What long armers charge to quilt a top is shock value to me. That's why I learned to quilt! I think they deserve every penny, but non-quilter have no idea.

Why are we reluctant to charge for what we do, if we do quality work? Have you priced a wedding cake lately? Or had a chair reupholested? How about having someone tailor a suit for you or your husband - not make adjustments - tailor it from the bolt of fabric? Or buy an arrangement of flowers to stand next to a coffin at a funeral? These are all jobs done by craftsmen - low tech jobs that depend on artisty and talent and labor. Why is making a quilt supposed to be at basement bargain prices?

I won't even talk to anyone unless they give me a $300 deposit. That way I know they're expecting to pay quite a bit for the quilt. It also saves the "oh, I didn't know it cost that much" when it's finished and you're ready to have them pay. It's difficult to sell quilts down here (Florida) because our economy is really bad right now.

When people (often a random person in a checkout line) ask me how much I would charge to make a quilt, I say "I don't really know without more information, but my prices start at $300." Usually that's all it takes for them to back off!
Friends and family get them as gifts....eventually.
I don't do it for pay because then it would be a job and I would have to do it within a specific time frame.

Three times the price it cost you to make it.

There are two books on the market in regards to this. One is Sylvia Landman's Make money quilting & the other is Quilting for fun & profit. Her guidelines are Labor + Material + cost of material + profit = price. She suggest a profit of 15%. Also, another suggestion of hers is to charge by the square foot. For a simple twin pattern, I charge $13.00 per square foot = $585 for a typical twin size. Hope this helps.

AND get a deposit for 50% of the total cost for the project before you even start!
sandy

Great answer! I ran into a casual friend of mine who admired my quilted purse. She asked if I sold my purses and I replied that I had about 8 HOURS of labor in the one I was carrying...she smiled and said..NEVER MIND! (she said it with a smile btw) We both understood where I was coming from and she appreciated the "time" involved. uh, no, I don't "sell" my purses. No one was offended.
sandy

I am a handquilter for hire and I don't get many customers. A non-quilter has no clue what goes into making a quilt. The only people I make a quilt from scratch for are those I choose to gift with my creations or our local senior center. I am just finishing up piecing a top that will be quilted by the ladies at the center and I won't volunteer for that again. I have no problem quilting someone else's top but not for free unless it is a chairity.
The best thing you could do if the person is serious is take them shopping. If they are willing to purchase all the materials needed for the quilt including thread, batting and even marking tools, quilt stencils etc. then they may be willing to pay you for your time and expertise. Don't pay yourself less than $10 an hour and be realistic about how long it will take you. Just because I am watching TV or engaged in conversation with my husband while quilting doesn't mean I am not working.

I used to do a lot of home dec sewing for people, window treatments, duvets, etc. I told them how much yardage they would need, and had them buy the fabric and any other necessary supplies. I always supplied the thread because I use high quality thread. I couldn't tell you how many people changed their mind about the project when the found out how much the fabric was going to cost, plus my labor. I made a generous estimate of time it would take and then gave them a cost of the labor.

As far as making quilts to sell, I don't. It is too hard to put an estimate on the time it will take, plus I would end up having to charge about $.05 an hour to make the cost something a customer would pay. No, I make my quilts for gifts and for charity.