NJ Quilter

Totally agree with our 'life is too short' thought process! And since you've done one of these before you are not uneducated with the time/effort involved.

While working on mine today I calculated (roughly) that it takes me approx. 1 hr to do one 12" (finished) block. Wholy smokes! I was just slicing; dicing; piecing as the sections were available. But after spending many hours today following that same process and coming up with 4 completed blocks in as many hours....

Assume you are happy with your decision and hopefully the requester understands as well.

quiltingshorttimer

Dunster's advice is super excellent!

Battle Axe

There is one quilter from Canada that gets $800.00 -$1500.00 usually at our local quilt auction. They are spectacular quilts, but they look like they took a great deal of time and are hand quilted.

rjwilder

I never sew for friends, or friends of friends. Often times they have seen something I made and want one. Prior to seeing it they never have asked me to make anything for them. It's like when a friend shows up with new shoes, everyone loves them, asks where did you buy them and gushes oh I want those and maybe or maybe not goes out and buys them.

Rose_P

If this is someone you like a lot, and you like the pattern, and you get to determine how much fabric it will require, and it won't keep you from doing something you'd rather do, then you can go from there. Those are a lot of ifs, but unless you are interested in turning your hobby into a business, it seems to me that's the starting point. Others have already covered the basics of figuring the costs ahead of time and presenting that requirement to your customer. There have been quite a few sad stories on this board about people who don't want to pay a fair price for a quilt or who reneged after the project got started or even completed, so use caution.

Austinite

if you don't want to do it, then don't. say "no." it's a complete sentence and you don't have to justify your reasons. "No." is perfectly fine. I've been taken advantage of many times in my life and I am still learning that it's ok to say, "No."


I quoted someone who asked me about my hourly rate for a quilt my usual hourly rate at my job. They got upset and I explained that I would be unable to complete the project on my days off so I'd most likely need to use PTO and that would have to be compensated for using my precious PTO.

buddy'smom

I agree, I told her I couldn't do it, told her to check in with the quilt shops??

cashs_mom

Good for you for not underestimating your skills. Skilled labor should be paid an equitable wage for their work.

llong0233

I love dunster's reply. This question has been asked hundreds of time on this board. There are probably just as many threads on the subject. It's not unrealistic to tell anyone that the minimum fee is $750-$1000 and varies depending on size, etc. I'll be you rarely, if ever, have to get to the point of actually estimating hours, fabric, etc. If not, and the requestor is serious they will have a lovely quilt. Gool luck and do let us know the outcome.

SusieQOH

No amount of money could entice me to make a quilt for a friend of a friend. It would take all the fun out of it. I only make quilts for people I adore