Last evening, my son and I got into a discussion about quilts. He told me I should set up a website or post on ebay and sell quilts that I make. He said do custom ordered quilts and " you could sell them for $50.00, you'd clean up, Mom" I almost passed out!! So, this is how our conversations progressed.
Me: "Fifty dollars? Do you know how much work and time goes into making and handquilting a wall hanging, less alone a king sized quilt"
Him: "Doesnt matter. I mean you're just sitting in a chair all day sewing, so how hard can it be?"
Me: "How hard? Never mind that, just the material alone would cost over fifty bucks for a throw. A king sized quilt would cost well over a hundred dollars on the low end for material."
Him: Why?"
and so it went. I told him that even charging minimum wage for the hand quilting, it would still cost over five hundred dollars for a queen sized quilt. And he said, well they sell them at JCPenny for $49, and they're hand made and I got up and said, "Of course they are." and that was that. People just don't understand the time and effort it takes to hand quilt a pieced quilt. Something for nothing seems to be the mindset these days!

I have realized that if they don't make the product, they have NO idea what goes into it!

You were much nicer about it than I would have been.

just ask him if he's ever heard of slave labor!!

Omg! Sounds like you were very restrained. It's bad enough when the uninformed, non-quilting public says that stuff. Your own son! Must be from the other side of the family. Sorry...HUGS!!

Guess he needs to go and spend his $100 on fabric 'sit there' and sew for hours and days then when hes done... give him $50....



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Perfect example of how the young people have been influenced by TV and the "Throw away society". They haven't had time to be seasoned into the reality that life doesn't produce everything in a moment.

This "not a recession" we are experiencing has had one good lesson in it...times can always get tough for any and everyone.

Mom you just taught a learning lesson...it is good to have conversations - food for thought for him.

People tend to think homemade = inexpensive, but it's not the case anymore. And not just quilting - a typical clothing pattern alone costs more than a finished garment, forget about buying the materials! My mom and her sisters used to make their own clothes because it was the only way they could get new clothes - now I make clothes for my kids as a treat - my daughter gets a couple of homemade dresses a year, usually in the spring - I spend as much on those as I do on the rest of her summer clothes combined.

Mine use to think the same way - just whip one up for everyone, until they were told the monetary value of their new 'made especially for you" quilt, instant lesson learned and appreication takes over.

Suggest the next time he mows the lawn you will give him 75 cents for the work.