Originally Posted by
Tashana
........Are we seriously undervaluing our work? .......stepping off my soap box now.
Move over, Tashana, I'm getting up there with ya.
YES.
We definitely undervalue our work. Even appraisers are saying that quilt evaluations are down, due to the economy. At some point we'll have to reassess, dig in our heels, and demand (and EXPECT) respect and value for our work.
For the one person who may not have seen this when i posted before, here is the "real cost" of making a quilt.
Jan in VA
What It Really Costs To Make a Quilt
QUEEN SIZED, MACHINE PIECED, HAND QUILTED
MATERIALS:
Fabric 12-16 yards @ $9per yd. $108 - $144
Batting $25 - $40
Thread
$8 - $16
Total $ invested $141 - $200
LABOR HOURS:
Piecing 20 to 60 hours
“Setting” (designing your quilt) 10 to 20 hours
Quilting
100 to 750 hours
Total hours invested 130 to 810 hours
TOTAL COST
Paying
$1 per hour (Would you do this type of work for $1 an hour?!)
Materials $141 - $200
Labor
$130 - $810
Total
$271 - $1070
Paying minimum wage
$7.25 (by law in 6/2009)
Materials $141 - $200
Labor (130-810hrs)
$942.50 - $5872.25
Total
$1083.50 - $6072.25
Paying skilled labor wage
$20 per hour (Don't you consider yourself trained and skilled in this craft?)
Materials $141 - $200
Labor (130-810hrs)
$2600 - $16,200
Total
$2741 - 16,400
(Found on the Internet 1995; unknown author)