rusty quilter

I used to make beautiful Queen sized quilts...and send them to nieces and nephews....Learned years later, that most of them were tucked away in a closet or basement. Now, I make baby quilts and give them to the church or lap quilts to the Vetrans...It feels good to give! When I make a Queen size quilt these days....I keep it for my own enjoyment...some day...those too will be given away...but I won't be alive to care

IowaStitcher

buying retail, selling wholesale. Kind of reminds me of farming...........

zozee

When selling, "worth" is the value determined by the buyer. What are they willing to spend ? When it comes to quilts, it's rare that what we have into our quilts in time and fabric is equally valued by a customer.

I make them for the joy of making, and give them away for the joy of giving. The value to me is in making something with my hands, and making someone happier or more comfortable with my gift.

Iona D.

All sewing products, not just quilts, are not valued in the monetary sense in this instant-gratification- instant-purchase society we all live in. It's just too easy to whip out your credit card and get what you want when you want it cheap as possible as you or someone close to you does not have to sew (by which working hard) anymore to cover yourselves. Quilts -I'm sorry to say-are simply a "blanket" in most people's mind. A bit colorful, a bit more "homey" but simply relegated to "blanket" level. Plus people are cheapskates, even devious if they can get away with it. They want something for nothing if someone could be duped into giving it to them.

Don't believe me? Unless the quilt in question has a "brand" on it (i.e. Amish/Mennonites) forget it. No socially acceptable pedigree. Walmart/Target/Sears is cheaper. I don't sell any sewing product anymore because I cannot make a living at it. Sadly, it does pays to work part time in a hot dog stand! You get OSHA protection, Social Security, and something approximating a living wage in the US! Sewing? no protection against anything from work related accidents to not getting paid at all!

Sandygirl

I don't understand the cost of handcrafted fishing lures...I don't fish..or make them. Quilt shops often sell their sample quilts ....and probably not for what the quilt is "worth" . I have been asked if I do alterations...uh,no. I tell people that I Pay others who will do an excellent job and quicker than I will ever get to it.

my two cents, for me to purchase a handcrafted item, ( any craft) the item has to be unique and very well done. I love wall art...(paintings) and I have purchased a few in my lifetime. I had a price point I was willing and able to pay for them. I still love them.

Your quilts are nice. it just takes the right customer to love them and purchase them.

sewbeautiful1

I agree Onebyone, people want that unique piece yet they want it to look like a "normal quilt". It's almost as though there is a balance between making a quilt that is not too time consuming yet being able to convince the customer that they can't do one of those themselves and it's worth paying the price all from one glance.

sewbeautiful1

very well put!

Iceblossom

I'm another one that doesn't sell her work. As I say, I give freely but I don't work for nothing.

But as the others have said, most people simply have no idea of the cost of materials or the cost of time it takes. We can try and educate them but it doesn't really matter, when it comes down to cost, people would rather pay for a coat from China than a coat made in the United States, whether that is hand made or factory made.

Even though my son knows the work/time involved in a quilt, he still doesn't understand the cost of the materials. Same for the most part with my hubby, but we've discussed this sort of thing before. A couple of years ago his brother asked if I would make him a patriotic quilt based on seeing a picture the hubby posted of the one I had just completed for me. I made what I thought was a very generous offer, that I would sell him the completed top for the cost of the materials to replace it, so $100 buying on sale (which didn't include cost of batting, thread, or the stencils I bought for the original top). He said that was too much... I said no problem and kept my quilt.

I do make quite a number of donation quilts, and that's largely because they come from my stash and/or because I'm lucky buying fabric at thrift stores for $1-2 a yard. I had donated one of the baby quilts to the charity auction thing hubby has at work, he was so proud to report it raised $20, and then was shocked to find out that full cost material price for that one would have been about $60, although my true cost was probably closer to $25. Oh well, someone got a bargain if they didn't know/understand. But I don't donate quilts to that anymore either

Edit: Forgot my usual line about this subject: What people don't understand is they are paying for art, when what they want to pay for is a poster (and posters aren't cheap any more either!). My quilts, even the simple ones, are unique. While I might use the same block design, I never make an exact duplicate.

Iona D.

Which they don't.
As in being too "wrapped up" in themselves. Nicely put!

Friday1961

I made a quilt especially for the child of a young single mother, a relative of a very close friend. My friend was ecstatic about it -- I gave it through her -- and the young woman called and thanked me for it. But I've heard nothing about this quilt since, even though I see my friend often. I'd think she would comment occasionally on how much the little boy, a baby then and a toddler now, likes or uses it, but it's never mentioned....and I admit I don't ask. I'm beginning to suspect it may have been sold by the child's mother, who had been addicted to drugs and now may have a gambling habit.

But my attitude is, I can't control what anyone does with what I freely give. If they misuse it or sell it, that's on them. I had the pleasure of making and giving it.

But, admittedly, I don't make quilts for money....nor would I. That would make it work! However, I appreciate those who do, and wish it were easier to profit from that exquisite skill and labor. But I agree selling quilts for what one has put into them is difficult; the price just seems unreasonable to most people.