I was responding to the original question-

I don't get it. How do they do this?

I do the same, almost all by machine, and even put the binding on by machine. I was just thinking along and that popped in my mind. I donate longarm quilting on donation quilts for hospice and Vietnam Vets for another quilter. She says she makes 200-250 quilts a year and all are a basic design because she wants to get them out there. I did not mean to imply there was anything wrong with machines.

50 quilts? That is a huge number of quilts, am lucky to get two or three completed anymore.

I also, do not send tops to have them quilted. I quilt them myself or tie them. I do both straight-line quilting and fmq, depending on the quilt and my mood. And yes, we could be talking 50 quilts a year some years; some years are more, up to 63, but most years are between 20 and 50 completed quilts. Why is that so hard to believe? Hundreds of people have seen them. Many people try to buy them but I do not sell them as they are made for families who have no other warmth in the winter.

Ironically, I am slow in a class, but obviously, fast at home.

Some people consider small wall hangings quilts. Also small baby quilts would be easy to make one a week. I am retired but have too many other interesting quilty things to just sit at the machine all the time.

Couldn't you help many more families if you took the offers of people wanting to buy? Seems to me for one quilt you sold instead of donating you could take the proceeds of 1 quilt and make 3 or 4 for donation. Unless the offers were only for $50 or less.

Small wall hangings and small baby quilts are quilts. The definition of a quilt is based on the type of construction not on the size.

And for me a small piece is 10xs harder and takes longer to put together than a large piece.

I can and have recently, done a disappearing 4 patch with a twist, finished size 64 x 75, with 9 inch finish blocks in one weekend, from cutting to binding. I use a detailed pantograph for the quilting. The quilt top took me about 6 hrs to go from cutting fabric to top done. The quilting took 2 hours. And it is a real quilt. The d4p with twist means I put together a 4 patch, then cut it on the diagonal making a 9 patch. So that is 6hrs to basically make 2 different types of tops.

I move quickly in everything I do, it is natural for me. The only type of quilt pattern that slows me down is paper piecing since I am not very skilled or experienced at doing them.

I was also that person who finished those math tests before 90% of the class got half way done with them (in grad school not grade school) I am just naturally quick with things. I dont rush and am not on a deadline. I move at my own speed. I am quite able to make a quilt a week if I focus on doing it rather than playing around. I have done about 20 since January, have about 20 more to make before October, then a bunch after Oct. Because I want to do them.

I would like to caution people here. There have been numerous comments that are and have been taken to be rather rude. There are new quilters out there. People who's skills are not beyond doing a few 4 patches. The way some of these comments read to me, these new quilters could get very discouraged thinking that their quilts arent good enough to be called quilts. I honestly hope no one intended for that to be the message, but as I have read through here there are several that imply that.

A quilt is defined by websters to be: a bed coverlet of two layers of cloth filled with padding (as down or batting) held in place by ties or stitched designs.

Does not say anything about pattern used, size made, style done, or type of quilting (or tying) that was done to connect the layers.

Ladies, we are all quilters here, all of us do this because we love it. All of our quilts are real quilts. Some move fast, others move slow. We should be encouraging each other, not making disparaging comments about each other.

Whether we make a few or many, quilt fast or slow, use simple or complicated patterns, quilt for ourselves, our family and friends or charitable organizations, at heart we are all the same, and all I can say is - God bless us, everyone!

My DD pieces hers on the machine and then sends them out for LA. It doesn't take her very long to "make a quilt" when the longest time spent on a hand pieced/hand quilted item is the time spent doing it all by hand. So, it's possible for her to "make" a lot of quilts in a year.

I've also always wondered about this... not only about the time, but also the money! Either I'm not very budget savvy, or ... well, I suppose I'm just not very savvy. I do shop at the thrift shops, but even then, one can spend the money...

I suppose it's a good thing I (REALLY) enjoy the process!!