Selling your quilts
01-12-2011, 06:19 AM
#11
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Milton DE
Posts: 3,189
I do allot of twin or lap quilts for family who order...You can never make money off friends and family so I charge the cost of supples and then just double it for labor...Yes, that's way cheap but I do allot of selling and you will never get the amt of worth you put into something so time consuming...you really have to look at it as "you love doing it" and you love making things for friends and family"
So as an ex....I did a very detailed horse applique twin size for my sister in law...Got all my supplies with coupons at Joann's all cost 30.00 so I charged 60.00 total.
So as an ex....I did a very detailed horse applique twin size for my sister in law...Got all my supplies with coupons at Joann's all cost 30.00 so I charged 60.00 total.
01-12-2011, 06:32 AM
#12
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Behind my sewing machine
Posts: 7,202
I think this is a great idea!!!
Originally Posted by hobbykat1955
I do allot of twin or lap quilts for family who order...You can never make money off friends and family so I charge the cost of supples and then just double it for labor...Yes, that's way cheap but I do allot of selling and you will never get the amt of worth you put into something so time consuming...you really have to look at it as "you love doing it" and you love making things for friends and family"
So as an ex....I did a very detailed horse applique twin size for my sister in law...Got all my supplies with coupons at Joann's all cost 30.00 so I charged 60.00 total.
So as an ex....I did a very detailed horse applique twin size for my sister in law...Got all my supplies with coupons at Joann's all cost 30.00 so I charged 60.00 total.
01-12-2011, 06:34 AM
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Ft. Myers, Florida
Posts: 928
I was recently asked by a friend to make a quilt for his mother, it was just a simple quilt, 8x10 blocks (finished) with sashing and a photo of the children in the middle, he paid me $250.00, it was a large lap quilt, another friend has asked me to make a baby quilt for her grandson's 1st birthday our agreed upon price is $200.00. Both quilts I supply the fabrics. I am probably just an advanced beginner quilter but removing all modesty I have a good eye for color so I feel ok with them paying what THEY think my work is worth. Did your friend mention a price she would be willing to pay?
01-12-2011, 06:38 AM
#14
Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: NH
Posts: 37
WOW! Where do you live? The nearest FMQ'er around here is an hour+ away - charges BY THE SQUARE INCH!!!!
PLEASE PM me with the name & address of the person whom you are using. It might be worth the cost of shipping at least my tops to her!
PLEASE PM me with the name & address of the person whom you are using. It might be worth the cost of shipping at least my tops to her!
01-12-2011, 11:43 AM
#15
Banned
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Corpus Christi, Tx
Posts: 847
She is a friend but she is someone who will refer me business. I don't want to be a company but I wouldn't mind making some money off of something I truly enjoy doing if for no other reason than to pay for my habit.
I liked the idea of what it costs then double....I don't even charge a lot for my embroidery and I do that as a business.
Thanks everyone...Oh and I just got a good bag of 81x96 quilt batting at walmart for $5.99 (its says full size) on the bag. The queen size was 8.99
I liked the idea of what it costs then double....I don't even charge a lot for my embroidery and I do that as a business.
Thanks everyone...Oh and I just got a good bag of 81x96 quilt batting at walmart for $5.99 (its says full size) on the bag. The queen size was 8.99
01-12-2011, 04:18 PM
#16
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Piedmont Virginia in the Foothills of the Blue Ridge Mtns.
Posts: 8,562
Originally Posted by carolaug
Wonder where she shops...my Warm and Natural Queen batting is only 12.99 on sale at Joannes...buy it every time I get a coupon..buy all my fabrics on sale unless I see one that I can not do without...so fabric avg...5-7 dollars a yard .and none of her prices even come close to what I pay. and labor...if an easy quilt...squares or strip tube, or disappearing 9 patch...I make the top in a day...FMQ in a day...and then bind....so three days for full to queen size quilt. I had a quilt shop FMQ several of my twin quilts and that was 35.00 each. I now do my own not as nice as hers but I have fun doing it.
Originally Posted by Jan in VA
Check out for another look at the cost of making a quilt.
Carol,
Please know that I posted this as general information interest, a means of reminding us that, often as women, we undervalue our work. I have sold many commission quilts over the years, but have not charged as much as this form suggested because, like others, I was more interested in receiving the money than in making the point at the time.
But I did have this hanging in my shop where anyone could read it and had many agreeing comments about to the effect of, "Wow, I never looked at it that way." Many husbands also "came to the light" after reading this. And we regularly emailed it to phone customers who asked us to make a quilt for them......of course, mostly they were calling us out of the yellow pages, didn't know a thing about making quilts, had no respect for the art of it - just the product as seen imported at Walmart, and would likely have been hard-to-deal-with customers anyway, because of their lack of education.
I have sold baby quilts, all machine done, for $225, table-toppers (Lone Star without the set in corners) for $300, and large quilts for $700. But mostly these days I tell people they wouldn't pay me what I'm worth. Some nearly fall over themselves trying to convince me they'd pay whatever, but I've learned the hard way, that sometimes dealing with them through the process is not worth any amount!
When I do a commission piece, I make up a contract clearly stating who will choose and provide the fabrics, the pattern that will be used, the thread color and type, batting type, the quilting design, and how it will be bound (hand or machine). I always require some creative license with no argument from the purchaser, and all costs plus half of labor up front. Both of us sign this and receive a copy. The finished product is delived wrapped in tissue, tied with ribbon like a gift, with the contract and final bill in an envelope. Have had only one argument from a client with this process. And she didn't get the final quilt or a refund of all her monies.
One can only sell something at what the buyer will pay, ultimately.
Jan in VA
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-62845-1.htm
Jan in VA
Carol,
Please know that I posted this as general information interest, a means of reminding us that, often as women, we undervalue our work. I have sold many commission quilts over the years, but have not charged as much as this form suggested because, like others, I was more interested in receiving the money than in making the point at the time.
But I did have this hanging in my shop where anyone could read it and had many agreeing comments about to the effect of, "Wow, I never looked at it that way." Many husbands also "came to the light" after reading this. And we regularly emailed it to phone customers who asked us to make a quilt for them......of course, mostly they were calling us out of the yellow pages, didn't know a thing about making quilts, had no respect for the art of it - just the product as seen imported at Walmart, and would likely have been hard-to-deal-with customers anyway, because of their lack of education.
I have sold baby quilts, all machine done, for $225, table-toppers (Lone Star without the set in corners) for $300, and large quilts for $700. But mostly these days I tell people they wouldn't pay me what I'm worth. Some nearly fall over themselves trying to convince me they'd pay whatever, but I've learned the hard way, that sometimes dealing with them through the process is not worth any amount!
When I do a commission piece, I make up a contract clearly stating who will choose and provide the fabrics, the pattern that will be used, the thread color and type, batting type, the quilting design, and how it will be bound (hand or machine). I always require some creative license with no argument from the purchaser, and all costs plus half of labor up front. Both of us sign this and receive a copy. The finished product is delived wrapped in tissue, tied with ribbon like a gift, with the contract and final bill in an envelope. Have had only one argument from a client with this process. And she didn't get the final quilt or a refund of all her monies.
One can only sell something at what the buyer will pay, ultimately.
Jan in VA
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-62845-1.htm
Jan in VA
01-12-2011, 10:12 PM
#17
Banned
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Corpus Christi, Tx
Posts: 847
Jan - those are all valid points - one of the reasons why I asked in the first place is I under value myself all the time. My quilts and blankets are nice (again no where near as good as ya'lls) but my family and friends and people I know like them and want them - I cna't make them for free - I'd go broke on just the materials....but your post as well as everyone elses gave me a great place to start....I do mine on the machine - I can't hand quilt - my wrists and fingers do not work well enough - so I can get through them faster. Anyway - every response was helpful...I decided to charge her $50.00 - her eyes went wide and I thought "crude....I said too much" and she smiled and then said agreed but I was expecting 3 times that...so she values my work at more than I do....
01-12-2011, 10:36 PM
#18
Power Poster
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Northern California mountains
Posts: 12,538
I have charged everywhere from $25 (wall hanging) to $1350 (queen) for a quilt and had very satisfied customers. Remember, even if you are using your stash, the fabric did cost you and will cost to be replaced. You time will not be compensated even at minimum wage. In 2008, when I attended a session with a licensed quilt appraiser, she said that a twin quilt was worth a minimum of $275, based on the costs of the materials alone. Materials have gone up, as we know. At this point, DH and I have decided that I will make auction and raffle quilts to benefit local charities and quilts for kids in out of home placements, but otherwise my quilts are for family and friends.
If you are doing this because you like the person, make sure she understands what the real costs are, whether or not you charge her that much.
Don't underestimate the importance of your work. I have given quilts to people newly diagnosed with cancer. 2 of the 3 are now 5 year survivors. One had been diagnosed as 98% terminal with brain cancer that had spread widely. Both credited the sense of love on holding the quilt as a large part of the cure.
If you are doing this because you like the person, make sure she understands what the real costs are, whether or not you charge her that much.
Don't underestimate the importance of your work. I have given quilts to people newly diagnosed with cancer. 2 of the 3 are now 5 year survivors. One had been diagnosed as 98% terminal with brain cancer that had spread widely. Both credited the sense of love on holding the quilt as a large part of the cure.
01-13-2011, 01:25 PM
#20
Power Poster
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Northern California mountains
Posts: 12,538
You are very welcome. My only exception to not making quilts for sale is commission quilts that are nearly art quilts. 2 local restaurants bought quilts from me to display. Their requirements were exacting cooperative designs and very challenging.
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