Why does one ask?
Having become addicted to quilting at this late stage of my life, I must admit that my first few years in this hobby have been $$$$$ astronomical ...
Considering all the equipment I thought I "had" to have .... all the fabric that I could not resist buying .... The extra machine and hand quilting needles I couldn't decipher needing, not knowledgable enough or savvy enough to be able to settle on just-the-right-stuff .... I'd say my first quilt -- a queen size - was QUITE expensive.
Had I joined this forum BEFORE jumping into the hobby blind, perhaps I could have saved a lot of $$ ...... but .... what the hey! For better or worse: I am in now .... and a full-fledged memeber of the Cult-of-Denial!
As I look at it now: that first quilt was the "inexpensive" part of the hobby .... all that "stuff" that has been accumulated and seldome used, and all the beautiful fabric I could not resist accumulating that will out-live me, etc. has become a source of embarrasment.
Since I am not doing mass-production, all I really needed, was a good pair of scissors and one good ruler, the right needle and thread. But now that I have the rotary cutter and all the other stuff, might as well use it.
Yes ..... quilts of any size cost a pretty-penny .... and if you have no one in mind to gift the final product to (or gift it to one who does not appreciate its intrinsic value), it can SEEM a waste of time, effort and money --
BUT, if I consider all the soul-satisfying, mind-soothing benefits -- AHHHHH: QUILTING IS PRICELESS!