Quiltngolfer

This is why I never sell a quilt. I would feel insulted by the price people want to pay. I am making sure everyone in my family has a quilt made by me. I also give quilts to friends, but I don't sell them. I enjoy making the quilts. My children have learned that I always want gift cards for quilting stores or money for birthday and Christmas. That works out great because I can make more quilts and give to them. They all love quilts.

joe'smom

I do sympathize with those attempting to make a living from their quilting, and understand why -- in the face of competition from poor quality, mass produced goods from overseas -- they end up drastically undervaluing their artistry and labor. If they didn't, they wouldn't make any sales. But sadly, underselling like that does teach people that quilts aren't worth much. After the last discussion on this subject, I decided to keep track of my time when I started my latest quilt.

Glenda m

I'm going to have to quit quilting! I can't afford me anymore. NOT!! LOL

Jan in VA

Peckish, I don't know. I picked it up 20+ years ago when I was on another, early quilting board on yahoo. We had it laminated and posted is my quilt shop in the late 1990s to great interest.

Jan in VA

Jan in VA

See! This is the problem for me: "Professionals" are *paid* for their work, often (but not always!) have a "name" people outside their industry recognize, and usually are highly trained and experienced.

Well all of those things apply to me, and to many, many quilters I know of. In fact, if they teach, have been published, have been paid for their work, or won (monetary) prizes/awards in shows, then they are called MASTERS in the quilting industry and often can not compete in "lesser" categories. How are they not "professional"?!

The comments of this young lady you tell of show the ignorance so prevalent in society for subjects about which they really know nothing at all. I say it's up to us to educate them, not just assume they should know what we know. Personally, I think BNeighbor educated her would-be client to the point, kudos!

Jan in VA

Peckish

A couple of years ago, I was approached by an acquaintance who commissioned me to re-create a quilt her son had grown up with. I wrote up a very detailed proposal that had a breakdown of costs and labor. I had allocated $100 for fabric, when she saw the proposal she said she'd assumed I would just use the fabrics in my stash.

IN MY STASH. Seriously??? So just because I paid for it last week, last month, last year, whenever, that means YOU don't have to pay for it at all???

I let THAT commission walk.

Silver Needle

Just a little FYI. Many longarm quilters, myself included, prefer not to quilt with sheets for backing because have a higher thread count than yard goods. The inequality affects our thread tension and our goal is to provide you the best results we can.

ladydukes

Out of pure curiosity, I kept accurate records of the time and materials expended to make my DD "Rings that Bind" DWR QAYG quilt last year. I don't have the exact calculations in front of me, but as I recall, the fabric, thread, batting, pattern, etc. was over $550 and the time spent was approximately 340 hours. I didn't calculate labor costs as this was a gift of love for my DD.

KalamaQuilts

My last wholecloth quilt (queen) had 608 hours in the hand quilting. I only tracked that out of curiosity, so no idea how long it took me to prepare the fabric and draw out the pattern, or the beading I added after the quilting was finished.
I gave it to a dear friend, and fellow quilter...who else could appreciate it?

Perhaps the disconnect among quilters as to real value of their work, can be explained in where each quilter is on their journey. Quilts made in a day with precuts, even well made, do not compare in perceived value with quilts that are an expression of an experienced quilter's work which for me, is each quilt pushing my skills, reaching further than the last.

My main output mid-80's to mid-90's was making wall quilts and wearable art, each one a different technique. I sold most of them 4 years ago, for a very good price. They showed refined techniques and were unlike anything the buyers would ever see anywhere else.
Quilting is a passion, one of the few constants in my life and each day I wake up excited, looking forward to my time with needles and threads and fabric and ending the day a better quilter than I was when I got up.

It was well said above, to get professional dollars, the quilter has to have built a professional life. I could have gone that route, but decided I never want to do for a job, what I do for pleasure.

quilterpurpledog

If I was going to make a quilt to sell I would think of the time involved differently than if I was to make the quilt for family, friend or charity. But I think think that the key is how you value your time and what you choose to do with the time. Each of us has 24 hour in a day. Do we use it wisely or do we literally devalue it to the point of inactivity or waste. The answer is not the same for everyone. I am a producer and I think my day is well spent if my home is clean and neat, the laundry washed and ironed and attractive meals prepared and I have time to quilt, sew other things, knit, read, etc. I limit my time on the computer by the clock and TV without doing something productive at the same time is a waste of time. That said, I of course, "waste" some time because I get tired-never bored. I no longer want to sell my time for a price; but, I do want to use it as wisely as possible. My quilts may not bring thousands of dollars but I love producing them-that is without price.