QUILTING FOR OTHERS ADVICE
08-20-2011, 05:45 AM
#51
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Orfordville, WI
Posts: 363
Originally Posted by Zhillslady
Hope the amazing ladies here have some suggestions.
Normally I machine quilt for just myself and a friend. I do hers in exchange for her doing the handwork on my binding. Once in a while another friend will finish one and I'll quilt it for her. I have always done my FMQ table top with my juki.
So, 2 months ago I purchased a grace start right/juki frame combo. It's my first frame and I've already quilted 5 tops on it. I mostly do meandering (large, small, medium depending on quilt design), hearts or leaves with loops, small curls and on the borders what I call waves. Nothing fancy. With my frame I did buy the Grace Pattern Perfect but haven't used yet as i like doing it freehand. I'm just starting to practice some flowers but I love meandering.
With all that said, here's my situation. The ladies in my weekly group send their quilt tops to Kentucky for $25-40 per top. The LAQ advised them last month she is retiring so they asked me about quilting for them. I looked and her patterns she's done look pretty much the all over standard pantographs I see for sale for most FMQ. My question is how can I figure what to charge them. They're telling me crib size should be about $15 and lap or throw size no more than $30. Apparently the LA was only charging $40 to do a queen size. Maybe I'm slow but it takes me half hour just to pin a queen on the frame. I finished a carpenter star 70 x 70and did it in 2 colors thread with small curls all over the top. It took me several hours.
Is there a way to decide what would be fair? I think about squaring the backing, pressing the backing and top, pinning it all the the frame and then charging $15-20 and I'm thinking it's not worth the trouble. Any ideas? I attached a couple I've quilted but not sure you can see the actual stitching. I haven't learned all the fancy feathers and not sure I want to but I think I do a nice job.
Normally I machine quilt for just myself and a friend. I do hers in exchange for her doing the handwork on my binding. Once in a while another friend will finish one and I'll quilt it for her. I have always done my FMQ table top with my juki.
So, 2 months ago I purchased a grace start right/juki frame combo. It's my first frame and I've already quilted 5 tops on it. I mostly do meandering (large, small, medium depending on quilt design), hearts or leaves with loops, small curls and on the borders what I call waves. Nothing fancy. With my frame I did buy the Grace Pattern Perfect but haven't used yet as i like doing it freehand. I'm just starting to practice some flowers but I love meandering.
With all that said, here's my situation. The ladies in my weekly group send their quilt tops to Kentucky for $25-40 per top. The LAQ advised them last month she is retiring so they asked me about quilting for them. I looked and her patterns she's done look pretty much the all over standard pantographs I see for sale for most FMQ. My question is how can I figure what to charge them. They're telling me crib size should be about $15 and lap or throw size no more than $30. Apparently the LA was only charging $40 to do a queen size. Maybe I'm slow but it takes me half hour just to pin a queen on the frame. I finished a carpenter star 70 x 70and did it in 2 colors thread with small curls all over the top. It took me several hours.
Is there a way to decide what would be fair? I think about squaring the backing, pressing the backing and top, pinning it all the the frame and then charging $15-20 and I'm thinking it's not worth the trouble. Any ideas? I attached a couple I've quilted but not sure you can see the actual stitching. I haven't learned all the fancy feathers and not sure I want to but I think I do a nice job.
I am new to all this and am not sure of the process.
08-20-2011, 05:54 AM
#52
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: currently in Sioux Falls, SD
Posts: 697
I pay a lot more when I send quilts for quilting. But I am a believer of "you get what you pay for". I pay more and I feel that the quilting I pay for is very good.
That poor woman was giving her work away, but I guess it was her choice. If you don't want to do it for that price, don't! I can't imagine giving my work away for those kinds of prices....my opinion only!!
That poor woman was giving her work away, but I guess it was her choice. If you don't want to do it for that price, don't! I can't imagine giving my work away for those kinds of prices....my opinion only!!
08-20-2011, 06:34 AM
#54
Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Roelands
Posts: 23
Originally Posted by LisaGibbs
That is the wonderful thing about choices. I would put your price list out there and they can pay or go elsewhere. I wouldn't devalue your time and efforts just so you won't hurt feelings. What about yours? How long would you be doing this for "nothing much" before you begin to resent the entire process.
08-20-2011, 06:35 AM
#55
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: No. Calif
Posts: 527
Zhillslady - good for you. There is no need to end up being miserable because other people have expectations for you. I would gladly pay those prices however - people send quilts to LA folks because they do not want to do the work themselves.
You have a full time job and you would also need to set limits on how many quilts you are realistically able to complete and at a price you deem fair for your work.
You have a full time job and you would also need to set limits on how many quilts you are realistically able to complete and at a price you deem fair for your work.
08-20-2011, 06:37 AM
#56
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 1,804
I wouldn't touch it for that price. Our LQS here charges 1 cent an inch if you do the quilt yourself. I think she charges 1-1/2 cents/inch if she does it. The last one I did cost about $135 but that included the batting and backing. Don't undervalue your work. It isn't worth the aggravation and time involved to do it for less than a fair price. You don't want to charge too much but neither do you want to charge less than it's worth. JMHO
08-20-2011, 07:01 AM
#58
Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Roelands
Posts: 23
I never heard of these prices. My LQS hires her LA out for AU$30 per hour. Yes. That's just for the hire of the machine. The ladies at the Nannup Patchwork group told me today that they paid AU$400 to have their charity quilt quilted. They pay AU$2 a week for their cups of tea out of which they pay for the quilting. I blinked when I was told. That's a lot of cups of tea. The local lady quoted me AU$100 for a lap quilt a few years ago. She had a room built on to her house to take her LA. LAs start at AU$10,000 in this country. There's a few hours there to break-even!
08-20-2011, 07:02 AM
#59
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Southern California
Posts: 2,410
no, do not go there. cannot believe your friends would even ask this of you. they obviously wore out the other lady (cannot imagine having a 1-2 month backlog staring me in the face, would take away all the joy)
08-20-2011, 07:19 AM
#60
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Mansfield, MA
Posts: 404
Beautiful work!! My quilter charges me for the thread she uses, the fancy designs she uses and it depends on the size of the quilt.
I just took her two baby panels, (blankets) she's charging me $45.00 for each. All she's doing is sewing around all the animals on the panels and a little quilting through the panels. I brought my own backing and batting.
I just took her two baby panels, (blankets) she's charging me $45.00 for each. All she's doing is sewing around all the animals on the panels and a little quilting through the panels. I brought my own backing and batting.
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