Somethin' for Nothin' and your Quilts for free...
#61
Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 2
I have been sewing all my life but only this past year began quilting. I prefaced my start with conversations among friends about it being a "business" and sold my first quilt just before Christmas. She paid for the fabric when we picked it out and then paid $250 for my time...not a bad deal but hardly profitable...it was king size and fully machine quilted!
#62
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Central NY
Posts: 859
"A close friend"???????? IMHO, That seems either ignorant or very mean....to me anyway. I'm sorry that happened to you....must have really hurt.
I was showing a close friend a quilt that had been pieced by me and hand quilted by the Amish. I thought it turned out nicely. A couple of months later we were discussing her son's upcoming wedding and gifts. I told her that I'd probably be giving them money so they could buy what they wanted. She replied, "Oh, that's better than an old, ugly quilt, anyway." WOW! Why didn't she just slap me? So, beauty is, indeed in the eyes of the beholder and no one, except other quilters, understands the work and love that go into these works of heart.
#63
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Central NY
Posts: 859
Here's an idea I got from a skilled carpenter. When he went to look at a job, and then gave an estimate, if the owner objected to the price he would say, "Do you want to save some money?" Always a "Yes" "Then do it yourself." That always shut them up!! LOL!
#64
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: East Tennessee
Posts: 1,102
Since I don't make tops, this is a lot easier for me. I tell them to buy (or make) the top, the backing and the batting and I charge $150, $200, or $250 (depends on size) for the quilting. I also inform them that it will be a long time for hand-quilting. That's all I charge because I enjoy doing it. I figure if I can get paid to do my hobby, it's a good thing!
#65
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Owensboro, KY
Posts: 1,420
I always tell them upfront what it will cost. What gets me is that people ask me often if I will "donate" a quilt for one cause or another. I usually tell them what it costs to make one--> fabric, batting, thread, backing, quilting and tell them I'll donate my time if they pay the costs. When they're told what it costs...they never take me up on my offer!!
#67
I recently had listed some quilts of mine for sale on Craigslist. They were all lap sized quilts that I pieced and machine quilted (in quite a lot of detail, if I do say so myself). One person e-mailed me to say she was interested in the quilts and asked for the price, I told her $85. She said that was "way more than she expected". I really wondered what on Earth she did expect to pay for a handmade lap quilt.....$20? People who don't quilt really have absolutely no clue how much the materials alone cost, nevermind the time and effort involved.
#69
All I asked for was for a picture of the teen with the quilt at home in her room so I could add closer to my blog story about it... its been three weeks plus... saw lots of pictures of this teen on fb doing this and that but not one of her quilt. She barely said thank you and she is the one that asked me to make it, and I did it for free, no money up front no how because I knew she didn't have it and because of her situation at home I really wanted to show her some love. I have asked her twice since for the picture... I won't ask again. I have lots of people that ask me for a quilt but not one has ever said they would even buy the fabric, they have no clue. So now I am trying to do some stuff I want to do, for me!
#70
If it were my daughter, she would have had to buy a gift, I would feel perfectly justified in asking for materials cost. Since it was my daughter, I might let the labor slide.
I am right now. My daughter asked me to make two baby quilts for friends of hers at work. I am almost finished with one. Did not expect her to pay me to do the work but materials would have been nice! Not a word from her about the cost and not sure I want to have upset over it, but still just not right. Money does not grow on trees.
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Catherine Marie
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02-16-2012 01:56 PM