Selling quilts for what there worth?
 

Hi I sell most of my quilts, I do small ones the biggest I’ve made was a queen sized puff quilt for my uncle, I only did one and need help with it, I sell my quilts to help me mack a few dollars exra, I sell my throw size for 60, but I’m thinking of trying to sell for more, but when I’ve tried that, people won’t buy them, I tack a lot of time with my quilts, but people don’t want to pay me, I made a twin size quilt, I tried to sell for 140, I was told to my face that was to much money for a quilt, the fabric alone cost close to 100 not costing putting it all together, it took me mounts, to do, my dad told me to stop making them, because I can’t sell them for what there worth, I made one the other day for a lady, she gave me the fabric for it, I got it to her, she didn’t pay me, guys I just don’t know, how can I get people to understand how much work goes into my quilts, I do strip, and block quilts, please help

I sell all diff sizes on ebay but only ones I've lost interest in. Trust me I probably don't even break even on cost but it makes rm for new ones I want to do. Forget considering labor in the cost. No one wants to pay what it's worth and don't consider time put into it. Most people don't understand the cost of fabric until they have to buy it or the labor. I give mine away mostly now to friends/relatives and now concentrate on doing small art quilts which I find people will pay more for since it's art.

Hi Vanna,

There truly is no way to make a profit trying to sell quilts to the "average" buyer, not when you can go to Walmart and buy the labor of extremely poor people in third world countries.
That said, there Are people that would truly appreciate a warm quilt made with love and given to a family member or donated to a worthy cause. Don't give up what you enjoy doing, just measure your reward from the satisfaction you get from seeing someone else enjoy your very own creation!

I agree with you Tartan. I made the “Roscoe” quilt for my son. It took 27 yards of fabric to complete. Fabric here is $14 a yard. I had it machine quilted for $180. I love it and so does my son. I don’t sell my quilts and won’t ..no one understands the work involved. They see “Bed in the Bag” for next to nothing and think that is the value of our quilts! I gave a quilt to a friend and her husband asked if I got the fabric at an Estate Sale. He had no idea about time and labor involved.
That said, I have a friend that sells at craft shows and does well. She sells small quilts about 10x12 and tiny ones in frames.

That's the sad thing about any hand crafted item. Whether it's knitting, crocheting or quilting. I view them as lost arts. Since many people don't have anyone in their family who sits and crafts, most people are content with machine made or foreign made goods. They are content with what's on the market whether it's in a big box store or from a crafts person. The thing about quilting is that it's not set up as a wholesale/retail endeavor. You can't purchase wholesale, then craft, then sell retail. I wish you luck on trying to make a business out of it. I have seen someone who sells to commercial establishments make money on their art quilts. You may try to pursue that path, instead of trying the home market.

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All of them are very pretty.

while it would be nice to sell some quilts, I realize that I would never make a profit. Even when I think of myself when I am shopping its nearly impossible for me to part with the amount of money that I would have to charge to sell one. I do understand why others would not.

I make mine to gift - family, friends and kids in the hospital. I have been able to do a few to cover the cost of fabric - which is helpful when I am using stash fabric :)

I don't want my quilting to be a job anyway. I just want to do it because I enjoy it.

I sew simple baby quilts for $65. I don't do labor or time extensive ones. Lots of simple quilting and use simple piecing. But no crooked seams, wavy borders, or bumpy binding with iffy corners. My focus is on the quilt being flat and crisp looking. People will pay more if the quilts look like they came right out of the store package. I don't do it to make extra money but to sell at my sew group's booth we have several times a year at various events. A quilt has to look handmade but not homemade for most customers.

Well said.

just put a sign that most fabric is $12.00 or up and you buy on sale. otherwise the price would be more. still, people usually think hand or machine quilts should be cheap since it's not for sale in a store (who usually pay about 12 cents per hour to workers). just keep trying.

Churches in our area make/donate 2-3 quilts every year for a quilt auction that benefits summer church camps. There used to be many quilts and they brought in considerable money. Fast forwarding to now, the quilts don’t bring in much. In fact, we are talking about dropping out. Auction’s been offering table runners for a flat amount ($40) but when I checked them out, some were 10 minute runners. (really?). Even for a good cause, the interest isn’t there. Are people so saturated with inherited quilts etc ?

That's one of the reasons I don't sell you are never gonna recoup time and money. People want walmart prices for high end quilts. They won't understand unless they buy the fabric and make themselves

I think there's just not a lot of appreciation of hand made items or heritage now. I was taught by my mother to treasure the quilts my grandmother made. She even showed me the tiny stitches and taught me how desirable (and difficult that was). Now everybody wants instant gratification. I'm always so happy to see twenty somethings participating at quilt guild and making things. Its such a good creative outlet and learning to work with your hands is a worthy and lifelong achievement.

And it's not just quilting, it's any hand craft. I also don't give quilts to people and expect them to be "appropriately" appreciative. The pleasure for me is in the creating and the time I spent just not working on it but thinking about the person I'm giving it too. Anything after that is just gravy.

hello vanna ..welcome to the board.
years ago i made commissioned quilts for a few people. some hand quilted. my husband came up one day as i was working on hand quilting one. he said, based on the amount of time i had invested in the hand quilting, i was making about .05 cents per hour. i negotiated contracts with the client prior to starting the quilt with set rates for pattern design (i design my own), fabric prep, quilting - machine or hand etc. i kept track of time spent cutting, piecing etc. i had previously done commissioned knitting & crochet apparel & some people refused to pay the prearranged price. so, with quilts i used formal, signedl contract. i knew i wasn't going to make a living doing it ..but i sooooo love designing & creating quilts, and you can only use so mamy ..i have no family ..so making for others & getting paid seemed like a good idea. but i quit after few years because i had no time for myself. i think if you can manage an etsy shop, or find a local crafts retailer to sell for you ..that might be helpful. good luck with your quilting endeaver.

I have sold quilts through the website ( quiltsforsale.ca) for 10-11 years off & on. We charge what they are worth ( they have pricing guidelines to follow) and people do buy them. If you want to make money for your quilts you have to value them. If someone asks for a quilt go over with them what it takes, decide on a price you both agree to, put it in writing, get a 50% deposit before you buy or cut a single fabric, get the remaining balance upon completion. I sell anywhere from 5 -20 Quilts a year ( some years are definitely busier than others) mostly through return customers and word of mouth. I use a contract, I keep communication open and I place value on my craft. A cabinet maker doesn’t make beautiful cabinets then give them away or only charge 1/4 what he has in to making them, why would you? I generally charge $125-$150 for baby quilts, Queens start at $350 & go up from there depending on theme, fabrics, time, complexity. I’ve sold quilts for $1,000, - $3,500. On average most of mine are in the $500-$750 range. People do buy them but it takes work to market them and to build a customer base. I have return customers who buy wedding/ occasion quilts, word of mouth is great, they show them to their friends & then their friends contact me. I share pictures of my quilts and let people know they are for sale & I accept commissions. My sales along with longarm quilting for customers supports my quilting habit and provides us with extra vacations, trips to quilt shows, long weekend get always.

I sell quilts too. I make what I want to make (usually applique) have them appraised and offer them for sale with the appraisal.

Two days ago I was at a nearby mall that was hosting a hand-crafters sale. There were many booths with beautiful items. The lady with the quilting booth had 36" table runners for $15, or 2 for $25, and microwave bowls for $5 among other things. The table runners were Christmas fabric, and each one was flawless. Crisp, great fabric, and well displayed. I talked to her and she said she basically couldn't give stuff away. While we were talking, another lady approached, picked a runner up and said "will you take $5 bucks for this?"!! The seller said "No". People just don't get it!

I think that there are people out there willing to pay for quilts. It's a matter of finding the right person, in the right market. I've done a few commissioned quilts, and for each I was very meticulous. Each square/strip cut exact, and perfectly matched. Each seam the same size. Each sashing/binding/cornerstone exact. I wanted them to love the quilt so much that they were willing to pay for it! As said before, people want hand made, but they want it to look store bought, at rock bottom prices!! Good luck finding your niche!

I don't sell the quilting projects that I create. They are for my family. I remember going to estate auctions where quilts sold for several hundred dollars but, let's face it, the hobby has become so common that we have saturated the market! With a lot of us quilting, these are not the treasures they were in the past. I've gone to auctions where knitted or crocheted items don't even summon the price of the yarn that went into them, much less the time and expertise taken for the project. Hand-crafted items are not in demand. I sometimes wonder about our charity quilts, how they are regarded by the recipients, and how they end up.

I'm on the same page as Tartan. Give to worthy causes and people deemed worthy.

I have talked to people who sell them on line. And also ESTY. I understand what you are saying. Most people do not understand how much fabric cost or how much time we put in to making quilts.

I do occasionally make commissioned quilts, but don't really make much profit if at all, if you add in your costs and time. People just don't understand what goes into a quilt because they can go to Target, WalMart, KMart, etc., and buy a bed size quilt with shams, skirt, etc., for under $150. They don't take into account that YOUR quilt isn't going to fall apart the first time they wash it.

If you're doing this to earn a little extra money, I'd have to say try to find a part time job.

This thread caught my interest, I absolutely love quilting the entire process, and have often thought of starting a quilt business to support my habit. It only took a few attempts at trying to sell one before I realized that people weren't going to pay what they are worth. I quickly realized this is a labor of love and enjoyment not profit. Once that reality set in I now make donation quilts, gifts, and anything I want that I find enjoyment in making and love every minute of my creating. I do on occasion have people offer to buy items from me, I just sold 5 last week to co-workers pretty much at cost. But I'm ok with that since it just means I can go buy more fabric, like I really need more. LOL... But anyway, my point is, enjoy what you do and do it with pride.

I think you have to ask who buys quilts and why. It is not for the practicality of getting a nice "blanket" to keep them warm. It is rarely because people appreciate the skill and talent involved in quilting. Even if they did appreciate it, they can go to quilt shows to view spectacular quilts and not have to buy them. On the other hand, when sentimentality is involved, the money comes forward. People will pay for t-shirt quilts made with t-shirts that have sentimental value to the person they gift too. They may also value quilts made by someone in their family, past or present if they are treasuring memories and heritage. There are some people interested in various cultures or in history, and they may buy a quilt from a certain place or time in history. Some will buy a raffle quilt to support a cause that is important to them, and when they win, they don't know what to do with the quilt.

Some people recognize and appreciate good workmanship in anything even if they don't know what the materials cost and how much time is spent. That doesn't mean they will be willing to pay for it. But they sure won't pay for sub-standard workmanship unless they are trying to be kind to the seller (I have seen that with items from 3rd world countries or made by someone the buyer knows really needs the money).

Personally, I make quilts for family members (mostly new babies), and I try to have the design have some personal meaning. My family seems to treasure these because they love me. I also make many more quilts for charity. For the quilt auction (Bible Camp) I have been told that my quilts are "quirky" -- that is, they are unique. For Project Linus and Lutheran World Relief, my quilts are made to suit the recipient. They are durable, and although the design may not be outstanding, the workmanship does not insult the recipient.

The picture below is of a "Scrabble" quilt we made for my mother -- it has the names of all of the members of the family on it. The joy of giving it, working with my sisters, and seeing the appreciation my mother exhibited was worth so much more than any money!

Oh i love the scrabble quilt. is there a pattern for it that shows how to figure one out for names? just wondering. very Cute.

Nativetexan,

There are crossword puzzle making websites where you submit all of the words you want, and they come back with a crossword puzzle. (I think teachers use those sometimes.) We started with that, but the result was too big for the size of our quilt. We did a lot of moving names around to end up with the final layout. We added some words, such as "family, love, etc." as well as the two letter abbreviations for all of the states where family lived at the time. That Scrabble tile fabric was out of the print at the time and not easy to get. We had to buy several panels to get the letters that we needed. Another fun thing we did was make up crossword clues for each name and hand that out (on paper) to the family members. That was fun for the grown grandchildren -- they learned something about each other.

ended family ------

i think it needs to be said ...

the price of a quilt should reflect more than the cost of materials and number of hours spent making it.

the appearance and quality are equally important.
(to me, they are most important.)

i wouldn't ask the same for a simple irish chain as i would for a complex sampler or double wedding ring.
i wouldn't ask the same for a quilt with basic, minimum quilting as i would for that same quilt with fancy shmancy quilting.
i wouldn't ask at all to be paid for anything that looked sloppy or like it might not survive a trip through the washer.
(those go to an animal shelter. i won't donate anything i am - or should be - ashamed of.)

some quilters have unrealistic expectations.
(so do some customers, but that's a whole 'nother essay. lol)

it might be helpful to do as somebody has already suggested:
take some of your work to a professional appraiser.
then you'll know what it's truly worth from a retail perspective.

I very rarely sell my quilts. I very rarely take a commissioned job. I don't sell because I cannot even get back the cost of the fabric and quilting. I don't take commissions because I am then bound by someone else's vision (the last person had a 9x12 picture, a bunch of directional printed fat quarters and a very short timeline. I took it on as a challenge to myself. The dang thing was ugly as sin in my eyes but took 3 firsts in the art quilt divisions at local fairs, which seemed to enhance to value to the customer.)

Research your clientele and sew to their wants. Or make yourself exclusive. Find something that no one else is doing, do it well, advertise, and (hopefully) reap the rewards.

I used to make beautiful Queen sized quilts...and send them to nieces and nephews....Learned years later, that most of them were tucked away in a closet or basement. Now, I make baby quilts and give them to the church or lap quilts to the Vetrans...It feels good to give! When I make a Queen size quilt these days....I keep it for my own enjoyment...some day...those too will be given away...but I won't be alive to care:)

buying retail, selling wholesale. Kind of reminds me of farming...........

When selling, "worth" is the value determined by the buyer. What are they willing to spend ? When it comes to quilts, it's rare that what we have into our quilts in time and fabric is equally valued by a customer.

I make them for the joy of making, and give them away for the joy of giving. The value to me is in making something with my hands, and making someone happier or more comfortable with my gift.

All sewing products, not just quilts, are not valued in the monetary sense in this instant-gratification- instant-purchase society we all live in. It's just too easy to whip out your credit card and get what you want when you want it cheap as possible as you or someone close to you does not have to sew (by which working hard) anymore to cover yourselves. Quilts -I'm sorry to say-are simply a "blanket" in most people's mind. A bit colorful, a bit more "homey" but simply relegated to "blanket" level. Plus people are cheapskates, even devious if they can get away with it. They want something for nothing if someone could be duped into giving it to them.

Don't believe me? Unless the quilt in question has a "brand" on it (i.e. Amish/Mennonites) forget it. No socially acceptable pedigree. Walmart/Target/Sears is cheaper. I don't sell any sewing product anymore because I cannot make a living at it. Sadly, it does pays to work part time in a hot dog stand! You get OSHA protection, Social Security, and something approximating a living wage in the US! Sewing? no protection against anything from work related accidents to not getting paid at all!

I don't understand the cost of handcrafted fishing lures...I don't fish..or make them. Quilt shops often sell their sample quilts ....and probably not for what the quilt is "worth" . I have been asked if I do alterations...uh,no. I tell people that I Pay others who will do an excellent job and quicker than I will ever get to it.

my two cents, for me to purchase a handcrafted item, ( any craft) the item has to be unique and very well done. I love wall art...(paintings) and I have purchased a few in my lifetime. I had a price point I was willing and able to pay for them. I still love them.

Your quilts are nice. it just takes the right customer to love them and purchase them.

I agree Onebyone, people want that unique piece yet they want it to look like a "normal quilt". It's almost as though there is a balance between making a quilt that is not too time consuming yet being able to convince the customer that they can't do one of those themselves and it's worth paying the price all from one glance.

very well put!

I'm another one that doesn't sell her work. As I say, I give freely but I don't work for nothing.

But as the others have said, most people simply have no idea of the cost of materials or the cost of time it takes. We can try and educate them but it doesn't really matter, when it comes down to cost, people would rather pay for a coat from China than a coat made in the United States, whether that is hand made or factory made.

Even though my son knows the work/time involved in a quilt, he still doesn't understand the cost of the materials. Same for the most part with my hubby, but we've discussed this sort of thing before. A couple of years ago his brother asked if I would make him a patriotic quilt based on seeing a picture the hubby posted of the one I had just completed for me. I made what I thought was a very generous offer, that I would sell him the completed top for the cost of the materials to replace it, so $100 buying on sale (which didn't include cost of batting, thread, or the stencils I bought for the original top). He said that was too much... I said no problem and kept my quilt.

I do make quite a number of donation quilts, and that's largely because they come from my stash and/or because I'm lucky buying fabric at thrift stores for $1-2 a yard. I had donated one of the baby quilts to the charity auction thing hubby has at work, he was so proud to report it raised $20, and then was shocked to find out that full cost material price for that one would have been about $60, although my true cost was probably closer to $25. Oh well, someone got a bargain if they didn't know/understand. But I don't donate quilts to that anymore either :p

Edit: Forgot my usual line about this subject: What people don't understand is they are paying for art, when what they want to pay for is a poster (and posters aren't cheap any more either!). My quilts, even the simple ones, are unique. While I might use the same block design, I never make an exact duplicate.

Which they don't.
As in being too "wrapped up" in themselves. Nicely put!

I made a quilt especially for the child of a young single mother, a relative of a very close friend. My friend was ecstatic about it -- I gave it through her -- and the young woman called and thanked me for it. But I've heard nothing about this quilt since, even though I see my friend often. I'd think she would comment occasionally on how much the little boy, a baby then and a toddler now, likes or uses it, but it's never mentioned....and I admit I don't ask. I'm beginning to suspect it may have been sold by the child's mother, who had been addicted to drugs and now may have a gambling habit.

But my attitude is, I can't control what anyone does with what I freely give. If they misuse it or sell it, that's on them. I had the pleasure of making and giving it.

But, admittedly, I don't make quilts for money....nor would I. That would make it work! However, I appreciate those who do, and wish it were easier to profit from that exquisite skill and labor. But I agree selling quilts for what one has put into them is difficult; the price just seems unreasonable to most people.