I would like to try to do this sometime, caculate my time in a quilt.

My friend that does sewing alterations and repairs gave a good suggestion.

She has an electric clock, the old fashioned type, not digital. She has it pugged in to a plug bar, sets it at noon. Every time she starts on the project, hit the power. When she leaves the room, turns it off. Easy way to add up the time without grabbing a pencil and writing down the time.

Gosh, I wish I'd tracked the hours invested in my current quilt. I spent more than an entire day pressing and cutting. Each of the 30 blocks has 31 pieces. The pinning and pressing alone takes a lot of time. Thank goodness for Netflix. I watched all of Ken Burn's The National Parks series(12 hours), plus several other documentaries while pinning and pressing. ( I pause the TV while actually sewing.)

Those quilt in a day references are never accurate. They really just mean "Top in a Day - maybe". I have a few patterns where I can make (cut and piece squares and assemble) a top in 8 hours, but not a lot of patterns are that easy to assemble. The only time I can make a "quilt" in a day - cut, piece, assemble, quilt, and bind - is when I do a mini quilt. And sometimes even those are too detailed to do in a day.

Keeping a diary
 

I'm a new quilter and have used a diary to keep track of the process: each sewing session, how many blocks I did, when the top was finished, when the quilting was done, how many yards of fabric used, etc. I also have a section called "What I've learned" where I list things I learned how to do and mistakes I made and how to avoid them.

I leave the first page of the composition book blank and use it as a 'table of contents', because I also keep track of tips I've read here, neat websites, charts for figuring out yardage for borders and backings.

It's a bit messy because I also have sketches of possible settings and diagrams of blocks, but it's a lot of fun to browse through it and see my progress. And keeping track of blocks as I finish them keeps me motivated because that allows me to see progress even at the beginning.

I recently did a T=shirt quilt for a school. It took me 14 1/2 hrs to do. It was only 40"x50" and nothing special. They don't understand when they want something made for donation what they are asking.

that's great info for documenting what a quilt SHOULD (and is) be worth if you were selling it. At $8 an hour (low balling wage) it would be approx. $256 in labor alone!!!

The cost alone of material is what makes me collect plus-size clothes at thrift shops and estate sales. Also buying remnants at the fabric stores. My cousin in Florida says she will do the quilting for me but you better bet, I will pay her. I have always paid or bartered this for that also.

I will be starting a new quilt soon for my daughter. I think I will track it, time and $$.

Very interesting subject.

Quilting is my 'therapy' to 'mellow' me and gives me pleasure (most of the time). Now if I had to go to a therapist to help keep me mellow. For those 32 hours ~ I am pretty sure it would cost big $$$, more than what the cost (labor & supplies) of the quilt.

This is interesting. I love seeing all the comments on time and the value of your quilt. :) But what I want is to see pictures! :) Pretty please?