Selling Quilts
 

Has anyoone had any experience selling quilts? Good or/and bad?

I sold several quilts when I moved back to the US from overseas a couple of years ago-I had a variety of wall quilts and sofa quilts I had made and displayed them in my Cafe and most of them sold within the first week! I was totally amazed, but there wasn't anyone there really doing it, so they were unique. Can't really compare that experience with selling here in the US because there are so many quilters. I found some people asking why they would spend a few hundred dollars for a quilt when they could buy one at Walmart or Sears for $39.00 or so! They just don't have a clue! However, I do know you never get adequately paid for the time involved, but most of us make them for the love of it, and not to get paid by the hour for making them!

I have sold many, my suggestion is do it yourself if you can (Etsy). Consignment has not been a good experience for me.

Yes, I've had good & bad experience with selling quilts. I advertised thru the market bulletin here in GA and got more business than I could handle. The bad experience was I was paid one time by check and it bounced. He made good on it but I only take cash now.

i've been selling quilts for about 10 years now- what kind of questions do you have?
i started with my sister working in a factory took a quilt i made to work one day to show some one---that person wanted one- i made something like 27 quilts for her co-workers that year-
they told other people-
then my mom spent a summer with a booth at a local craft mart- she took a couple quilts one saturday- they sold=== with requests from 5 of 6 people- again - i stayed very busy-
i make a quilt for a family member- show it off- some one wants it- i either go ahead & sell it- & make a replacement- or i don't sell it and take an order for one for the customer-
i have (tried) a couple web sites- but the quilts just sit there-
i've always sold them by showing them to someone-

Look on Etsy.com or search on Google for "Quilts for sale" of course you will have to root out the commercial ones

You can make quilts and sell them, but you have to be firm in your pricing if you expect to make any money. A lot of people will tell you 3 times the cost of materials for a labor price. I always get the money up front for all materials....and don't forget thread and batting. With the economy being what it is, I try not to gouge the customer and charge what I think is fair for both of us for labor. You will most likely not get minimum wage for the hours that you put into a quilt, but for me, quilting is therapy so it doesn't matter. Most customers have no idea of the actual cost of materials that go into a quilt, but they love the idea of having a quilt that is unique, so the final $$$ is a shocker to them. Good Luck

I had someone help make their quilt and when I asked 650.00 he just handed it over... true story....try it...they can just do something as simple as iron.....and correct them when they iron it wrong....People are so use to China prices that handmade prices seem too high... I went to Lancaster pa this fall and the quilts in my opinion were too low....they were machine piece and hand quilted going for 550 to 750.00 for a king!!!!!

My friend has a store and wants me to make some quilts to sell in there. My question is: how do you know which patterns to use w/o copyright infringements? I'm not very good at designing my own.

There is a new website that is from a startup company in Boston, called Custom Made. People look on the web at the Makers, and when they see someone's portfolio they place an order for something custom made, and work with the crafts person who will make what they want. It's new, and I found about it from a news article about how google is helping small businesses to make easy to use websites, their website is really slick, the work people are doing looks very high quality. Not too many quilts so far. I thought if I made quilts from old block patterns I would by pass the copywrite laws. The only thing that bothers me is that I can't do machine quilting. I've practiced forever, and I just can't get it. I am able to do nice handquilting though, even though it takes forever. I'll post the website to the Custom Made when I get a chance I think it is just www.CustomMade.com

you can use any traditional pattern, there are hundreds. It sounds like your friend wants your quilts on consignment. Get it in writing who is responsible if anything happens to them, and when and how much you get paid.

Yes, I have sold many quilts. But it takes time to be found by people. I have had a website for many years and have sold them there. I have sold some at craft shows, the best place has been CranFest in Warrens Wi. Have sold some to friends, and I usually give them a discount of some sort. The best thing is to get out there and let people see your work.
If you have a webpage, I use wordpress as it is free and you can make it easily yourself. Get pictures out there on your work, and when someone calls from far away you can just have them look at the site. I pay $12 a year to have mine be directed to wordpress.com and the actual site is from godaddy for $10 a couple year. Wordpress gives you so much help with key words people are searching for.
Best Wishes!

I visited this website and it seams very interesting. Thanks

I have sold many quilts, mostly baby. have had good luck, i work in a quilt shop, so when asked, i deliver.
katz

So just how much are you all charging for your quilts?

if you are planning on using commercial patterns to make quilts to sell you need to send an email (or call or write a letter) to ask the designer's permission to sell the quilt-
if you make a quilt just using 'traditional blocks' like log cabin blocks-- you do not need to ask anyone's permission-
but pretty much any commercial pattern the designer or company who put out the pattern should be contacted and asked before any public selling.