beckalou

Good morning everyone! An acquaintance of mine has asked me to make a quilt for her out of shirts that belonged to her deceased Father-in-law. The pattern is a very simple design "Fun With Bricks" by Bonnie Hunter. I will probably have to add a few scraps from my own stash to add more color & for the backing and would charge additionally for that & the batting. The quilt would be tied and lap size. I just don't know what to charge for constructing the quilt itself. I would appreciate your input.

Becky

nativetexan

Honey, i couldn't even get $50.00 out of a co-worker. So good luck. things cost more than others think, so go over how much fabric you would have to get other than the shirts, batting, thread and your time.

Sewnoma

Don't forget to add in stabilizers you might need for the tee-shirt parts; that can get expensive.

Might be best to get the coworker to directly pay for some of those things, so they can see the costs for themselves. And don't forget to pay yourself for labor, too!

tessagin

Co worker and acquaintance are on same level in my book but still closeness is another factor. Actually, often closer than some relatives. Anyway, you still had to pay at one time for your stash. Figure all that in plus what you want to charge for labor. Don't forget binding material also. Tough call but it's your call. BTW don't be afraid to charge for your labor either. I say $10.00 minimum per hour.

beckalou

This is not a t-shirt quilt, but rather a scrap quilt made out of men's dress shirts. She will be doing a fiber content test on them to ensure they are 100 percent cotton, as all the tags have been cut off the shirts.

NikkiLu

JMHO - I do not think that I would worry about the shirts being 100% cotton for a lap quilt - I have a quilt on my bed that is half 100% cotton and the other half is poly/cotton and they have worn the same - both are in pristine condition. Don't know about the cost of your time, etc. though.

nanac

I personally would never make a quilt for another coworker, ever again. The first (and only) time I did that, it didn't turn out well. We had a verbal agreement for amount of money to be paid, with the understanding that it would be several months before it was completed. At the end of about 3-4 weeks, the coworker started asking when it would be finished. And, even though the coworker had chosen the fabrics (from my stash) and the pattern, she kept telling me that it wouldn't look good. When the quilt was done, quilted, and bound, the coworker did not want to pay the original asking price, and told everyone else in the department that I was "taking her to the cleaners" for asking $250 for a hand sewn, hand-quilted quilt. In addition, she wanted me to give the quilt to her, and she would pay me when she had the cash. Needless to say, she never got the quilt, and that was that. I have never even considered doing that again. Anyone who gets one of my quilts has received it because I gave it away. to someone who apprecitates the time and love that goes into it.
As for you charging, that is up to you, but you will likely not make ay kind of 'profit' from it. IMHO, I think I would be more inclined to assist HER to make the quilt. To me, that would be more meaningful.

beckalou

This gal is not a co-worker, simply an acquaintance that I have known for 35 plus years. I have very little interaction with her except on Facebook. I posted a picture of a quilt in progress, and she private messaged me to see if I would make a quilt for her out of her deceased father in laws dress shirts. Her family is very crafty, her dad rents tables at craft shows for his wood crafts, her mom & sister used to make & sell cakes for every occasion. So she knows how much work goes into hand crafted items. That being said, I will name a price for the quilt. If she wants to pay the price, fine. If not, so be it. No feelings hurt here, I don't normally make quilts for others. Just thought I might make some extra cash as things are pretty tight financially for me right now.

joe'smom

First, I think you should consider how you feel about it. Thinking about the quilt and the amount of work you will put in, what amount would you feel good about receiving from this acquaintance for your work, above the cost of the materials?

After you figure that out, thoroughly itemize the material costs involved, add the estimated amount for your work (figured from above), then go to this person with these figures written down, and both of you sign the contract. Insist on the cost of materials up front, and don't start on the quilt until you get the money. When the quilt is done, she gets the quilt when you get the balance of the amount you've agreed on.

People have no idea what is involved in making a quilt, so you have to educate them beforehand. As far as what to charge, I can't help you there, as I've never made a quilt for pay.

Boston1954

If I were to ever sell a quilt again, it would be one that is already made and I feel like parting with it. I know that you have a special situation, where the person is using shirts, but you do want to consider your time as well as the materials involved. I have heard of others who were asked to do this, and the buyer wants to pick the pattern, the colors, and then they want in three weeks for their cousin's wedding. Get any agreement in writing, and something up front.