Originally Posted by mpspeedy

I am primarily a handquilter. I basically start at $10 a square foot plus materials. If I am just handquilting I start at 7 cents a square inch plus a flat fee for marking, batting, backing and binding depending on the size of the finished project. The only thing I machine quilt is T-shirt quilts. It has been my experience that most people who want a quilt made from scratch are not willing to pay for my time or expertise. Since the advent of the long arm machines my handquilting business has disappeared. My best customer was a lady who ran a custom framing business and recognized the value of handquilting. She had a collection of tops left by her grandmother which a quilted and finished for her. She and I talked about the fact that folks in our area would not pay for the work either of us did. Her customers all came from the D.C. Metro area.