you can google hand quilting prices and get a general consensus...If you're doing it to pay yourself $x/hour - it'll never work out.

I used to charge about $1. to $1.25 per yard of quilting - I figured I could quilt around 4 yards an hour. Figure out a unit of the quilt (block or whatever) figure how much quilting will be in that area, multiply by number of units. Similar for borders, figure out how much quilting will be in each running foot of border, multiply by number of feet. Add 10-20% to total. This way I could always give a fairly firm price BEFORE I started quilting.
Nowadays not too sure about the 4 yards an hour, I was hand quilting last night and my wrists started bothering me.
I charge less nowadays, by the way.

I've read $1 to $1.50 per yard of quilting thread. If you google hand quilting I'm sure you'll find all kinds of prices.

For those who think it's a lot of money, remember this is a huge time commitment. If people are willing to pay $200 for a quilt to be machine quilted, then hand quilting is worth at least that much, and more. But that's my opinion.

I have never paid to have anything quilted, but I agree hand quilting should cost more than machine quilting. Hand quilting is a dying art form and should be rewarded as such.

Thank you all for the suggestions. I've come up with a formula. Fingers crossed that I get the job.

Thank you all for the suggestions. I've come up with a formula. Fingers crossed that I get the job.

Twelve cents per square inch for medium quilting. That's what I charge.

I think it would be hard to come up with a $ amount.

If I were paying, I would want to see a sample of the person's work - and get a fairly solid idea of what the total might be.

Not all hand quilting is equal - - -

For hand quilting, I think the fairest way of figuring cost would be for the amount of thread (actually) used. Although I'm not sure how one would keep track of that, either.

Maybe load 10 needles with 41 inches of thread - figure 5 inches for 'manuevering' on each thread - and charge for 10 yards of quilting at so much per inch - and have some sort of system to keep track of thread used.

For me, hand quilting will be for labors of love and/or recreation.

I totally agree. I just hand quilted a large lap quilt (probably closer to a full size bed quilt) for my DD to give to her MIL for Christmas. It was purely an act of love (although DD is giving me $100 for my work). Never again!!! Too many hours involved and .........

I bought 2 quilts made by an Amish lady, both were hand quilted, $300. each, pieced on a treadle machine, and her quilting was lovely no puckers on the back, her 8th and 9th quilts, oh my I sure was not that good, still am not, LOL
I do a lot of my quilts by hand, have to have some kind of hand work while I watch TV in the evening, but have NO idea what I would charge for doing it for some one.