quilt pricing for selling quilts
#11
Start your quilting business but do not give up any paid employment you can get. When you have 6 months worth of quilt orders backed up, THEN you can quit your day job.[/QUOTE]
Great advice. Also, you'll want to make sure that you want to do quilting as a business and won't get burned out. I admire you for wanting to make a career; I did one quilt on consignment a few years ago and made a promise to myself that I would NEVER EVER do that again. I felt so pressured that I just kept making mistake after mistake.
Great advice. Also, you'll want to make sure that you want to do quilting as a business and won't get burned out. I admire you for wanting to make a career; I did one quilt on consignment a few years ago and made a promise to myself that I would NEVER EVER do that again. I felt so pressured that I just kept making mistake after mistake.
#12
You night have better luck with small items and doing craft tables at swap meets, and school boutiques, lower priced items sell better and especially if you do seasonal stuff just before the holidays. People just aren't willing to pay that price for quilts that would make them worth selling.
#14
Oh I think you really need to sit down and evaluate making quilts for a living. Write down ALL the expenses , fabric , patterns , thread, batting, backing, machine needles, machine maintienience etc....then add ALL of your time... Remember when you are on an "official" payroll you are making contributions to social security and covered under Workmans Compensation. The long term effects of a hobby as a income really need to be completely reviewed.. especially when it comes to long term impacts. I think you will find you can make more money working at the local convienient store.
I am sure others are going to chime in with more details of a "home" business.
I am sure others are going to chime in with more details of a "home" business.
#15
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Illinois
Posts: 9,018
If I were you I would begin with making tablerunners, placemats, wall-warmers and since you are keeping your part-time job maybe there might be a good selling field for you. To "invest" into the world of handmade quilts is very precarious, especially now in our present financial cliff........It seems to me that most handmade items are really hard to sell in large enough quantities to make a living at. If we were not quilters on this board, what would be covering our beds??????Probably the store-bought "made in China" ones.
#17
As others have indicated, pricing depends so much on the area. I'm in rural South Central Texas where quilt prices are relatively low. After I bought my longarm, I did a higher end (jurored) Christmas show for about 5 years---just for fun. The show is in its 27th year, is well advertised, and is well attended, not just by locals, but from miles around. Some years were good; some years not so good. The advantage was that my name got out there, and I began picking up custom orders, as well as longarm business. It was a slow process, but now I stay busy enough that I no longer have time to 'fill the booth' during the year, so I gave up doing the show. If you'd like more info on pricing, or if you have other questions, send me a PM. I'll be glad to share info, but in the meantime, I join others in advising you that this is NOT a dependable source of income UNTIL you build a clientele.
#18
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Midwest
Posts: 5,051
You are already a teacher. I would think that you should have an easier time transitioning into a new subject matter.
Teaching beginning quilting classes is a win win. The industry and shops love to attract new quilters to the craft.
Another idea is to look into being a sewing educator for machines. Of course, you will need to be familiar with a particular brand and their models. Maybe inquire about this by contacting the manufacturer.
Sandy
#19
First of all....a big HUG! I feel your pain, really I do. My DH has been on unemployment since June and now we are told that will end with the rest of America's on Dec 29. Yeah, Merry Christmas. I do longarm quilting from my home...and also make quilts if they want me to. I can tell you, a mouse could not survive on what I make. Especially making an entire quilt. It takes a week of hard labor to make a whole quilt and then you would only get maybe $500. if you are very lucky! The thing is...there are months when there is NO business. I mean none. My business flows like this....4 quilts come in, in one week....then none for two months. It is crazy, but if I had to depend on this to eat, I would starve. I think you better keep your part time job and keep looking for full time. Sorry to have such bad news.
#20
Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 3
The only suggestion I have is look at the website, www.Quiltsforsale . It is a well designed site for selling quilts. She charges a minimal fee to design your own web page.
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01-09-2013 01:37 PM