my-ty

I don't worry about the dollar value of my quilts. For me, it is about the planning, creating and completing the quilt that gives me enjoyment and pleasure. It is a hobby and has the added bonus of producing something useful. I don't plan on selling my quilts and no one would be willing to wait the years between ordering a quilt from me and receiving it. If I donate them, then I hope the organization either raises money because of my donation or finds a person that needs the quilt.

Arriving at a quilt dollar value is difficult because quilts are NOT created equally. For example, the cost of materials is vastly different between fabrics from a quilt shop, or from a discount fabric shop, or from your stash or re-purposed used clothing are used. The amount of fabric varies depending on the pattern. The planning costs are different between using pre-cuts or using a kit or using scraps or selecting the fabrics yourself; and how long does it take to find the pattern or how long did it take to create the pattern. The labor costs are different, depending on the difficulty of the pattern, your skill level, your speed and your degree of perfection (how many times did you re-sew). Your labor costs also depend on the tools that you are using; using technology (computerized sewing machines), a non-computerized sewing machine or sewing by hand or hiring a LA to quilt. Recouping the cost of your tools, depends on your tools; do you have a state-of-the-art sewing machine or are you using a treadle, how many rulers and other gadgets do you have. Even the cost of thread varies with the complexity of the pattern piecing and on the amount of quilting and the type of thread.

I am more like a stamp collector that appreciates the uniqueness of my stamps and not the value of my collection. My quilts are original art and as such I appreciate their uniqueness. Each quilt has its own value; maybe it is the first attempt at a new technique, or it was made for a special person, or the color combination, or a challenging pattern or "what was I thinking when I chose these fabrics" or what was happening in my life when I made it. When my quilts are gifts, the recipient knows it was created with love and they are free to use their gift however they wish.

How others appreciate my quilts is outside of my control. However I can and do make the effort to value the talent, effort, time and cost of others when I admire their creations.