I take my quilts to a local LA quilter, and that is about the prices she charges. I do several quilts in a year, but she gets them done waaay faster that I could, so it is worth it to me. I usually sew the bindings myself, but she woud do it (for an extra fee) if I asked her to. All in all, if your wife is happy with the quilt, then it was a good deal. It will last for many years to come, so it evens out in the end.