Exactly. If someone sees one of my completed items and offers to buy it, no problem. I don't want to have a deadline, or be working on something that I DON'T LIKE!

I quilt to please myself. If I had to worry about someone else's satisfaction with my work, or getting it finished by X date, it would become a stresser, not a relaxer.

Thank God for those brave souls who do this for us... I just admire their work, courage and creative abilities... and I would never impose my design ideas on them. What they do is an art form, too... It's a lovely surprise to see my quilts when they are all done.

I've found the stress is those people who know exactly what they want but have never made anything in their lives. I do this for fun.

Amen. I haven't made quilts for $$ but I have made clothes. Working with someone who wants a particular pattern, then ask to change all of the key elements and can't understand why it does not look like the pattern cover. Lot of stress.

I would probably sell some things that are already made, but not anything custom.

I find it stressful to quilt for pay. I have a friend that purchased some of the fabrics and has offered to pay me to make the quilt. I have worked on this quilt for more than a year! It is so stressful to me each time I pick it up, wondering if she likes what I'm doing, meeting and not meeting the deadline, using colors I don't like, a pattern for which I'm unfamiliar. I won't do this again.

If the quilt is already made and someone wants to purchase, sure.

And I definitely could NOT longarm for a living, that would be way too stressful for me.

the process itself may remain enjoyable-but as your business grows you may find that you no longer have time to do anything of your own-never get to make a quilt because you are spending all your time working on other peoples quilts- so-if you enjoy the process of creating- you loose that- if the quilting is the part you enjoy the most and you are not all that into making your own- then it may stay enjoyable for longer-
there is always the stress of someone being unhappy with what you did to their quilt- and it can become more of a job than any 8 hour job you leave home to---and it is no longer your hobby-it is now you JOB and you have to go to work===feel like it or not- in order to keep up and keep your customers happy-
like any (self-employed) person- you have to do paperwork- keep good records make your customers happy- and at times (like leading up to the holidays) when you are working 12-16 hours a day-
then there is the stress of machine maintenance- organizing-time management-
and those people who think you don't really do anything - you sit home all day- when actually you are spending hours on your feet- shoulders, back, knees, wrists all take a beating- it is a labor intensive JOB and you have to make yourself----whether you feel like quilting or not- if you have accepted customer quilts you have to do them-
there is also insurance- and the stress of disaster happening---keeping kids and pets away- just lots of things that are not part of it at all-if you are just doing it for yourself because you enjoy it-
so, yes- the fun certainly changes when it is no longer your favorite pass-time and is now YOUR JOB.

You have to remember that your customers quilts come first. And when you are in such demand, there is NEVER any time to work on your own projects. I machine quilted on my Bernina 1530 for over 10 years. Besides not able to make any of my own quilts, quilting took a toll on my poor old body. Back aches were common but now I have a thumb that doesn't work properly any more. Trust me, it DOES become a job and is not fun anymore. There are deadlines that one has to constantly juggle and of course, EVERYONE want their quilt done by yesterday. The real truth is that you really ONLY have fun designing and creating your own quilt.
:lol:

Like some others who've replied, I made clothing for other people as well as home dec things from pot holders to pillows, decorated tea towels, embroidered wall hangings, table toppers and painted t-shirts for a craft business I was in with 2 other ladies. I got to where I hated the sight of my sewing machine. I didn't like the repetiveness of making a dozen of this or that ( still can't make more than 3 of the same quilt block before getting tired of it!) and I found I had a difficult time making something I didn't like. I got out the craft business stopped, sewing for others and didn't sew a stitch for several years.

Now I sew what I want when I want - got my creative mojo back and love my sewing machine(s). And the only people I will sew for is my family and sometimes I have refused them!! :thumbup:

If you can impress upon your customer that you are worth every penny you ask, it's not bad creating art on commision.

Talk politely with the customer, find out what is wanted, you set the deadline, you set the price, come to an agreement. Write it down and each of you keep a copy. You do not apologize for the time it takes to do a good job. Figure your time and add 20% for whatever. If it takes 9 months because there are other orders in house the customer has to accept that. You require a deposit to put the customer in line - first come first serve.

If you don't value yourself and your work, there is a chance the customer won't either. Of course you do good work. :)