Most difficult
04-09-2015, 09:11 AM
#42
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Nevada
Posts: 6,958
I agree with everyone else that $50 is a lot less than you should ask for. Use Feline Fanatic's figures and ask for an even $90. Since you didn't have anything in writing, use that as a starting point, then negotiate with her for a lesser figure, but I wouldn't go below $75. Also, don't give her the quilt until she pays you the money! That was a "learning experience" for me, and that was with a friend.
04-09-2015, 10:48 AM
#43
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Central Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA
Posts: 7,695
First, the quilting is wonderful! I agree that $50 is not enough, but you should have agreed on a price beforehand, so you are only going to get what you get. Most quilters charge by the square inch. You did custom quilting. The rate for custom quilting usually starts at $0.025 - $0.03 per square inch, so just the quilting would be around $65 to $80. Add in the binding charge that I would estimate at about $25, and you are up around $90 to $105.
Treat this as a learning experience, and don't take another quilting job unless the terms are agreed to (and written down!) before you start.
Treat this as a learning experience, and don't take another quilting job unless the terms are agreed to (and written down!) before you start.
04-09-2015, 11:18 AM
#45
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Beautiful Oregon
Posts: 320
Was asked by a lady how much would I charge to quilt a quilt for her. Said I needed to see it see it first. She brought it by and I agreed to do it. We never settled on a cost. Boy did I bite off more than I could chew. The quilt was flannel, back and front, and had polyester batting. Plus she wanted to use the backing for the binding. Well, learned that quilting flannel and polyester on my DSM was really hard. Plus the fact that this is the first time I had ever brought the backing to the front to bind. Anyway, I just finished it and figured I would charge maybe $40 to 50 for the work. The quilt is 64x42. Do you think that I will be charging to much?
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to pay you.
04-09-2015, 11:33 AM
#46
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: southeast Idaho
Posts: 403
Well, here is what I have decided to do. Since I am new to pricing for my services etc. I came up with an invoice to show her exactly what I would have would have charged if I had gotten back with her as I should have done in the first place. (learning experience filed for future reference) I know that I am going to loose money on this, but on the other hand when she sees the real cost of project, and my error for not do diligence, I am going to eat my loss. I did learn alot and now know my limitations as to flannel and polyester LOL. I now have a worksheet on my computer for the future that I adapted from a longarm quilting site. Made changes as to some charges and the fact that I am using a DSM. Anyway the correct amt. that I should be charging came up to $105.39. I will discount this amount because of my error. Hope this seems a fair end. Thank you all for your input. 
04-09-2015, 01:22 PM
#48
Power Poster
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Lowell, MA
Posts: 14,083
Absolutely not, especially given the difficulty of quilting flannel with a polyester batting, to say nothing about bringing the backing fabric to the front instead of bias binding. Your quilting is beautiful, you did a really great job. My niece is starting a long arm quilting business; but instead of the going rate of 2 cents per inch, which is the going rate in KS, she charges 1 cent per inch because she lives in the country. What to charge is always difficult for quilters to determine, but you also need to make an income.
04-09-2015, 01:51 PM
#50
Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 30
Are you crazy? Your work is beautiful and your time is more valuable than this! Our local professional machine quilter won't touch a baby quilt for less than $100! We live in a very rural area and the economy is poor but people are more than willing to pay fairly for this service! Good luck and stand up for yourself!
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