I found this 15 years ago on the internet. It really makes one think about the value of ones work when put in this context. I'm sorry for the format of it, it doesn't translate well when pasted from my documents.


What It Really Costs To Make a Quilt

QUEEN SIZED, MACHINE PIECED, HAND QUILTED

MATERIALS:

Fabric 12-16 yards @ $9per yd. $108 - $144
Batting $25 - $40
Thread $8 - $16

Total $ invested $141 - $200


LABOR HOURS:

Piecing 20 to 60 hours
“Setting” (designing your quilt) 10 to 20 hours
Quilting 100 to 750 hours

Total hours invested 130 to 810 hours


TOTAL COST

Paying $1 per hour (Would you do this type of work for $1 an hour?!)

Materials $141 - $200
Labor $130 - $810
Total $271 - $1070


Paying minimum wage $7.25 (by law in 6/2009)

Materials $141 - $200
Labor (130-810hrs) $942.50 - $5872.25
Total $1083.50 - $6072.25


Paying skilled labor wage $20 per hour (Don't you consider yourself trained and skilled in this craft?)

Materials $141 - $200
Labor (130-810hrs) $2600 - $16,200
Total $2741 - $16,400

(Found on the Internet 1995; unknown author)

Jan in VA

YUP!

Still wonder how some stores can sell any sized "quilt" for under $100.

Great stats. I suggest everyone who gets asked to make a quilt for someone prints this out and gently hands it to those making the request.

The quilting hours must be for hand piecing! Or for some really detailed work on the machine stitching. I would really be on the low end of that category. But I do think that my queen size quilts have at least $800-$1000 of materials and labor in them.

Hear hear Jan! I wish I had the nerve to print this out and send it with some of the quilt gifts I have sent.

Why not?!

Jan in VA

I agree. Just as I was sending this I realized how many hours were in that section. If one was machine quilting, it would probably be much less. But, it seems lately that my own quilts that have sparked an interest in purchase have been hand-quilted...and I KNOW those have 100s of hours in them. Regardless, it's obvious we undervalue ourselves.

Jan in VA

I suppose it is because of my personality. I wouldn't feel comfortable doing it.

I was in a senior's gift shop sponcered by a charity thrift store here in town and I was shocked at the beautiful quilts being sold for a fraction of thier worth. I mean real beauties! I kept my mouth shut, but I knew how much money, love and work those quilts, baby quilts and tablerunners were to complete.

Because those "quilts" are mad with cheap labor and even cheaper materials...and they start falling apart after the first wash! What really gets me is when the quilts I make get compared to them! :evil:

I went to some Amish country this summer and I realy wanted to buy one of their handmade quilts. Most of them are machine pieced and then hand quilted. Some of them were not very evenly stitched and they were priced $450 and up. The nice ones were over $1000. So, I appreciated them but I didn't buy any.