carla m

i have a situation someone at my job is asking me to make him a quilt he may want more than one if it turns out well. he wants it lap size. he also wants it made out of his grandmothers dresses. she ran a restaurant for 30 years and wore cotton dresses to work every day. they had a family friend who was going to make them but she passed away a few weeks after the grandmother. ive only made 1 quilt to order and it was for a friend and i didn't charge him anything he just paid for the fabric batting and quilting. i just piece i don't quilt my own. he keeps asking me how much id charge but i have no idea what to say as ive never quilted for money before. im kinda at a loss as to what to tell him. i don't know if hes wanting a simple quilt or something more elaborate or if hes aware hed have to have it quilted.
any help would be greatly appreciated.
carla

tesspug

You could pick a cost per hour and tell him that. Then give him an idea how many hours a simple top would be and how many a complicated one would be. Then explain that he would have to pay to have it quilted. And buy the backing and the batting. Maybe you could find him the name of someone who can do the quilting.

Jeanne S

I think you should talk to him more to find out what he is expecting and if you are comfortable with your skills to produce what he wants. Perhaps show him some of your work and ask him to bring you pictures of what he is thinking. Since the fabric is his grandmother's dresses, they may have a lot of meaning to him and the last thing you would want is to have him unhappy with the quilt after you cut them up. Whatever you do be very clear about what you can and can't do. As for price, there is another thread on this site in the last couple of days about what to charge, so flip back a couple of days and review all those comments.. I have never made a quilt for pay so can't be much help, sorry.

dunster

If you want to do this, then figure out an hourly price that you're happy with, estimate your hours and materials, and take it from there. But if you don't want to do it, don't feel obliged. If you google "memory quilts" online, you can find listings for people who make them for a living. You can refer your friend to these listings, and offer to help him decide which one would be best for him.

ckcowl

You should first figure out the time you believe it will take for you to piece the quilt, then contact who you use to quilt your quilts find out the cost and add this to the cost then add an additional cost for binding the quilt...your *customer* will be expecting a completed product. If this is not something you are able to provide there is nothing wrong with being honest and declining doing the project.

CookyIN

The only thing I can add is that since he may want more than one if this one turns out well, make sure that you're happy with the amount you'd get for your time and effort. And remember, you won't be working with new fabrics but with fabrics that may have issues such as worn or stained spots that need to be avoided while cutting, plus they'll likely need to be heavily starched for precise piecing.

Sandygirl

I think that the price you quote includes everything that it will take to make the quilt plus labor, he expects (rightly so) a FINISHED product...not a honey-do list.

Keep it a simple pattern since it will be scrappy.

sandy

ManiacQuilter2

Boy, this is a tough decision. It is hard to estimate the time it will take you without the experience. Being that this is going to be a very sentimental quilt to him, I might just want to try to find someone else with more experience. Good Luck.

Buckeye Rose

Definitely agree on a price before ever picking up your scissors! Get everything in writing and no less than 50% paid in advance (nonrefundable). And most importantly....do not give the quilt until entirely paid for. Don't sell yourself short on time either, if you think cutting the fabric will take one hour, charge for two because you will find issues in dealing with fabric already sewn into garments (all the garments will have to be washed, dried, pressed and starched.

nanac

Do NOT under any circumstances do this if you are feeling any misgivings. It will turn into a definite chore, and you will probably end up overwhelmed. There is nothing wrong with telling him that you don't want to do it. I understand that he would like to have the quilt made, in memory of his grandma, but most people have no clue about the time and effort that goes into a quilt, and most people want high quality for low dollars. If you do decide to go ahead and do it, I would show him pictures of patterns that you feel comfortable doing, and make him choose which one he wants. Make sure to follow all the other tips given, and if you do it, post pictures. Good luck, whatever you choose.