Advice for newbies
07-09-2014, 09:45 PM
#41
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 983
A very valuable piece of information: People are happy to pay other people for what they can't do themselves if they want the item badly enough. For example, doctors, auto mechanics, financial advisors...so why shouldn't quilters be on that list? Just because we make it and the item isn't purchased at a big boxed retailer doesn't remove value...in fact, it should ADD value because this quilt/pillow/placemat/potholder/whatever was made specifically with YOU in mind - your favorite colors, subjects, patterns, etc. And even at the minimum wage of $7.25/hr (in Texas currently)...I think the next project I do, I'm going to clock in and out just like at any other job, and at the end, figure up how long it took. This includes the time it takes to choose, purchase, and prepare fabric (and other supplies) before cutting and sewing.
07-09-2014, 10:12 PM
#42
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 983
Mckwilter, I think your points are completely realistic and valid - and I know it is what we think but wouldn't necessarily say exactly. I simply changed it in a way that I think reflects a reasonable position for doing unsolicited quilts. Your points made sense to me.
on a slightly different note, I would tell newbies that when you buy batting and use only bits of it, label the rest. I've just completed most of a quilt, but I cannot recall for the life of me what the batting is exactly (having used some of the batting for another project). Some of the quilting is about 4" apart. Is that too wide? Dang. I have no idea. So label your leftover batting!
on a slightly different note, I would tell newbies that when you buy batting and use only bits of it, label the rest. I've just completed most of a quilt, but I cannot recall for the life of me what the batting is exactly (having used some of the batting for another project). Some of the quilting is about 4" apart. Is that too wide? Dang. I have no idea. So label your leftover batting!
07-10-2014, 04:11 PM
#48
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 1,123
One thing I did when I was new to quilting was try just one block I liked the look of. I made a kit of coordinating fabrics and just looked around. If I see a block I like, I make it. When i get enough for a quilt, I put it together and gift it to someone and start over.That way, I can have fun and not always be committed to a quilt. Or i can try new techniques without "ruining" a quilt (0: I think I have 35 or so blocks in my newest batch and still going. I get lots of ideas from blocks of the month here on the board and visiting quilters cache. Mostly, just have fun. Mistakes are just a lesson waiting to be learned.
07-10-2014, 04:28 PM
#49
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Texas currently
Posts: 1,222
Agree with mckwilter. I also add: you go to store, pick out a pattern, pick out you fabrics ( the sales person will help you), pick out what batting you need, also backing fabric, anything extra you want on it besides the binding, pay for it and bring it to me after you have washed and ironed on the fabric and pre-shrunk the batting. That stopped all who thought quilt making was a cute, quaint little hobby that one could give away for free.
07-10-2014, 05:02 PM
#50
Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Oregon
Posts: 13
I have been asked to make "quilts" for a high school sports raffle. I said sure...BUT... you have supply the fabric ... the children who are on the teams have to cut the fabric and I will sew it. How ever much cut fabric I receive will be how large the quilt will be. I supplied the 6.5 templates (poster board) I told them to use old jeans and old flannel shirts or flannel sheets. I needed the same number of squares for each fabric (one denim one flannel). I had enough to make two queen size denim rag quilts. I made almost $700 (total for both). I helped sell the raffle tickets at the football games. $1 each. not bad for a small school of only 200ish students. I still come home to find bags of old jeans on my porch.
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