camillacamilla

I was looking at a local website, and the prices people have for nice
looking antique quilts is $30. One person has the following listed for brand new, made to order quilts:

Wall Hangings-25.00
Baby Quilts-25.00
Toddler Quilts-28.00
Twin Quilt-35.00
Queen Quilt-55.00
King Quilt-75.00
California King-100.00

I spend more than that on fabric!!! How do you make a profit selling these commercially? I don't sell my quilts, but if I did, I guess no one would buy, because my prices would be off the charts compared to that!! Right now I am doing a big mariner's compass/multiple sized stars/nighttime kind of quilt. NO WAY would I sell for 55-75. Even if the fabric was free, I would be making less than minimum wage. Please explain to me why someone sells their work so cheaply.

This post isn't intended to insult anyone that does sell their quilts at a low price. I think we are artists and our time and art should be appreciated.

sidmona

I am making three quilts for a friend of mine. I have already made a wall hanging for her. I have her buy the fabric so she knows how expensive fabric can be. Then I charge for my time separately. She knows how time consuming quilting can be so she makes me charge her top dollar.

basicfun

boy, that is cheap. My daughter who manages a tourist craft store during the summer say she can sell my jean rag quilts, lap size, for $150.00 easy. Especially if the tag states that it is homemade locally. I have seen twin size, beautifully done quilts by locals sell for $250.00 - 400.00, and they do sell.

Ethel A

I agree that the above prices are way too low. A friend and I were talking about this just yesterday. I just finished a 55 x 70 quilt. In fabric, alone, I'd spent $70. If you had it quilted (at an LQS) on a long-arm machine, it would've cost $90 to quilt with an edge-to-edge meandering design, and to bind it. So, factor in my labor (say, 8 hours to piece it, total). That's another $50 - $80, depending on the complexity of the block.

Bottom line, at twin size quilt would cost $210 - $240 in material and labor at base price.

kluedesigns

those prices are crazy low. i would never do work for that price.

if i'm selling quilts to friends the price is actual cost plus the price of a quilting book or pattern.

when i'm selling quilts to other people my starting price is $300 for a wall hanging and it goes up from there depending on how much work i put into the project.

Stitching4Fun

are you sure that isn't for the finishing machine quilting? I used to send my tops and backs out to have quilted, and it cost me 35 for a full size and she supplied the batting (poly, of course). If you wanted to send your own batting you could and she also had other that you could purchase from her. I had a queen done and it was only $55.

Maybe what you saw was the quilting, not the construction price????

Barb

Cathe

I would multiply those prices by 4 or 5.

I like to get paid $15 per hour. Obviously, I can't do that very often in quiltmaking, but my time and skill are worth money, just like that of a plumber, teacher, musician, secretary or any other person.

And it's not even that all my work is "art" - some is, of course, but really a lot of quilting or sewing is not creative. It's skilled labor, and it's something that not many people can do.

camillacamilla

Here is a link to the ad, and I will copy/paste the text too. Doesn't sound like they are just offering to machine quilt it to me.

http://www.golsn.com/listings/genera...se/695192.html

"Cant sew or just dont have the time to make a quilt but would like one. I can make wall hangings, baby quilts, quilts. I can also make quilts special occasion quilts. ST. Pattys day is coming up and if you want a special quilt or baby quilt or wall hanging I will do it at great prices for you.
Wall Hangings-25.00
Baby Quilts-25.00
Toddler Quilts-28.00
Twin Quilt-35.00
Queen Quilt-55.00
King Quilt-75.00
California King/Empoerer-100.00
The quilt in the picture that my daughter is sitting on i made for her, if you want to see more ill send you pics. "

omak

I don't even think that baby quilt is quilted, and am not sure that it is even tied ... if the batting is polyesther, high- loft batting, that isn't what most of us put into our quilts ... but, the prices are way too low for what most of the quilters on this list do.
I spied the crocheted afghan in the background, and I am guessing that our friend is so happy to be creating, she hasn't yet begun to understand "capitalism" ..

Stitching4Fun

Hmmm....could it be that you supply the materials and she does the sewing? That isn't specified.

Barb