Pricing a quilt
03-16-2015, 01:15 PM
#1
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Location: Oklahoma City
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Pricing a quilt
I imagine this has been asked before, but when somebody asks you how much does it cost for you to make me a quilt, how do you answer? We are talking about an over-sized king quilt.
03-16-2015, 01:45 PM
#3
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Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Wis
Posts: 5,928
I made a king size quilt for someone, and she gave me $350. That covered the materials plus maybe an extra $100 more. I offered to make her a quilt, so it was nice that she gave me that much. If I were going to do one for a "regular paying customer" I'd charge at least $1200 for a king size quilt, but that would be for quilt in a fairly simple pattern.
03-16-2015, 01:48 PM
#4
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Location: western NY formerly MN, FL, NC, SC
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03-16-2015, 01:55 PM
#5
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Location: Pacific NW
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I've gotten sick and tired of their shock and outrage when I tell them how much, so instead, I write up a cost sheet that shows exactly how long it takes to make a quilt, and the actual costs involved. If they say they're willing to pay me, I charge a profit. If they are family or close friends and need a price break, I may not charge a profit, but they still need to pay the costs involved.
Sam Hunter has been writing a series of interesting and thought-provoking posts about not underselling yourself and your skills, you can read them here.
My friend Cindi recently downloaded Molli Sparkle's worksheet and utilized it to figure out what to charge when she made her most recent quilt, a beautiful 2-color quilt called Twin Sisters. First, she filled out the form using estimates. Then she made the actual quilt, timing herself. Her "estimated" price was $865.00, but her "real" price was $2090.00!!
One thing to consider: Quilting is a skilled labor. We should get paid more than $2.00 an hour because we are skilled. The reason people ask us to make a quilt for them is because they do not have the skills and knowledge to do it themselves. How much do you pay a plumber? An electrician? A repairman? They are skilled laborers, and so are we.
Sam Hunter has been writing a series of interesting and thought-provoking posts about not underselling yourself and your skills, you can read them here.
My friend Cindi recently downloaded Molli Sparkle's worksheet and utilized it to figure out what to charge when she made her most recent quilt, a beautiful 2-color quilt called Twin Sisters. First, she filled out the form using estimates. Then she made the actual quilt, timing herself. Her "estimated" price was $865.00, but her "real" price was $2090.00!!
One thing to consider: Quilting is a skilled labor. We should get paid more than $2.00 an hour because we are skilled. The reason people ask us to make a quilt for them is because they do not have the skills and knowledge to do it themselves. How much do you pay a plumber? An electrician? A repairman? They are skilled laborers, and so are we.
03-16-2015, 02:19 PM
#6
Power Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: western NY formerly MN, FL, NC, SC
Posts: 51,430
I've gotten sick and tired of their shock and outrage when I tell them how much, so instead, I write up a cost sheet that shows exactly how long it takes to make a quilt, and the actual costs involved. If they say they're willing to pay me, I charge a profit. If they are family or close friends and need a price break, I may not charge a profit, but they still need to pay the costs involved.
Sam Hunter has been writing a series of interesting and thought-provoking posts about not underselling yourself and your skills, you can read them here.
My friend Cindi recently downloaded Molli Sparkle's worksheet and utilized it to figure out what to charge when she made her most recent quilt, a beautiful 2-color quilt called Twin Sisters. First, she filled out the form using estimates. Then she made the actual quilt, timing herself. Her "estimated" price was $865.00, but her "real" price was $2090.00!!
One thing to consider: Quilting is a skilled labor. We should get paid more than $2.00 an hour because we are skilled. The reason people ask us to make a quilt for them is because they do not have the skills and knowledge to do it themselves. How much do you pay a plumber? An electrician? A repairman? They are skilled laborers, and so are we.
Sam Hunter has been writing a series of interesting and thought-provoking posts about not underselling yourself and your skills, you can read them here.
My friend Cindi recently downloaded Molli Sparkle's worksheet and utilized it to figure out what to charge when she made her most recent quilt, a beautiful 2-color quilt called Twin Sisters. First, she filled out the form using estimates. Then she made the actual quilt, timing herself. Her "estimated" price was $865.00, but her "real" price was $2090.00!!
One thing to consider: Quilting is a skilled labor. We should get paid more than $2.00 an hour because we are skilled. The reason people ask us to make a quilt for them is because they do not have the skills and knowledge to do it themselves. How much do you pay a plumber? An electrician? A repairman? They are skilled laborers, and so are we.
03-16-2015, 02:20 PM
#7
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Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: country living outside of Natchitoches, La.
Posts: 45
I made a 3"squares, nine patch, king, of gray/pinks prints with solid gray and pinks making design lines and hand quilted. It was for my neighbor at Christmas, her husband is making me a quilt sewing table/desk with drawers, shelves for books, a pull out ironing table, multi-plug under the desk, laptop shelf and drop down for my Kenmore. And fixing shelves and drawers on an old PC table I had for my Singer Futura Quartet 600. So I wouldn't do one for less than $1000+ and that's not hand quilted pirice. I know that shock look also, I get it all the time. I get half up front too.
03-16-2015, 03:15 PM
#8
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Monroe, IN
Posts: 2,283
If I have a customer that wants a quilt, I tell them to go purchase approximately 20 yards of fabric (9 yds front, 9 yds back, binding) and the batting....that usually makes them not quite so willing for me to make one because my labor is additional to the cost of fabrics....people simply have no clue what fabric costs today and they never want to give you anything for your labor.....I never even start a customer quilt until they have signed an agreement specifying all particulars, paying for all fabrics/batting in advance and understanding that the final payment is made within 30 days of completion or quilt becomes mine.....I have been burned once on a quilt, never again.
03-16-2015, 04:27 PM
#9
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Southern California
Posts: 19,127
People who don't make quilts see the price of hand made quilts coming from China. I agree. Tell them approximately $1,000 unless it is a very close friend. Then I would only charge them for supplies which I have them buy. My labor is FREE to my best friends.
03-16-2015, 05:58 PM
#10
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: western NY formerly MN, FL, NC, SC
Posts: 51,430
If I have a customer that wants a quilt, I tell them to go purchase approximately 20 yards of fabric (9 yds front, 9 yds back, binding) and the batting....that usually makes them not quite so willing for me to make one because my labor is additional to the cost of fabrics....people simply have no clue what fabric costs today and they never want to give you anything for your labor.....I never even start a customer quilt until they have signed an agreement specifying all particulars, paying for all fabrics/batting in advance and understanding that the final payment is made within 30 days of completion or quilt becomes mine.....I have been burned once on a quilt, never again.
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