rate.
Great advice,and some that I've heard in classes with nationally known quilters. In a business class with Sally Terry, she was adamant about discussing not only what is desired, but price and time frame for getting it done and putting it in writing BEFOREHAND. I still find it hard to not feel somewhat chagrinned when giving an honest price to a friend. But I figure that I would never ask any of them to discount what they charge me for their services or merchandise, so I shouldn't feel bad.
I have a friend that quilts for charge. She uses a very old quilting machine that is not on a track system--you move the stetched frame and she only has the one design. Because of that she charges minimally. She does get lots of business and we all keep telling her she needs to up her prices not only because she deserves it, but also because it's not fair to other quilters in the area.
07-05-2014, 07:13 AM
#25
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Vermont, USA
Posts: 1,346
Gosh, there are so many ways of looking at things! Thank you for opening my mind about it. I am realizing I really don't want to have a business at this time. I love quilting but it adds such a layer of anxiety to do someone else's quilt. And it takes so much time away from doing what I want to do for fun.
07-05-2014, 07:30 AM
#26
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: the Netherlands
Posts: 260
I know that I would never want to make a quilt for someone else on commision. Working with someone else's colors and pattern choice, as well as the pressure of doing it right and in a reasonable timeframe...no. That's not for me. But, I also know I will make far more quilts than I could ever keep, so I do plan on selling some of my quilts that I don't want to keep. I plan to offer them on my countries version of Ebay. Either I'll set a price and ask that, or I'll ask for offers and just won't accept anything below a minimum price...not sure yet. I know I could never get the kind of price I could ask for if I worked on commision - if I did, I'd never sell my quilts.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Skeat
General Chit-Chat (non-quilting talk)
2
06-17-2009 10:59 AM
