Hope the amazing ladies here have some suggestions.
Normally I machine quilt for just myself and a friend. I do hers in exchange for her doing the handwork on my binding. Once in a while another friend will finish one and I'll quilt it for her. I have always done my FMQ table top with my juki.
So, 2 months ago I purchased a grace start right/juki frame combo. It's my first frame and I've already quilted 5 tops on it. I mostly do meandering (large, small, medium depending on quilt design), hearts or leaves with loops, small curls and on the borders what I call waves. Nothing fancy. With my frame I did buy the Grace Pattern Perfect but haven't used yet as i like doing it freehand. I'm just starting to practice some flowers but I love meandering.
With all that said, here's my situation. The ladies in my weekly group send their quilt tops to Kentucky for $25-40 per top. The LAQ advised them last month she is retiring so they asked me about quilting for them. I looked and her patterns she's done look pretty much the all over standard pantographs I see for sale for most FMQ. My question is how can I figure what to charge them. They're telling me crib size should be about $15 and lap or throw size no more than $30. Apparently the LA was only charging $40 to do a queen size. Maybe I'm slow but it takes me half hour just to pin a queen on the frame. I finished a carpenter star 70 x 70and did it in 2 colors thread with small curls all over the top. It took me several hours.
Is there a way to decide what would be fair? I think about squaring the backing, pressing the backing and top, pinning it all the the frame and then charging $15-20 and I'm thinking it's not worth the trouble. Any ideas? I attached a couple I've quilted but not sure you can see the actual stitching. I haven't learned all the fancy feathers and not sure I want to but I think I do a nice job.