okay, so i gave one of my cousins a baby quilt, as a gift. she loved it and called the other day to ask me to make 2 more similar only bigger and she specified that one was to feature airplanes, and the other was to feature cars.
she didn't offer to purchase the fabric. i asked her if she wanted to see swatches and she said no that she trusts my judgement.
how can i, in a nice way, i get the message across that these aren't going to be freebies? i don't expect her to pay labor, but the fabric is another matter.
i love my cousin, but we aren't close enough for this not to seem presumptuous on her part.
any ideas??

sign me stumped :?: :?

I would do whatever you can to NOT make any quilts for this family member. The moment you make her quilts for "fabric only" you will be her go-to person every time she needs a gift for someone. Honestly, how many quilters have time to sew for others? I make quilts for my sisters since they don't sew and I love how they start crying when they get a quilt. But I would not want to be someone's cheap seamstress. A gal at work asked me how much I would charge to make her a quilt. Out of my mouth (too quickly) I said "no way". People who don't sew have no idea what a labor of love making a quilt is.

If you feel that you need to do this for your cousin, I would call her and tell her about how much a quilt would cost. I would tack on some labor charges and tell her you'll swing by to pick up a deposit so you can go fabric shopping.
Good luck on this.

Ellen

Good luck with this.......it can be a touchy subject. I think that I would estimate how much the fabric would cost and call her up and say this is what it is going to cost you....do you still want me to do this for you?

Quilts are not free! I know the time and effort you put into your quilts. If you would really like to make them, then send your cousin an estimate of costs (fabric, labor, etc.). Treat it like a business. You really should be compensated for your talent and time. And of course the recipients will be thrilled with a gorgeous quilt, which is really priceless! I'm sure your cousin will understand. If not, then don't make them after you send the estimate of costs.

If you don't mind making the quilts, call her back and tell her that you need her to go pick out and purchase the fabric and tell her how much to get and also the batting. Specify how much of each and tell her you don't mind to do it once she has the fabric. If you don't want it to seem like you're saying you need to pay. Just call and say I've been thinking, and I need you to go and pick out the fabrics needed and also get the batting for the quilts. Or something similar. But like Ellen said, once you do one small thing for a family member it seems they try to take advantage of you b/c you are family...not always but most of the time. Believe me, I know this from experience with my aunt...grr.

Look at it this way, if you give her an estimate (put it on the high side if you really don't want to do this), she'll have to either put up or shut up. Put the ball in her court. If she really wants the quilts, then she'll pay for them. If all she wants is a freebie, then she won't mention it again to you. :roll:

You're time and effort is worth her paying for them. Family or not, you have to realize that your hard work is worth being paid for.

Lee

Well I would tell her that it cost $$ to make quilts. You do not mind putting in the labor but you need her to give you $$ for the fabric and batting. If she refuses then tell her it is impossible to do it. She needs to understand that the first one was a gift because you wished to give it to the person you made it for. That does not mean you have to make all quilts for free. Honesty is the best policy maybe she thinks you do this for everyone for free. Let her know how you feel.

I always find a good answer, is the cost of fabric plus the cost to have it quilted. Many times even the cost to have it quilted stops people.

Maybe you could tell her that you do not feel comfortable picking out the fabrics. You could tell her the pattern you have in mind, give her a copy of it and let her know how much of each type of fabric would be needed. She could go to a quilt shop and they could help her with her selections if she does not think she could do it on her own.

Something similar happened to me at work. I made a baby quilt for a friend and later she asked if I'd be willing to make one for her sil. I told her I was so behind with my own projects I really didn't feel comfortable committing to something right then (which was mostly true :) ). She seemed to understand and that was that. No hard feelings and we're still good friends.