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I just reply that I am so far behind on the ones I want to make that I will never catch up, so the possibility is not good that I would get to one for them. That stops them in their tracks.
If someone kept pushing (and they never have), then I would give them the "do you have any clue what you are asking me to do?" speech. I'm pretty comfortable just saying no. My time is mine and I don't give it away unless I want to. No apologies for that. |
It depends how they ask as to what my answer is... Most people who know me, know that I don't have any money. They have to buy the materials.
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I am a teacher and librarian in my day job. 800+ kids know that I am a quilter and occasionally they get to see the fruits of my labor. Naturally, they often ask me to make them a quilt. I answer honestly that it costs to make a quilt and I'll gladly take their order with half the money up front, the way I handle commissions from other customers. I always get a answer that he/she doesn't have that kind of money or can't pay, etc. Since they are kids, I take the opportunity to gently teach a quick lesson on manners and that when we ask for something, we should be willing to pay for it. (Otherwise it's begging.) I suggest you treat people who ask the same way you would treat a child who hasn't learned the lesson and teach them.
P.S. when a adult who offended, I apologize and say that I'm so used to working with kids, I sometimes forget myself when I'm dealing with adults. |
Originally Posted by gale
No, you aren't being selfish. They are being rude. I would never ever in a million years ask someone for something like that. How rude!
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Originally Posted by plainpat
You could say I only make quilts for relatives...
I never forgot a woman so aggravated with ppl asking how much would it cost, she did some figuring,copied it & gave to anyone who asked, including ppl she worked with. It started out with 10 yds fabric,$9yd batting thread backing labor & LA quilter. She said the total even shocked herself....BTW,no takers :-) Another thing I dislike is when I show someone what I made and tell them that I quilted it, they ask me to fix their clothes...lol. I get a little upset and just do it. It takes no time at all. A guy at work gave me $5 to fix a hole in his overhauls and it took me about 5 minutes to fix it. :) |
I make my relatives one for their wedding gifts and baby gifts and barely keep up. My sister keeps bugging me for one so I told her she had to get married to get one and she just frowned at me. She kept asking so I told her the last time she asked that I would make her one if she quit smoking. She said thats not going to happen so I offered to teach her how to make her own.
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The answer they get from me is: I won't make one for you but I will be glad to teach you how to make one for yourself. If they are interested I will help them. If not I am out of the loop and they don't ask again.
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LOL I'm not a sewer....& denim is on my personal hate list. Don't allow it in my sewing rm, so machine won't run off screaming from a denim attack.I tell ppl my machine is very delicate & doesn't do denim. That's my story :-)
Originally Posted by hperttula123
Originally Posted by plainpat
You could say I only make quilts for relatives...
I never forgot a woman so aggravated with ppl asking how much would it cost, she did some figuring,copied it & gave to anyone who asked, including ppl she worked with. It started out with 10 yds fabric,$9yd batting thread backing labor & LA quilter. She said the total even shocked herself....BTW,no takers :-) Another thing I dislike is when I show someone what I made and tell them that I quilted it, they ask me to fix their clothes...lol. I get a little upset and just do it. It takes no time at all. A guy at work gave me $5 to fix a hole in his overhauls and it took me about 5 minutes to fix it. :) |
Originally Posted by soccertxi
I love the 'I will add you to my list' reply! I will have to remember that. I make quilts because I want to...and often I am the one that offers. The one time that i was really upset, was a lady I had offered a baby quilt to. She requested black and green (yes...for a baby quilt.) I made it for her...someone told me the wrong spelling for the baby's name. I told her that I would make a new label and would replace it while she waited, so she would not have to come back. she said 'ok'. I never heard thank you, my mom loves it, I use it all the time...NADA. Two yrs later, she informs me that she is pregnant again and am I going to make her another quilt. I'm not usually without words..but this time I was speechless. I told her I had a long waiting list and left it at that. All I really wanted to know was if she LIKED it..or USED it..or WHATEVER...I'm convinced she is clueless...
JulieM |
People that don't sew do not have a clue what goes into a quilt money wise or other wise.
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Originally Posted by Riversong
.and the one that gets me most is "oh, I can get a quilt on QVC for $40!!" Go for it! They are poorly made,slave labor ,and the hand quilting stitches are up to half an inch long!
Can you tell I've bought a $20 quilt before? :) |
Here's one better; I have an aquaintence that said, ( out of the blue) ' When you make my quilt, don't make it so quilty, I don't like the looks of a quilt; you know what colors I like in my bedroom'. ( I was in her bedroon once, in the dark, to put my coat on the bed) That was 5 years ago In the 10 years I've known her I have never mentioned making a quilt for her.... I think all quilters get this... people think it's like making a batch of cookies or something..
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I SAY....YOU BUY THE FABRIC AND WHEN I HAVE TIME I WILL.........SHOW.........YOU HOW TO MAKE IT ....THEN YOU CAN TAKE IT HOME AND MAKE IT.
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Originally Posted by raptureready
Make some quilts without anyone specifically in mind. Price them. When rude people ask you when you are going to make a quilt for them just say, "I have several that I've made that you're welcome to choose from. The price on them is only to cover the cost of the supplies---there's no way I'd charge such a good friend for my time and labor."
Of course the cost of supplies would, at least in part, include the cost of expertise. You have to add in some for the wear and tear to your machine and your body. |
One of my nephew's co-workers wanted to buy a quilt from me and when I quoted the $650 price tag, she said no thanks, I can buy one at Wal-mart for $30. I was so relieved! She wanted greens and browns in her quilt. UGH!
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oh KIDS.. even if they are not really kids anymore.. but still young enough to keep bugging you.. EVERYONE loves to snuggle in a nice comfy quilt.. They don't have a clue what they are asking.. But they do know it would be wonderful to have one. So they ask and ask.. I think I'd tell the ones that keep asking that I'd help them make one if they really really want one that bad. Then choose a very simple pattern of squares and show 'em how it's done.
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I had one person at work ask me to make her a quilt. I made one block up to see how long it would take me, multiplied it out by the number of blocks and told her $400 plus the price of the fabric. She came back and said her sister-in-law was going to make her a quilt. I doubt that she ever got it... I think she thought I was going to make it for free. LOL :-) :-) :-)
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This is great idea!!! I started quilting because a friend makes them...and we went shopping, sewed together and I got hooked...and I am amazed on how much work goes into quilting!
Originally Posted by mosquitosewgirl
I would tell them that I would gladly teach them how to make their own. Take them so that they can choose and buy their fabric, teach them about contrast and complement, show them how to cut it out and sew it together....maybe do a sampler. Take them all the way through. And, if you're feeling sorry enough for them at the end and there's no way they are going to be able to quilt it, you could do that step. I guarantee that most of them will back out of wanting a quilt, and you just might get a new quilting buddy out of one of the others. After all give a man a quilt and he stays warm, teach one to quilt and they are busy and happy and support their wife's hobbies forever. :)
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I Agree with you .
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I am in this same situation. I recently made a quilt for my cousin that she had commissioned me to do and paid me very well for it.
Since then my niece keeps asking me when I am going to make her a quilt? I told her the cousin had paid me very well for the quilt I made her, but my niece comes back with - but I thought I was your favorite niece. She keeps asking and I just kinda ignore the question because I simply can't afford to make her one at my expense but she won't accept that as my answer. |
My reply is $300 and that is just for labor.
Problem solved. |
I would want someone to do all my housework for me while I sewed. And of course buy the material before I started sewing/cutting.
housework = cleaning, cooking, laundry, shopping...all the good stuff! |
Originally Posted by ann clare
I smile and say "will add you to my list" Works every time.
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You aren't being selfish. I ask people when can we go shopping for fabric, backing, batting, thread, etc, & ask how much money they have to spend. That gives them something to think about. No one has found the time so far.
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I usually say, "Why don't you buy us a pattern, fabric, batting, thread, cutting mat, rotary cutter and rulers. You can bring it to my house when you have two to three uninterrupted days and I'll teach you to sew." I've never had any takers.
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