QBot

There are several articles on the internet that say that the only thing that can be copyrighted is the actual pattern - i.e. you can't copy and sell the pattern. The things you make can't be copyrighted as they are more than the original pattern. Mind you don't quote me in a lawsuit. I am only repeating fairly believeable evidence online.
I make dolls from moulds and there is never any suggestion that I can't sell my dolls although the mould is copyrighted. I can't see any difference.

Up North

All 3 were queen size.

Grama Chris

WOW, this is a touchy subject. When I sell my quilts (not to many) it's my own pattern coming from my head & not a persay-pattern. Living in a sml town these quilts usually wind up in some hunting cabin or seasonal home off the lk. I never violate anything.

QBot

WOW, this is a touchy subject. When I sell my quilts (not to many) it's my own pattern coming from my head & not a persay-pattern. Living in a sml town these quilts usually wind up in some hunting cabin or seasonal home off the lk. I never violate anything.

I only use my own patterns too but the subject is a bit ambiguous. Maybe someone will finally make a decision one day.

clsurz

I learned eon years ago when I was in direct sales that as a consultant you pay yourself what you feel you are worth and not a penny less. Many could not understand that concept and other consultants often felt I was ripping folks off but my customers dealt with me because of the service I provided them and were willing to pay for it.

This certainly stands true with this form of art in making quilts and for that matter any other type artist you aspire to be.

Everything must be counted from beginning to finish in how you price what you create. If you design it yourself that time needs to be counted in; also include shopping for materials to create it; also include materials; also include time it takes to create and complete it and any other incidental expenses incurred such as meetings with person who contracted you, phone calls, emails, what ever method was use.......ALL time is money.

Personally I have not yet sold a quilted piece because I'm just learning and since I'm not the type to be a traditional piecer, nor contemporary for that matter it means I will be creating all my own designs.

I currently have at least half a dozen military/partiotic designs I have created of which I will start making in the next couple months or so. It's a work in progress regarding the designs and am still tweaking some of it.

I certainly will not charge less than $400 for a small quilt thats for sure and probably no less than $1500 to $2000 for a king size one. I may even be under estimating myself here. Won't know until I actually create these designs and take everything into consideration.

I already have some interest around here with folks having seen my prelimanary designs which are all going to be one of a kind. If I make a certain design for one person I won't use that same exact design for another. I will change something in it to make it more personal to them.

As for friends and family they are not given special prices. This is a business after all if you are an artist and running it as such.

I learned early on in direct sales that friends and family if you were not selling the product would have to buy it from someone else at direct sale prices so why should they expect you to give it to them for less.

Hubby, my son and friends will tell you that for me business is business and they pay the same price. For instance I have a very good friend who is a chiropractor and also my doctor. Should I expect her to give me a lesser price for the work she does just because she and I are friends. Of course not! So why do we feel as artist that we should create quilts for family and friends for less money.

I learned early on in direct sales from other consultants who did give friends and family discounts almost always got screwed by them.

Business is business period IMHO and they pay just like anyone else or go find someone else to do it for them next to nothing.

Anyway if it's friends and family most likely they would get an art piece from me for there birthday, Christmas, or some other event going on. I would do it out of my heart and love for them.

Like someone else mentioned here she will teach and help them make there own if they come over to get it done but won't do it for them. Friends and family insult us with what they offer at times for our creations.

As for the lady whose neighbor paid her $20 only because she could go to the store and buy it for that I would have gladly shown her the door and told her to not walk but run to that store and buy one for $20. We all know the quality would not have been there let alone the time it took us to even cut the material to make it.

When I use to be in papercrafting I use to take what I considered ugly paper and repurpose them by redesigning and/or painting on it. Folks loved it and would purchase them from me to use as background paper/cardstock for there own creations. All of it was one of a kind. I accidently came upon this by accident and created something no one else could duplicate and they started asking to buy it from me. At first I did not know what to charge them and than I remembered my direct sales days and how I operated and implemented it in that art form. Amazingly folks paid what I asked for each sheet of art paper/cardstock I created.

Same will be happening with my quilting. Although I design and create for my own fun interest is being shown in what I create and folks will pay me what I am worth if they want the creation otherwise they will have to do it themselves or go to the local Walmart or other store that sells something inferior in material and quality for about $20-60 a pop.

Iamquilter

I make baby quilts and sell them and get three times what I pay for the supplies. Its a hobby for me and I enjoy doing it , more than that I probably wouldn't sell many in my area. Probably in a different area I could get more.

Cagey

I just sold a baby quilt and a table runner to someone on the east coast. I asked $80 and she sent me $120 for postage and told me to keep the rest. Guess I lucked out on this one. Don't expect that to happen again.

countrycousin

I have sold about a hundred, however what they tell you about pricing fails to tell you that you have to have a customer willing to buy it. Generally speaking if I am going to donate one it will be for an organization that I support. The rest will have pay what I ask or go home empty handed. I am a three time cancer survivor so my time is valuable. However if someone is having a hard time, I work with them on a price that we can all live with.

quiltmau

I make jewelery with sterling, pearls and swarovski crystals-no one wants to pay the cost of materials, let alone for the labour. I have given them to charities for auction and sale. Take the price of materials off taxes.
I don't get my feelings hurt and I don't have to put up with the "I want something for nothing" mentally of people who don't appreciate hand made, artistic items
Or feel since I am retired and do this as a hobby my items are worth nothing

TexasGurl

I sold some quilts, years ago, when I realized it just wasn't worth all the time and effort invested. I was quilting for maybe $1-2 per hr. But these were all hand-quilted quilts then ... I might think differently re. machine quilting today. MUCH faster results.
But unless it's a commissioned quilt or art piece, most people still equate a quality "hand-made" quilt with all the IMPORTED quilts they see in the stores for $60. :roll: