Katieranch, I agree with you! Several years ago I had made a Turning Twenty quilt top in beautiful warm, bright colors and took it to work for sort of show and tell. One of the staff at that time really liked it and said she wanted me to make on for her in most of the same colors. I had a feeling she expected me to foot the whole bill and just do one for her, but I told her she should go and pick out the fat quarters (20) in the colors SHE wanted and I would make the quilt for her. You guessed it...she never mentioned it again!

Speaking up for 'Walmart type fabric":

I am making a quilt for my grand daughter that uses only 3 fabrics. 2 were bought at Walmart, one at a LQS for full (high) price. The 'Walmart fabrics' are wonderful to work with; the LQS fabric is constantly fraying (have lost as much as 1/4 inch of fabric to fraying AFTER cutting!!!) and has thread pulls in it after sewing.

I really wish it was just 1/2 as good quality as the 2 "Walmart fabrics"!

I've had people ask me how much to make them a quilt and I've usually told them I only do it for friends and family. If they ask again I tell them pricing would start at $350 for a small one. No takers yet!
Just last weekend I took a tote as a donation for a fund raiser and was asked to put a value on it. I was mentally debating how much to put down so asked the other person who was taking something at the same time what he thought i should say. He said "oh, i guess $10 or $15". Since it had been made rather quickly and was not quilted or pieced, just drapery fabric (which i had gotten inexpensively) lined with two patch pockets on the lining, I decided to put $30, even though I felt like it could have been priced higher. Did not find out how much it went for in the bidding. He was happy that his wife's cookies went for $8 a tin.

Yea, a soon to be grandma/friend of mine asked me about making a baby quilt for her. After I emailed her about patterns, costs involved, etc, she never replied back either way. Nuff said. And, i never mentioned "labor" costs. I would have pieced a top for her but the long arm charges and materials were on her dime, not mine!


Sandy

Well if you look at the prices for longarm quilting you can see where the the price could get very high, but I agree $1200 t0 $1400 is excessive. I do not think $400 for queen or $500 for king is excessive. By the time you buy quality fabrics, spend hours of your time and pay for quilting if you don't quilt yourself it is not unreasonable. Unfortunately I can't find people who want to pay that much for a quilt when they can buy a slave labor quilt cheaper than a comforter. They just do not understand the difference in quality. And most of the people who do are quilters themselves. I give away most of my quilts as gifts and hope the people I give them to understand what I am giving is not just a fabric but a labor of love.

I must admit, a few months ago, I would have thought paying more than $100 or so for a quilt was crazy. That's because I'd never shopped for good-quality fabric. Or batting. Or anything else. I just had no idea how much the materials cost, let alone the cost of labor.

Even now, as I dip my foot into this craft, I keep getting sticker shock. I've been scouring thrift stores and my linen closet for useable fabrics, because I just can't afford to buy everything new.

When I made my son's quilt (my avatar), it's approx. queen sized so with all LQS fabrics (including backing), batting, a couple classes to learn a few new techniques, and LA cost, it was close to $400. This was not including my time to design the quilt or put it together. This was definitely a labor of love and my son loves it and appreciates the work involved. That works for me.

I didn't get into quilting to have a business but won't turn down commissioned work if it's worth my time.

I have wondered the same thing myself - a recent experience I just had made be go and look on Etsy to see what custom made quilts sold for. Hmmmm

I just made a king size quilt for a friend of a family member. She saw the quilts I had made for my family member and really like them. She said she would pay me to make her one. We didn't discuss how much, but I did explain how much time it took to cut the fabric, piece it together, quilt it and bind it. Also, before I started I had her pick a pattern. and told her how much the material would cost if she used quilt shop quality fabric. That was about $300 just for the fabric, plus batting. I also told her it would cost over $140 to have someone quilt it if she wanted it done professionally as I am a beginner on my mid arm. Of course she wanted me to quilt it. I also made pillowcases to match, at her request. Before I purchased anything for the quilt I would get her approval first on the cost. When it was finished she just gave me the money to cover the cost of all the materials - Nothing else. I was shocked since she said she would pay me to make it for her - I would have been happy with just $50 . Perhaps when she said that she would pay me, she only meant for the material? I didn't get that impression. But I didn't expect $0 for my labor. I must say also that it was difficult for me to make a quilt for someone I didn't know. I didn't like the pattern they picked or the material. So, I didn't get as much enjoyment out of it as when I make one where I selected the pattern and fabric and knowing the tastes of the person I am making it for. Lesson learned!!! It was my own fault for not speaking up in the beginning. I just know I wouldn't ask someone I don't really know to do something for me and not give them anything for their time. I never expected a lot - I know people don't realize the labor that goes into quilts. So, I told myself just enjoy the fact that someone has a nice quilt to enjoy that otherwise would not have been able to have one. I recently retired, so I will just consider it a gift of my time, but learn from it.

I have only made quilts for my family members and of course those were given as gifts of love. I have only been quilting for about 4 years and I haven't run out of family members yet!. I have yet to make one for myself - like the cobblers kids have no shoes, this quilter has no quilts LOL. I keep putting mine off because of the joy I get from giving!

I will remember this the next time someone asks me to make a quilt that is not a friend or family member!

When quilts are that cheap it makes you wonder where they got the fabric, will it hold up if/when washed. What did they use for batting? I only use quality fabric in my quilts. Backing can cost about $90.00. Having it quilted can be over $200.00. Just don't do it for anyone else. Would rather give my quilts to family - they understand what went into it.

I learned my lesson while I was hooked on crochet - I loved crocheting snowflakes and angels. A lady I worked with brought some to work and I was hooked! We exchanged patterns and kept going and going. I gave them to family and friends, then a friend was so thrilled with the 2 I gave her, she asked if I would make one for her granddaughter. Sure - why not, they were quick and easy. Before I knew it - she had asked me for 6 more. Then I find out she is giving them to her friends..... Really? This is a lady that would take food home to her husband from a pot luck at work, without waiting for everyone to get their fair share.. So when she asked for the last angel, I told her I was just burned out and wasn't making any more, didn't even want to finish the last one I started.

She retired many years before me and always seemed to know when I would take a day off and end up taking over my day. So I finally told my husband that if he needed me for any reason to let it ring once, hang up and I would call him. My daughters knew to call their dad on those days.

She is a very nice lady - we started quilting together and I would help her with the binding since she was having trouble with her vision. But I had to laugh when someone asked her to knit a baby blanket she said she would be happy to, but she charged $75.00, it had to be with baby yarn she already had and they would have a choice of 4 different colors and the person paid it. She was totally shocked. She has sold quite a few at that price. She said she put a high price thinking it would scare them off, but then felt it was too much to turn down.