a couple of years? how many years do you want for that few dollars? ten? twenty? how much do your quilts cost?

She probably assumed that since you told her it was $30 for you, it would be $30 for her, not realizing that you would charge her for your time and the altered pattern.

I don't expect much from store-bought, they are more for a quick decoration on a spare bed ~ or a kids favorite character at that point in time. The all-pink-room we did for my daughter when she was 7 (at her request) was an expensive set from JCPenney ~ the curtains have survived, but that "comforter" and dustruffle fell apart inside of 6 months. I have the surviving pieces in a box, daughter is learning to quilt, so that fabric will be upcycled into something new for her room when she feels confident enough to sew it.

I was just making a point ~ my quilts are quality, lots of time and effort put into them ~ and I don't sell them, I would never recoup my costs. So I make them with love and give them away. Works for me.

The first "store bought" quilts that came out were from China and yes, they were constructed by prisoners (slave labor)and the patterns were provided by the Smithsonian, I understand. Anyway, yes, they are of poor quality, but people buy them - I have even seen them at craft shows, but of course the prices have been upped--but the little tag that reads "made in China"is still attached. Those were "hand quilted"-primitive. Now, I have seen some lovely newer versions-done with the big floral prints and machine quilted, quite good, I must add, and I see the tag "made in India".....and of course those are priced cheaper than if "we" were to make one for someone on commission......I'm sure the machine quilting is done with a computerized machine, would love to know the mfgr... though.....

I had no intentions of charging her for my time and altering the pattern. I just didn't want to do it, because the patterns were on sale when I got mine. So was the fabric.
I've offered to teach her to sew, but she doesn't want to learn, and won't drive either, so I have to go to her house 30 miles away . . . to do do anything with or for her. I just don't have time for that. Sometimes I only have 15 or 30 minutes to sew. That's how I get stuff done. 30 minutes here, or an hour there. As of right now, I've only finished 2 of those dresses. If I promised to make hers, she'd still be waiting.

I think it was just the idea, not the cost. smile

Really? Well then I'm confused about why you'd charge her "how many hours per dress x $10 per hour".

that's what i meant. yours will last because the construction quality is good and the raw materials are good quality and costly. MOST of the others are poor quality and cheap. they're made by people who don't care what they're doing. you can't expect them to last so to complain when they fall apart is foolish. if you want something for real use, you're better off buying a machine-made quilt that has no pretensions or spending more on a better made fake. there are some that last a long time.

To discourage her. You'd have to know her. Let's just say I know how her mind works.

Okay THAT makes sense to me, lol. I've had experience with people like that!