First let me say , it is all going to depend on where you live as to what you can get for your quilts and if you are selling them to someone who is going to resell them

I make and sell bathing suits for well developed ladies so I had an idea of how to price my first quilt. The lady wanted a twin throw made from her daughter's baby clothing and pictures for a sixteenth birthday. I quoted her $350 cause I really didn't want to do it. Too busy at the time. She said okay without a blink of an eye so I was stuck. Turned out to be the most fun quilt I had ever done. I had to transfer all the pics and then design the quilt. It took me three months to finish it and the customer was thrilled. Later heard the daughter was really happy with it.

This is also what I was told...materials cost X3

It is really hard for people to understand how long it takes, how expensive the materials are AND if you have it machine quilted that adds another 100 dollars! I sold a few baby quilts long ago, and pretty much decided that people did not want to pay anything near what they were worth. Most people can't tell the dollar a yard fabric from the NINE dollar a yard stuff! But a few people can and want a quality, hand crafted heirloom item. It totally depends on your market! I would charge more for something that I did not enjoy making as much....silly me.

when I used to make quilts for sale I charged $15/square foot.

now the only quilts I make to sell are large crib quilts and I charge $50-$75 depending on the amount of trouble; occasionally $100 if I've had to buy specific fabric.

I have a vast stash, my guess would be 5-600 yards, probably more. And, unless I have to use a fabric I hate to part with, I don't charge for fabric.

This is a really interesting thread, thanks for posting. I've sold a couple baby quilts that were my own design. I did everything from the design through the quilting and binding. I bought the fabric too. I sold them for $150.00 each. If I had to do it over...I'd double the price.

I won't do any more just to sell...I will only do what I like, when I want to do them....then if somebody comes by and wants to give me $ for them and I decide to part with them..then ok. Otherwise, this is a fun hobby for me and I'd like to keep it that way :lol:

Love this thread as my sister recently asked me about pricing quilts for sale. A friend of hers makes and sells craft items at New York City Craft shows and wants my sister to join her with some baby quilts. I gave my sister the same basic advice given here. One thing I did stress was to have several simple designs and sell her quilts 'as is'. Many times customers like a certain quilt but want it in another colorway. That never seems to work out because when they see the quilt in their colors somehow it isn't what they expected and don't buy it.

When figurig your fabric costs I think you should always use the top price you are paying for fabrics. Don't skip the fabric charge because you happened to have the fabrics in your stash, you paid money for those fabrics when you first bought them. May in Jersey

Pricing can be challenging. I have for a number of years done homeshows and craftshows. For the most part the quilts I sale at shows are of a simple design but great colors and I always follow the "materials x 3" rule. This way I get to do what I want and in the patterns I'm interested in trying out. Now for special orders I include my time ($10 per hour). On special orders I let the customer do the initial lead ideas and go from there. One of my favorite customers, who has now returned a number of times, brought me her son's t-shirt collection from age 2 up to 17+ to be made into a graduation quilt. My initial quote was for $400 for a full size block design in which I simply did stitch in the ditch. She was thrilled and wrote the check out for $700.
Location, clientelle, customer's ideas, your time and workmanship all play a factor in final prizing. At first you really need to develop a client base, that know and see your "good workmanship" and recognize reasonable prices for the work you put into one quilt. Once they know and become educated in quality your prices seem minor in what they want and get from you. I've been doing craftshows for a long time and actually have customers travel to a few of my shows from other states in order to get their gifts for family members from me. Though making a living from my love of sewing will never be why I do it, I've also found that I've been able to save enough from the various shows to help pay for many of our Christmas and summer vacation traveling expenses.
Whatever you chose to do, make it fun and positive. Be open to new ideas so you too are growing in any new adventure.

May in Jersey, love your avatar, yes I agree, people often get carried away about what they want, and when custom making, often the buyer thinks they know what they want but in reality they often do not have the knowledge the quilter has about colour relationships, which designs suit what etc or the vision to know how the end result will come together, that is when they say they don't like it or it turned out differently to what they expected!
I would much rather be known as the designer behind my own one off individual creations than some one who had a catalogue.
Just while on the subject of design and this is coming from an artists point of view, if you are serious about your own quilting designs IMHO, understanding colour and the principals of design realy give ones quilts an edge over those who struggle with this aspect. All of this can easily be understood by reading a few art books on colour theory and design from your local library. Some quilt books explain this also. I am finding that quilts are a lot like paintings, bringing everything together in a satisfactory conclusion executed with flair and technique.
Just my 2cents worth!

Gal

If i make a quilt without a specific person/event- i will finish everything except the binding. i will sew it on except for the corner where i will put the quilt label. then when i have a destination for the quilt, i can put the label on and finish it. otherwise, i have to remove the binding, attach label and resew the binding. i have done it both ways and prefer the first one.