I have a lady that is wanting me to make her a full/queen or even a twin size quilt with Lady Bugs on it. I have the pattern but now, how do I go about telling her how much it will cost? I've never done this before.

Any help would be great.

I don't know what to tell you to charge the lady to make the quilt. You've got the expense of the materials (fabric, thread, batting) and your own time and the machine time. Whatever you do, from what I have read on here, tell her up front what the cost will before doing anything, and get a deposit. Most folks just don't realize how much it really costs to make a quilt!

I agree. That's why I was wondering and wanting to ask you all on here. Also, I don't FMQ yet either. So, if she wanted it from me it would be SID or someone else would have to do it.

Anyone else intersted in doing a quilt for someone? LOL

Time plus materials.

$300-500 is not unusual and not unreasonable.

Have her buy the fabric after you've decided how much, but I'd suggest a little bit over. Maybe enough for a pair of pillow cases, just in case.

The others here know more about prices, but do make sure she has the amount firmly agreed to, maybe even with a contract both of you sign. Be sure to add everything to it, the folks here on this forum will have lots of ideas on that.

I do everything by hand. I double the price of the materials and add $10.00 per hour for the actual stitching and quilting. That way if it takes longer than I thought it would, it is covered. By all means get a hefty deposit. No everyone likes the same patterns and it is sometimes harder to sell one pattern than others. Best of luck...

How much does a normal longarm charge for quilting though?

I know to charge a whole lot. That way they go away and leave me alone!!

I have found this article to be very helpful:

http://www.bryerpatch.com/faq/marketing.htm

I've only been commissioned to make one quilt, and even though my customer said she'd pay me, I didn't make any money on the deal. By the time she reimbursed me for fabric, backing, batting, and the extra embroidery she decided she wanted AFTER we had discussed price, we were at a price that I think she felt was pretty high. Since she was a friend, I decided to let it go, but I'm much wiser now.

I've used the above link to determine how much my quilts would cost to replace, then advised the quilt recipient to insure it for that amount. They have the choice of insuring it or not, but it subtly makes the point that they should take care of that quilt and not use it as a dog bed or car cover. Ha.

I generally charge for price of materials, then twice that for the labor. If it's a really difficult pattern, you might want to add on more. So, $100, plus $200 for total of $300 for a double bed size. About $350 for queen, etc. That's about the average price.

Too funny Scissor Queen!

For a simple pattern, I suggest the price of the material (backing, batting, thread too) and double it. If the quilting is super custom (feathering, line work, etc) I triple the cost of the material. It goes up if the pattern is original or more intricate. It truly ends up being around $500 for a simple, slightly custom (flowers/butterflies), full-size quilt. I don't think people realize what an expensive habit this is! :)

I think it's a hard question to answer. I'm working on a quilt for someone right now and I always have a hard time coming up with a figure. So now I do an estimate and give that to the person to decide if they want it done or not. I figure the cost of materials and then the number of hours of labor. I charge $10 an hour. I also give a range on both, then give the lowest and highest costs to them so they will have an idea of what I'm basing my total on. For the t-shirt quilt I'm doing now I estimated between $250 and 350. The quilt will measure 78 X 85 and is home machine quilted.
Good luck with your project.

Sorry, second thought of advice.
The worst thing you can do is sell yourself short! I had a friend that agreed to HAND BIND a 120"x120" quilt for $20!!! She would have given them a DEAL charging $100! She didn't know the person, so it took the "friend" element out of it. It's hard knowing what to charge a friend (if this woman is). If she is, explain that quilts are expensive and ask what she feels is reasonable and work from there until you're both happy. Regardless, deposits are non-negotiable!

I tell people "I'll help you make the quilt yourself. Here's the pattern, go to the fabric store and buy all these supplies and get back with me for quilting lessons."

I refuse to make quilts for people. It sucks the joy out of quilting and most of the time the person asking doesn't understand the time and materials that go into a quilt.

It is a hard question...a lot would depend on the kind of design/pattern you are making. $10.00 per hour minimum plus the materials and if you are having someone else do the quilting, the price of that in addition. I would definitely have the customer buy the materials up front.
I am making a quilt for someone, because he has done my taxes for the last several years at no cost, and I want to do something in return. He said he is probably getting the better deal. He may be right. I will be getting together with his wife to decide on a pattern. I plan on bringing an assortment of patterns that are within the realm of what I am willing to do, nothing too difficult, but nothing too basic either. Then we will go shopping for fabric, and depending on how much that costs, they may help cover the cost of that. We also need to decide on a size, and as long as it is a size I can machine quilt, I will do it as part of the deal, but if it gets too big, and needs to be sent out to be quilted, again, they will pay for that.
I want to do it, so that makes it ok, as I feel very fortunate to have had the help with the taxes.

Not that I have ever done quilting for anyone but I have done plenty of sewing for others. One thing I found out quickly is never hand the goods over until they have paid in full. Second thing was that most people do not appreciate how much time you put in to any project and are usually shocked when you give a price and I did not charge high prices!! Someone objected to paying my price for a tutu and when I wouldn't budge on price (it was a steal), they had to go somewhere else and ended up paying the equivalent of $120 more than I was charging :)

Please do not sell yourself short. Sewing is a skill and art, people always pay well for art and skilled work. Think how much it costs to buy clothing. I always charged $150. for a square dance dress 10 years ago. Quilts should go for a minimum of $500. for a twin and up from there. $15. to $20 an hour and always include the planning and consulting time. Long arm quilters charge form $100. to $500. or more, for their time and expertice. Your time and experience are just as valuable. Good Luck and have fun.

I only do things for friends, or friends of friends, and it is usually for a family memeber who passed away. I have 2 quilts that I will be getting Saturday morning that the piecing is started but grandma passed away before she could finish them. One is a Sun Bonnet Sue, and the other one has something to do with butterflies (havent seen them yet). I will charge her for fabric if I need to buy anything (always keep the receipts) and we will discuss how much money for my time. I don't expect much because people won't pay much. I also just quilted one on my long arm and the lady gave me a cute quilt hanging shelf.

I do it to help people get quilts finished, or to save a memory. I'm not in it for the money so much as to help out and also finish quilts that were started.

It would be nice to get $100 in addition to supply costs, but I really don't care. Since gas is so high i cant buy much fabric now and it allows me to still do new projects. :)

the one I'm working on now is an oversized queen and I have $200 just in the top - by the time I make it a quilt it will cost me around $350 - and that's IF I quilt it myself. Granted, I have another large queen quilt I'm working on that I have $40 into the top.

As for what to charge... depends on how much you want to make the quilt... I have a friend I've agreed to make a quilt for as long as she brings me all the materials (and starbucks and chocolate are on the supply listl!!)

I also think it depends a bit on who the person is you are making it for (friend, family or stanger ) and where you happen to live. At least that's how I feel.

Three times what it cost to make it - and that still doesn't pay for the labour.

A friend asked me how much I would charge to make a quilt for her granddaughter like one I made for my granddaughter. I told her she was my friend, and I wouldn't know what to charge her, but that I love getting pedicures and can't afford them now since I'm out of work. So gift cards for that or one from Jo-Anns would work for me.
I told her I would use as much fabric from my stash as I could to keep the cost down. I had her order the backing fabric and I only had to buy a little yardage. She'll reimburse me for the that, plus batting.
I decided to keep a log of the hours I put into this quilt. The top is done and pinned, ready for SID quilting. So far, I have 43.5 hours into it. I never realized how long it takes. She is a dear friend and will appreciate it. I'm sure she'll pay me with many gift cards.

Years ago the labor was always double the material costs, but I believe with inflation that method has gone out the window. I believe minimum wage is $8.00 or more dollars an hour now and you are not doing minimum wage work when you make a quilt.

But I would definitely make sure she does the following-

1. Furnishes more than enough material to complete the quilt or if she wants you to furnish the material have her advance the cost of the material, give her copies of the reciepts if she complains about the cost.
2. Gives you a healthy down payment for your labor and if you send it out to be quilted have her be in charge of that and responsible for those charges. (Don't want to have it quilted and then have her complain about the way it is quilted.)
3. If she doesn't like the approximate price you are quoting for materials and labor walk away and let her find someone else.

Good luck with what you decide, but definitely don't let yourself be left holding the bag for time and materials to make a quilt that she may decide is more than she wants to spend.

Longarm

Longarm

I don't quilt much and if I do, it's small projects but I sew every day, garment sewing, accessories, home dec, etc. The items are for myself or for gifts. When people ask me to 'make' them something, I tell them my time is more than what they want to pay, if they insist, I do the same as Scissor Queen. No cost is under $500. They go away and I do what I like to do, sew for myself.

The person asking may get angry or miffed, but they can get over it in the same clothes they got angry or miffed in. Lets just say I got took, big time, 40 years ago. It's never happened again.

Please get a deposit .My Aunt made 2 completely by hand and charged (full size) $300.00 each .They never came up to actually buy them so please get a deposit at least for your material,so you won't be out of your pocket expense.

When making a quilt for someone ( exp. pieced quilt ) This would depend on the size of the quilt. A charge of $8-$10.00 an hour seems reasonable. They would have to provide the materials. Applique would be more expensive as it is more time. So, price it accordingly. You could figure it so much per block. I'd definately get a deposit of half for the labor before I start the quilt. This is usually how it is charged in our area. Different areas are more. Hope this helps. Remember you have to cut it out to which takes time. But the customer definately provides, thread, fabric, backing and batting.

This is what I've been told, you take all your materials and multiply it by 3 that should cover most of your time. I've not done it though but seems fair

the 3 times the cost of supplies and etc.was what I have been told.

I've done several custom quilts (both t-shirts and memorial quilts). For a charge I calculate how much I will need for materials (sashing, borders, backing, binding, battings, interfacing etc) plus $.02 per inch for quilting, for a twin to full size quilt about $150 to $200. I tell them that is the price for materials. I then tell them I also am charging them $250 or up for my time and labor. The labor charge is based on the complexity of the pattern.

When my quilts are hand pieced or hand appliqued and hand quilted I charge a minimum of $1000 and have been told that I under charged. I have sold many of them. My machine made ones are somewhat cheaper,not that they are not as good or pretty but because they are faster to finish. If I bind a quilt for someone I charge $50 for a hand bound one.

I have yet to charge for a quilt. I have made "Gifts" for many and also have had people buy the fabric for smaller items and I have sewn them at no charge. I do sterling silver jewelry and have always used 3X formula on materials. This seems to cover my labor unless I am working on something very intricate. I also do custom stained glass and have found that the most important component is the communication between my customer and myself. Based on the complexity of the project I charge per piece of glass ($1.00) or by the sq foot ($75-$125). I also let them know that although they may say they want a bluish-purple....the final glass choice is mine as the artist, unless they want to go to a store and buy the glass at retail. I would do the same in quilting. I have had long-armers charge me $300 to over $500 on kings for the quilting. Add material cost for a king and your time and I won't sell one of my finished kings for under $1000. Look at what a finished hand made quilt costs, I live near Lancaster, Pa so I can check these prices on a regular basis. Remember people that don't do hand crafts: knitting, sewing....have no concept of your time and the work that goes into a project from design to finished item. Do not short change yourself, if you were a business what would you charge....electric, maintenance on the machines and so on. I know this is a lot but remember you are now opening a door that once you walk through you have committed.
Good Luck!

WOW! I know there is a lot of time involoved and people that don't do this have no earthly idea. I'm honestly not in a position where I think I can help her right now. If it were summer and I was laid off from work I would say-great. I may be getting laid off but right now I'm just not sure that I can do it with everything else I have going on. I am trying to declutter my house, paint almost my entire house plus put down new floors. We do most everything ourselves so honestly I think I'm just going to tell her that I can't. I really don't think she would want to pay $500 anyway. I signed up to do the Boom 5 and want to devote what sewing time I can to that. ;) Thank you all for your help. I will definately keep all of these ideas in mind if I go to do some work for anyone later on. Fabric is expensive and time isn't cheap....you can't get it back that is for sure.

Thanks.
Angie

Three times what all the fabrics & material cost to make the quilt. (That includes the pattern & thread).

Although I have a long-arm business and would rather finish quilts than make for a customer, this does occasionally happen. Several years ago I had a customer who wanted five quilts made from her father's clothing, i.e. shirts and blue jeans. I estimated hours of cutting clothing, hours of sewing, backing and batting costs, quilting and binding. They were relatively small quilts (not even twin size). My final price was within $25 of the estimate and the final cost was over $1000. So, in this example the cost of the fabric wasn't a factor, but I was so proud of myself for coming so close to the estimate.

I charge $13 to $25 per hr. start to finish. That includes every thing. According to how difficult pattern is. Thats the going rate here in the midwest.

Boy have I been undepricing my items. I am working on a applique queensize and the top has cost me 200.00 in fabric, I haven't bought the batting or backing yet but figure that will cost me around 100.00. I will have it LAQ so I am estimating 200.00 for that. I had thought to put the price at 1000.00, double the cost. The pattern is my own design, a SW desert scence with a running wild horse. I had not thought about thread cost, the fact that most is appliqued and that it was my own design. I have 5 hrs so far and have just got the applique piece pressed down. I don't know if I could sell it if I went up much more. I am planning on putting a invoice pinned to back with amount of fabric used, batting, and LAQ, with the amount of hrs. This is a quilt that has been running around in my head for some time, have to make it. It is not one I want to keep or give to away. So now what do i charge?

When I make a quilt for someone..I estimate the cost of fabric and all that it takes to make..then double it..Take it from experience..take 1/2 up front and the balance on delivery..people you know the best.. will be the ones you won't get your money from if you don't do this..I've had 2 people in the past who never followed through..with 1/2 up front..the material is at least paid for!! Good Luck!!

i have really undercharged for quilts i have done so thanks girls for the advice