I'm feeling your pain. Most people have absolutely no idea what's involved. They just see comforters on sale for $49.99 at WalMart and that's what they use for their baseline comparison. Maybe you can take a little comfort in that she probably isn't getting those quilts done anywhere. Sometimes you see something beautiful and you want it until you know how much it costs - then you just live without.
Oh, and if she does get them cheaper, would you really have wanted to make it for less? I'd have resented every minute of the work knowing my time wasn't valued enough. Be happy she didn't call!