Carla P

I'm not laughing, because it isn't one bit funny. Being over-charged for quilting is like being over-charged for automotive repairs; it unnecessarily gives everyone the wrong ideas which leads to dis-trust of the entire industry. These machines are expensive, and the supplies cost 3 times as much, not to mention the price to service one so, yes, it does cost a little bit to even be able to consider taking on clients. However, the quilter has to be responsible enough to look at the big picture and not price-gouge one single customer, when she/he could do 3 quilts and make the same money. Yes, quilters will usually charge more if there are repairs needed, the top is not squared up, or for other time-consuming problems, but only the responsible ones. This is because every minute they are spending fixing a problem is a minute taken away from another client. This is not a bad thing because it lets you know that your quilter is spreading the expenses incurred over many clients, and not just sticking it all on one. However, the additional charges should be discussed with the client and fully disclosed on the front end to avoid the sticker-shock upon pick-up of the quilt.

As for your quilt, Kathy, I have no idea why she charged you $283 for the quilting. I can tell you the (national) average cost for this type of "custom" (non-panto/all-over and non-heirloom) quilting is 2 to 2.5 cents per square inch and does not include binding, and, in most cases, it doesn't include batting or backing, custom threads, or fixing any problems. I do not know how any of these things may have effected the cost of your quilt, but if none of these variables came into play, I would highly recommend discussing/negotiating her prices with her if you find you are being over-charged. If you are not being over-charged, panto or all-over quilting is the cheapest to purchase (it is supposed to be, anyway).

That is a beautiful quilt, BTW. :D