By way of another topic, this came up...

the question was "how much did your last quilt COST you to make"...
NOW given that you had to purchase everything for this quilt, pattern, fabrics, thread, batting, quilting, etc...we have seen prices that are just numbing to the mind....and if you think they are Numbing to US the quilter's, imagine trying to tell your insurance agent how much that last professionally quilted quilt was worth!

Here are some reasons for "documenting" the costs, of those quilts.
#1- if it is a large quilt for a charity raffle, it can be used for a deduction
#2- if it is a wedding gift, etc, give them a full itemized list for INSURED value so they understand the value of it.
Especially if it is over $300.00..many do not realize the value of the gift and IF it is a quilt that could cost $$$ to replace in a fire, storm etc, the insurance company will NOT pay if you do not have the proper recorded value of it.

That goes for ALL Of your quilts/stash,etc...pix are not enough any more thanks to modern technology when anyone can produce a pix online and print it off and SAY it was theirs..you really need to keep GOOD proper documentation of EVERY quilt you make...whether you keep it or donate it, etc...

here are a couple of sites I have found to guide you along the documentation journey of your beloved heirlooms and charity projects!

http://lostquilt.com/index.php/prote...ng-your-quilt/

http://www.reddawn.net/quilt/label.htm

http://www.louisianafolklife.org/quilts/form.shtm

when you can, keep a JOURNAL, that includes the selvage edges with the fabric info, a small strip of the fabrics, the pattern makers name, etc, it can all help in the long run....

I keep a quilt journal that includes pricing, logs hours, who its for, when I started, when I was done, a place for fabric swatches, and then a place for a picture of the finished product. I know they sell them around, but I couldn't find what I wanted, so just made my own in Word. It's one of the first things my quilting "mentor" told me to do, and when she showed me hers, I was sold. Especially since I know I'll end up giving most of mine away.

Great suggestion, Jacquie!

thanks...wish more people would have read this topic...it really is important!

Wonderful idea...thanks! I have just taken pictures and that does NOT tell the whole story.

I've never documented my work. I've never even put my name or date on any project. I guess I really should. Thanks for putting it into perspective for me. I never realized how important it is.

Thanks for this topic, I didn't realize how important this was. I've saved the form and will start doing this for future quilts.

Wow! I had not thought of these points. Good information. Thank you.

So wish I had done the quilt diary.. so wish I had pictures of those with their quilts.. give you perspective of what age everyone was, young or old..

Thanks for the post ! Good one !

Ell

The only record I have kept is the finished size and who I gave it to and a picture of it. I think I will start doing a more complete record. as suggested by this thread.

it really serves so many purposes..suppose one day you become famous for your works....you can show how your "look" came about through your previous projects, it is a legacy to what you spent your life doing....RECORD it....

Thank you for posting some great info! I only wish I had started keeping a journal for my quilts a long time ago. Don't even have pictures of all of them. Well at least I will from now on. I just started keeping a journal in January, in a word document (including pictures and details about the work in progress) to document my quilts and back it up regularly. If it weren't for this board I never would have thought to do this.

I think you are talking about two entirely different things here. Documenting your quilt is not at all the same as determining the value of your quilt and, while both are wise things to do, they should not be confused nor combined. (The sites listed cover doucmentation only.)

Quilt Documentation is a historical record of the provenance of the piece. The antique dealers of the future will not care how much it cost you to make nor that you used Andover fabrics (they care only what type of materials were used, e.g., cotton fabric, wool batting, poly thread, etc).

Quilt Valuation is a financial record of the piece, along with an appraisal if you think it necessary. The insurance carriers and IRS agents of today will not care if it was made for Cousin Freddy's 80th birthday nor that you used Benartex fabrics. Keep the valuation info with your other financial records, safe from fire and flood...and tornado.

Quilt Construction Data, a third record, is the actual materials used and construction details of each piece. This would be where you'd record the fabrics, threads, keep samples and selvages, pattern details, etc., whatever you desire. That information would be of interest only to you, the maker, and perhaps some other quilt nuts here on the board. :lol:

All are records worth keeping if you are so inclined, but they serve vastly different purposes. Only you can decide if you need/want to keep any or all of them.