JoAnnGC

Whether you are selling hand-made quilts, tote bags, crafts, apparel or anything else the most important thing to consider is the quality and uniqueness of what you are marketing. Remember that you are an artisan and that people who are interested in buying one-of-a-kind items will pay a fair price for your creations. Would you work for less than $10-$15 an hour? What are your time and skills worth? Is your product really unique and well made? If so, do not apologize for pricing it accordingly. If you were to pay an electrician, plumber, lawyer, etc., for his or her services he or she certainly wouldn't apologize either and you would pay much more than that. Yes, quilting/sewing is enjoyable but if you are interested in selling you have to think like a business person.

quilterd

MY STARTING PRICE FOR JUST QUILTING A TOP FOR SOMEONE
IS $ 200.00

DEPENDS ON THE AMOUNT OF QUILTING & THE SIZE
THE BIGER THE TOP THE MORE I CHARGE
THEY FURNISH EVERTHING
LIKE SOME SAID YOU CAN'T CHARGE WHAT ITS WORTH
THEY COULDN'T AFROD IT

quilterd

WHERE DID U TAKE QUILT CLASSES?

Lostn51

Some really good advice here!

I had an old man tell me once that "you can work for the rich or the poor, which one are you going to cater to?" That is something that I have never forgotten.

I paint high end bikes and show cars and make good money doing it. I have had some folks look at me like I have lobsters crawling all over me when I tell them what it will cost them to paint their car or bike. It has gotten to the point I tell them if you have to ask then you cant afford me! :lol: :lol: :lol: This weeds out a lot of the "Tire Kickers".

But the average cost for me to shoot a car is around 12 to 15K and a bike in the neighborhood of $1500 to $2,000 for the tank and 2 fenders. Thats for the basic Base/Clear coat and some of the Pearls. Now if they want a true Candy or Flames then it will go up considerably, but you might as well double the figure if you go with a Metal Flake (like a bass boat BIG FLAKES!!).

I did a tank and one Fender for a custom built chopper in a Candy Pink Metal Flake and I used 15 pounds of metal flake (you buy it by the pound) and 5 gallons of Clear and the Pink Candy Base Coat. The materials set me back $1500 and I charged the lady $5000 for the job and it took a month to paint it. Its a lot of tedious few hours here and there work doing Metal Flake!!!

But I am getting into selling quilts and all of mine are going to be "Green" in other words I am using recycled bedding (sheets, blankets, dress shirts) and they are sewn on a treadle so no carbon foot print. The cost for me are going to be almost nothing at all except for thread. This way I can keep the cost down, I have a "Gimmick" to sell them by, and Folks that have the "Bed in the Bag" attitude will not die of sticker shock.

Some really good info on how to price them and I will use some of the suggestions and see what I can come up with.

Thank you for posting this thread!! :thumbup:

Billy

gail-r

I'm so glad to see this thread and your timing is amazing. i usually make embroidered quilts, mostly Jenny Haskin's stuff. At Christmas my daughter and son-in-law were here from Boise, Danny saw some of the quilts I was working on and said he really like the blue Simon's Folly quilt. I really didn't think much about it until I got a call from him last week. They had been to an Amish store (Penn?) and Danny looked at their quilts, then he made my daughter come over and look at them. He couldn't believe that they were priced at $1000.00. He told me that they weren't half as nice as I make and asked if he could buy the blue one, I felt bad when I told him that it was already sold so I told him that I would make him a quilt for just the cost of supplies and that would run around $300, 2 hours later he called to tell me that he had deposited the money into my account and asked if I could make it blue. So, he is getting a navy, lite cream fabric with navy and amber gold thread. I bought stuff on sale so I am going to surprise them with matching pillow shams. I usually start my prices at around $2500 for an embroidered quilt as I can spent 10 hours of embroidery time on 1 block. I'm just finishing a Sharman's Vintage Garden that has 20 blocks in it and each block averages 8 to 10 hours.

dmackey

AMEN TO THAT!

dmackey

AMEN TO THAT!

The only way to educate the general public is up front and be consistant with pricing. It takes a lot of time, effort, tools and expertise to make a nice quilt and because most quilts are unique or one of a kind, they deserved to be priced accordingly.

If you are going to design, shop, wash, iron, cut, sew, press, trim, sandwich, quilt, bind and take time away from yourself for others, why would any one think they shouldn't deserve to be paid accordingly, for their work of art with fabric?

Quilters have expensive tools, expertise, unique knowledge, creative capablilities, and passion for their work. What is that worth?

I have yet to sell a quilt, I have given them all away to family or charity, but I do realize the value of what I do. I dont' expect everyone to understand the value of a quilt I make, but I don't always appreciate the painted art, that other's are wiling to pay thousands for.

I think quilters need to stop short changing themselves and realize the value of their craft and not be apologetic about pricing, because your quilts have incredible value! People can only get what they really want if they are willing to pay for it, and if they really want you to make a quilt in their style and colors, then........ they need to pay for that custom made, one of a kind, value.

I have seen comments on here that it cost NOTHING to make a quilt because they used their stash. You paid for that stash at one time or another, purchased the machine you sew on, bought the pins, thread, rulers, rotary cutters, blades, pattern, etc. and spent hundreds of hours perfecting your craft. There is real value in all of that.

Just my two thousand cents! LOL!

Diane

earthwalker

Great thread and everone who has replied has come up with some really good points/advice. Everyday here we see the most beautiful artistry and the work and heart that goes into each creation and yet when it comes to selling, the shyness sets in. I think we have to stop being reticent about mentioning price/monetary value. For some of us, selling work is going to be necessary for survival, or at least the funding of materials to continue our passion.

Without "gender bashing", I find many women are very uncomfortable about discussing payment for work. Indeed, when I was working I noticed our male colleagues had no qualms about talking to the Directors about pay increases as soon as there was a sniff of the business profits looking brighter, the women on the other hand had to really screw up the courage to even gently broach the subject. So, remember you have value, your work has value and you are not just creating "bed covers' or sewing it is ART!

judyjo

I have just been asked to crochet a baby sweater for someone. Would this same formula apply....... price for yarn times 3?

judyjo

CompulsiveQuilter

I disagree that $10 per hour isn't enough - there are SO many hours that you're thinking/planning/rethinking while doing something else, so just add those hours (what? 10 percent at least) to your actual sewing time. I'm a freelance advertising writer who bills by the hour - and I do lots of "work" in the shower, so I know! And people who work with their hands will never be rich according to the bank statement ... but otherwise- happy happy happy