Thank you for this information. I don't know if I will ever quilt to sell it, but this will go in my notebook to help me determine how to figure up charges. Thanks again!

Susan

Thank you for this information. I don't know if I will ever quilt to sell it, but this will go in my notebook to help me determine how to figure up charges. Thanks again!

Susan

too funny!
sandy

I'm with you here! Your time will never be appreciated, especially if it is for so-called friends.

I used to make Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls many years ago. Someone asked me to make her a pair and asked "how much"....I told her and she was shocked that I would ask that price and that I should not charge "as much" since my love of sewing gives me personal pleasure! Needless to say I never did make those for her... the nerve! LOL!!
sandy

a recent article said to figure the quilt size in square feet
55x75=4125/144= 28.6 sq ft.
then multiply by either $15 for sq ft or $20 for sq ft
$15x28.6= $429.68
$20x28.6= $572.90

As a guide this works fairly well. Just remember to get at least 50% down before starting. If special fabric then add the extra cost also. one baby quilt cost me over $50 just for the theme fabric, be wise .

I had a very close friend ask me to put together some antique bowtie squares that were her Grandmother's . When I was done, the quilt top would have fit a double bed. Then I added the batting and backing (what I call the pillowcase method - so there was no binding) and pinned it, so all she had to do was tie the quilt. She gave me a $20 Starbucksgift card. I think she was clueless as to how many hours I put into it! Now when someone asks if I'll make them soemthing, my standard answer is "you wouldn't want to pay me what I would have to charge" - end of discussion.

Yes, we need to quote any project after we lay eyes on the scope of it! AND sleep on it our decision before we quote it!

I learned that lesson last summer when I "volunteered" to put a quilt together for a local organization. It was supposed to have been a "wall hanging" (sight unseen) but suddenly that project grew to the size of twin sized!! Amazing how people get sewing when they find a sucker! (the blocks needed to be set, sashed, bordered and quilted.) My fault for being so generous with my time,etc.

So now I just say "$100 minimum and THEN I will quote the project after I see what is involved, etc. I never get a call back! LOL! fine by me.
sandy

I nicely tell folks that I only make quilts for my own pleasure and for my family. Had only made two quilts when asked by a friend to make the little girls quilt for her. She was very understanding. I do not ever want quilting to become a chore. smile

SallieJane you should have at least given that gal the receipts for the materials! I am assuming that you did but not so sure from your post.
sandy

I've always told the person that the cost would be over $200. Nobody has expressed an interest beyond that.

People have no clue just what the cost of materials are for a quilt. They think in terms of the quilts at Sears that cost $50. Even my Mom can't seem to get in her head how much fabric costs. She still thinks in terms of $1.50 a yard (she hasn't sewn in 30 years). At $100, you are barely covering materials, assuming everything is clearanced priced!

In our area, the charge for long arm quilting is 1 to 1 1/2
cents per square inch for plain quilting. For more complicated -- up to 3 cents per square inch.

I have kept receipts for all purchased fabric and thread and the gas it took to go get it then charged 5 dollars an hour..cheap labour I know but it adds up since you also put in shopping and driving time..it all goes into making the quilt.

I'm not sure how much you should charge but remember, if she wants another one you cannot easily go up in price. So I wouldn't charge less than I would charge to make another

That is a great response, just love it..
Go Girl.
R

There were some really great responses. Murphy you were so right on and ScrewyStewy also. I work for a Parkinsons clinic in WA state and one of the Doctors asked me to make a quilt for her son's new room. I told her that Materials plus time for stitch in the ditch if she wanted it professional quilted it would have to be shipped out to be done. I told her $10.00 hour labor with a minimum of 25 hours. I typed up a contract and had her sign it (with no problem) Don't forget to charge for your time to shop and prep.
Most people think you can throw them together and it won't cost much, but what I have done for simple patterns and SID I go on the web and find some of the amish quilts with simple blocks and put the link on the contract.....Usually the amish quilts are considerably upward priced.
hope this helps.............but before you start have them sign the contract and get a deposit. (Usually the price of the materials.)
Robert

Me, too! I ask A LOT, and if they're willing to pay it, I'm happy. If not, I'm happy, too, because I haven't spent hours making a quilt for someone to get a "deal". Which would make me UNHAPPY!! I HAVE made quilts for people I don't mind sewing for but said DO NOT tell anyone I do this for a living!!

I see a lot of 3 times the cost of materials posted.

A quilting friend did remind me that folks that buy their materials and bring them to you are apt to purchase cheaper low quality fabric and then expect you to charge 3 times the amount of $3.99/yard fabric. Something to be aware of.

I now consider fabric cost to be $10/yard when determining how much I will charge.

Happy Quilting!

Ditto to all of the above and be firm.

I haven't read(?) all the posted replies. But don't forget to add something($) for the water and electricity. Tinker

Great ideas. Thank you all. ;)

I have done this and charge this way (just putting in numbers so it makes sense, not actual cost though):

Cost of material $100
Labor to piece $300 (3 times the cost of the material)
Cost of batting $ 30 (actual cost)
Cost of quilting - normal longarm charges of 1.5-8 cents per square inch
Binding - 25 cents per linear inch

Look on Etsy and other places online to see what fiber artists charge for their work. People see quilts in Wal-Mart for $30 and expect you to be able to make them one for the same price, so expect some sticker shock when you tell her the price!!

I look at my pattern's fabric requirements, triple that at current yardage prices, even if some comes from old stash. Then I add on the price I paid the longarmer, batting and and embellishments then round it up to the next $50. Thats the way I do it and Im stickin' to it!

So the only time you should be able to make money is if you're miserable doing it??? ROFL!!! Some people!

Really! That is crazy! I'm sure they wouldn't do anything for free that took them 30 + hours to do either. (I'm pretty slow going on things. ) lol

:shock:

Make just the top, and have her pay for just that and have her send it to the longarm quilter.
TRIPLE the full cost of the fabric involved for a general idea beginning cost...
add more if you got the fabric on sale and/or are making a complicated pattern....

# times the cost of all the materials is the very least I would charge and get half up front.

It's hard to know what to charge because a lot of time when people find out how much things cost they don't want it. I've had that happen to me with my baby crochet sets they love it but find out how much and they never come back. My advice to you is tell her how much the materials will cost and then see if they still want to do it and then make sure you tell them x amt of $$ for labor. I would really try hard to get at least the cost of the materials so they show they are really interested. You don't want to finish it and they say oh no I can't afford this. It is very hard sometimes especially if it's a friend or a co-worker I got stuck a couple of times with co-workers and then it makes you leary to do anything. Most people seem to be pretty good. They just don't realize the work and expense in a quilt or other hand work. Good Luck. Sue

I was shopping yesterday and someone who knew me casually admired my fabric tote/purse. She asked me if I sewed purses for others and I quickly replied that, no, I do not. I then explained that the purse she admired had about 8 hours of labor in it. She completely understood what I was talking about. whew! She was very nice about it to.
sandy

I INQUIRED AT A LOCAL QUILT SHOP. they said measure the square inches in your quilt size....times.016 per inch and that is what they charge. they only do the all over patterns they have-- nothing personal or intricate!

Ok, not to sound dumb but, how would you get the square inches? Say I will be making a quilt using 12" finished blocks. It will be say 7 across and say 9 down.....how would you figure that? :hunf:

I quite agree. Recently, a distant cousin asked me how much I would charge her to make an oversized queen quilt? I didn't really care if I made it or not, so I told her one that size would be $400.00.... she jumped on the chance to have one of my handcrafted quilts! LOL I designed the pattern, using her color choices and she was thrilled with the finished product.
So if you don't really want to do it, give a higher price, you might just make a little money in the bargain... good luck!

how would you get the square inches?


Not a dumb question! You multiply the width (in inches) by the length (in inches)

so a quilt 50 X 70 would be 3500 sq inches.

if the long armer charges , say 0.015 cents per sq inch for a pantograph you like, you multiply

3500X 0.015=$52.20


(that is how I estimate my quilting cost. I rarely piece for others)

Thank you! That is a lovely quilt by the way. ;-)

I love your colors and the pattern looks so nice. That's a good idea to give a little higher price if your not really interested in making the quilt. People don't understand the hrs and cost of material it's really getting expensive even to make for yourself. Sue

I've sold a few quilts, and honestly I undercharged for one of them. It was a huge king size, 120x120 center with an 8 inch border. I got $1000 for it, but it was hand quilted. Blinking thing took ages to hand quilt.

One of my co-workers saw me piecing my GFG quilt top (actually just one of the flowers) and asked me to make her one like that. I said I would at $1 a hexagon, plus $250. She decided against it.

Well, I sent her a message and told her it would be between $300-500....I guess she isn't interested. That's ok, I really don't have time to do it anyway. Thanks for your advice.

You all were right, tell the people the price and poof they are gone! The lady still hasn't gotten back to me on it. She hasn't said a word. Priceless........ :thumbup:

Probably thought she could get you to make a quilt cheaper than the $40 dollar ones at Walmart. You can't even buy yardage with that!

I laughed at my dad when he let my mom go fabric shopping with me and told her she could spend $5.00. Obviously the last time he stepped foot in a fabric store was 1972.

Funny!!