Originally Posted by
virtualbernie
Before I do a quilt for anyone I explain how much fabric and batting costs nowadays. I find that people that don't sew think it's cheaper to make things than to buy it from the store and they still think that fabric is $2.00 a yard. I took my friend to the store with me and let her pick out and pay for her own fabrics and then she realized that things don't come cheap! I also let them know that I'm not a factory and making a quilt takes precious time. By the time I finish all of that, they are either glad to pay me or decide that they really didn't want anything so expensive after all. That saves a lot of hard feelings for me in the end.
There was a time when making clothes was cheaper than buying but that time is really gone. I make quilts because I like to create something not because it is cheaper to make one than to buy one. It is easy to find a nice quilt on sale at a very low price. You did a smart thing in showing your friend the cost of a quilt. This is even more true if designer materials are used. They can be gorgeous but expensive.