an offer I hate to refuse
 

I have been offered a deal: A woman has asked me to make a full/queen size quilt for her. She has the fabric and has chosen a pattern - Jacob's Ladder. In exchange she has offered a large box of fabric. She collected fabric in the past and sewed some, but lost interest and now only knits. I made a Jacob's Ladder a couple of years ago for my DGS, Jacob, so I know what it will take. I've not seen the box of fabric yet, but would like to before I commit. My question is, what would you charge to make a quilt - labor only? I'd like to be able to judge whether the fabric is a good trade. I have never sold a quilt, only give them to family and a few close friends.

Would definately make sure you are getting good quality fabric and that it is worth your time and effort. Good luck.

I would certainly look at the fabric first. What is large and nice to her may be small and crappy to you. I don't quilt as a favor to others or to sell. The last person who asked me what I would charge to make a quilt for them I said 3 1/2 times the cost of new good quality fabric, pattern and thread that they pick out and brought to me with receipt.

definitely see the fabric 1st.I worked with someone who said she would give me 5 large bags of fabric in exchange for a quilt.she brought the fabric-and it was worn out cut up clothes and very thin and very ugly-I gave it all back and said sorry-I can not use it.It was garbage fabric-and I am a fabric hoarder.

I could see an exchange for making a top but not for making a completed quilt.

I agree. Unless the fabric she brings you in all Liberty of London or spun gold...

I would do it, with, or without, the fabric exchange. HOWEVER, it would only be on my terms/timetable as in they supply ALL the materials and I would complete it when I could, which might be 6 days or 6 months. I like the process and have always given away my finished quilts, so at least the cost of fabric would be avoided.

I just made a queen size quillt for some one and the material alone was $110.00. It took me 14 hours to make the top, from washing fabric to finished top. Quilting will take another 8 hours and binding about 4 hours.

I don't think a box of fabric, even great fabric, pays for the hours it takes to construct a quilt. The fabric would have to be worth about $300.00. That workes out to $12.00 per hour which is cheap.

That is what I charged for this particular quilt.

it would have to be a really, really, really big box.

This kind of arrangement seems like a friendship breaker. Non-Quilters really dont know what goes into making a quilt. I believe that's why so many of you give them away out of love. Their mouth usally drops open when you tell them what is a fair price for your hard labor of love. Good Luck in this venture.

I would look at the fabrics laying aside the quilt pieces I could use. No reason to accept the rest as part of your exchange. If she sewed and did not quilt she will probably have all kinds of fabrics other than quilting cottons. Before I got into quilting and only sewed I very seldom purchased cotton fabrics. My suggestion is to make an offer only on what you want to keep and tell her how much you charge for your work. Please consider that you are doing a speciality item with special skills and

Let her sell her fabrics at a garage sale, pay you cash!

I am currently making a log cabin queen/king quilt -- 36 blocks with three borders to replace one made in 1970s -- for a couple who hired me; they are an average couple with no quilt knowledge. I am charging them about $600. Just for fabric? No way.

Jan in VA

I have to agree, just for fabric, no way. Unless of course it was a whole store full!!! LOL

I never tell anyone no. I just tell them that they're number _ in line and it'll be about a year. Then they can make their own decision.

Not a problem for me. I give my quilts to family and friends and to some that I think need a quilt.

I'm making a memory quilt for a friend who doesn't sew. It will be about a year from start to finish because it gets worked in on my time schedule and around client quilting. I'm doing it out of love for her and am enjoying the work. But no way would I do this in trade for fabric.

sounds like your friend either doesn't understand the time it takes to make a quilt or she is taking advantage of your friendship.

I made 2 quilts for a friend. The first one I kind of designed and she bought all the fabric, batting and paid for the long arming (as I don't do that). I finished the top basically at a 3 day retreat (it was a simple pattern). It was queen size and materials were $117, plus batting and longarming which was $180, altogether probably close to $350. I also did a lap size for her, for her Father's Christmas present. It was all AirForce material, probably $!00 in material and batting, plus longarming, probably another $120. If I had charged her for my labor she certainly couldn't have afforded it. I really haven't made another quilt as a commissioner item, and probably won't ever again...but I enjoyed making those quilts and I know she appreciated what I did. If you want to do it.....do it, but a box of fabric really isn't worth it unless it's a ton and of great quality!!

I don't know. I hate when people ask me stuff like this, but agree with the others that you should definitely see the fabric, and work out the deal before committing to it.

To be gracious you could ask to see the fabric - and let her know that you put so much time and effort into your quilting that you only sew with 100% cotton and you'd like to make sure she is happy with your quilting by taking along something you have made to show her your quality of work. Good luc- let us know how it works out.

Happy Quilting !

Definitely see if what she has to offer is something that you want!

I've learned that friends and relatives can be the worst people to 'do business' with.

It's so hard to please people and to work that hard for a box of fabric seems a bit more give than get. I just wouldn't do it. Unless there was an exchange of money also. Or some kind of renumeration.

Is it my understanding that this lady has quilted before? Unless you really want to do it for her go ahead. Personally the time and energy it takes to make a quilt, even with her supplying all the materials, a box of fabric along is not worth it. Who is going to quilt it when you complete it? I am with Cosyjo, exchange of money then I could buy my own fabric.

That sounds like a real bargain. There is a video up on qnntv.com of Mary Fons and daughter talking about that. She laid it all out, cost of fabric, etc. and at $20 an hour labor arrived at a figure of $3,000 for a full sized quilt. I realize she is the queen of quilting but even at that I don't think $20 an hour is a lot for skilled labor. I don't quilt for people.

Wow! You are WAY faster than I am. :shock:

I've never made a quilt for pay but lots of the quilts have to be shipped so I put the insurance at 3 times what my long arm quilter charges me. I figure that covers thread, fabric, backing and time.

I wouldn't have any problems at all refusing that offer. I don't need fabric desperately enough to work that hard for it.

You can't insure your time. You'll also have to have receipts for everything else.

Call around to a large town near you and ask what they charge to LAQ the size you are going to do? As for the material make sure it is good quality that you can use and also cotton. Good luck

This is a most sensible response and even so the quilt labor is VERY cheap. I would not do it for 12 an hour.

I have never made the pattern Jacob's Ladder, so I'm not sure of how labor-intensive it is, but I would sell an easily made and easily (boring E2E) quilted quilt for $500 with them providing all the material for the front, backing and batting. I would provide the thread just because I only work with quality thread, especially with the quilting part. So for me to trade my work for material, the material would have to be quilt shop high quality material and there would need to be at least 50 yards of material that I like and would use for it to be worth my while.

I'd want to see what I was getting too. I don't have any use for most fabrics except cottons. Anything other than that would be a total waste of my time. Ask her if you can take a look at the fabric to see if it is anything you can use. Trust me, I've gotten into those kinds of deals before too.

Thanks for all the info, ladies. The information on how to charge for quilts was much needed.

Swapping a decent amount of DECENT fabric that you like and would use seems reasonable and fair for your to make the top. For you to spend your time and efforts providing the quilting and binding, doesn't seem like equal trade.

Is this person a friend? You never said. Do you like her? It would depend to me. If it was someone I really liked, I would do it just for the fabric for the quilt itself. The box of fabric would be a bonus, even if some of it wasn't what you'd use. I would be honored to make a quilt for a good friend if they asked me and if they had purchased all the fabric. I know a Jacob's Ladder is something I can make pretty well, so I would do it for her. But that's just me.

Some one just donated a huge box of fabric to my LQS to be used/shared/donated. Everyone was so excited to see what was there. I took a look and realized that while most of it was cotton, some of it was very thin (aka "cheap") fabric, and most of it was really dated looking. I imagine some of it would be okay if you put some newer blenders with it, but there were no coordinating fabrics in the box. It was obviously stuff someone did not want. It was generous of her to share it, but my point is this: if what's in the box is no good to YOU, what's the point? You won't be gaining anything in this transaction. Maybe you could go through the box beforehand and select the fabric that you would actually be able to use.

I would check out the fabric and be sure its doesn't have a odor and is alot of good stuff

Personally, I don't take on these kinds of projects. I don't want to make my hobby work, be pressured for a deadline or forced to sew on fabrics I don't like. That is just me. If I make a quilt to give away (and I do give away most of mine), it is done with a pattern I pick out, fabrics I have chosen, and worked on when I wanted to. When finished, it is given away. I would just say politely that I don't take on projects like this because.....blah, blah, blah. and let it be that. If you can recommend someone who might want the job, do that. Or refer her to the local quilt guild for help.