minnow895

i had a customer wantesd a wedding ring quilt i quoted a price of 400 she said she would pay it when the quilt was done she came to pick it up said she only had 50 dollars so that is what she was going to pay i did not give her that quilt i sold it on ebay for 1500 dollars than i showed her she said she had watched the sqale and felt bad about it and want me to dfo anopther one for her when i said it haed tyo be pre paid because of the last one she didnot return

judithb

Good for you!

Lostn51

I was just at Target today and saw that they had their quilts on sale for $25 any size. In fact they had the vast majority of their bedding on sale and I ended up picking up some really nice king sized flat sheets in various colors for quilt backs.

Now these quilts were nothing close to what we make but just the fact that they are sold as "Quilts" the average Joe public will think we are off of our rockers for trying to sell them fo what they are really worth.

Billy

Tink's Mom

I was at a craft show in Nov. and had a woman insist that I would make her a King size quilt, just like the one I had on display (crib size). I didn't want to do it because I don't have the room to do a king size. I told her that I couldn't take the order, and she called me the next day and demanded that I take the order, for Christmas delivery. I finally agreed. Then she backed down when I explained to her that the price that she saw was for the crib quilt, and that a king size would be 6Xmore. What a pain in the neck...and she was wearing diamonds and carrying a large Coach bag!

Debra Mc

Minnow895, I would never do a special order unless they paid at least half of price for a down payment. Then at least if they back out you are covered for the materials & some of your time. Also it is nonrefundable. Make them sign a contract saying what they are getting for what price & how much it cost & down payment. Got to cover all your bases.

chamby

I completely understand. Some of the ladies at work wanted me to make them quilted purses. However they were not willing to pay the price. By the time I purchase fabric, thread,batting, and the work I put into it, it all adds up. So I did not make the purses. The same thing happened years ago when I decorated cakes.

Debra Mc

Like I posted before. Get a deposit to cover your expenses.

Tiffany

Excellent advice!

Michellesews

yes, they go...expect you to sell for $39.95, just like Walmart. You are also too cheap. To make a quilt from the ground up my price for a twin starts at $500 and up...a queen/king, $1000.00. Stick to your guns. There is way too much work, time and money involved to sell yourself cheap. Let them go to Walmart, they will be buying again in a few months. One sit on the quilts from Walmart and they are done. The "hand made quilts" from China have stitches 3/8 of an inch long and will pop in no time! The laymen just does not get this.

I feel your pain, I have been there.

Another thing, I get calls all the time where they pick my brain, ask prices, go on and on and on, waste my precious time, and I never hear from them again. It is an unfortunate part of the business. I figure they are either lonely or starting their own business.

hudgoddess

I'm feeling your pain. Most people have absolutely no idea what's involved. They just see comforters on sale for $49.99 at WalMart and that's what they use for their baseline comparison. Maybe you can take a little comfort in that she probably isn't getting those quilts done anywhere. Sometimes you see something beautiful and you want it until you know how much it costs - then you just live without.
Oh, and if she does get them cheaper, would you really have wanted to make it for less? I'd have resented every minute of the work knowing my time wasn't valued enough. Be happy she didn't call!