Will you make me a quilt?

[Jenny C.]

McC, I wouldn't know how to put a price tag on your quilts...they're absolutely wonderful. Shame on your Mother! I now wonder what my Mom might think of my homemade quilts since she grew up in the Depression era? She's happy so far with little wall hangings and pillows! ops:
I've been really thinking hard about this subject, and it seems to me that non-quilters just don't get it! I can't elaborate on that, I'm off to work, but y'all know what I mean.

[Jenny C.]

Nancy, I was just admiring your quilts yesterday. I think your mom needs her head checked. :lol:

Keep up the great work!
Chelley

[Bev M.]

When I give a quilt, I ALWAYS tell the recipient that if at some point in time they are tired of it, to please give it back to me and I will not be offended. I REALLY don't want my quilts to end up at Goodwill! I have made and given quilts to most of my co-workers (about 12) who pulled me through - and covered my butt at times - some very difficult medical problems with my son. The only one who has ever harped on when his quilt would be done was hubby - who got one that was thrown together to shut him up. I then showed him the difference between his and one that percolated until inspiration hit and he doesn't bug me any more.

[Lynn K.]

My favorite answer is this: "That's the wrong question!"

So far my quilts have all gone to CLOSE family (self, husband, daughters and grandaugter and one to a close friend who cherishes my rendition of his bicycle race t-shirts) and have been loved and appreciated. Whenever I think about giving to someone who won't appreciate them, I find my enthusiasm for the project cools considerably.

So far, I haven't given in b/c I wouldn't know the price to put on a quilt. Plus all my work so far is hand-quilted which, as you know, is so very time intensive. While I'm sitting there doing it I spend some of the time thinking about the person it's being made for................not everyone who asks for a quilt is going to get that much of my BRAIN TIME! LOL :wink:

[Lynn K.]

When I give a quilt, I ALWAYS tell the recipient that if at some point in time they are tired of it, to please give it back to me and I will not be offended

I also told my neices/nephews that if anything ever happened to it, don't be afraid to bring it to me for repair... I want my quilts used and loved, and I'd rather repair it so they can keep on using it than have it live in a box... or worse!
Florence

[Lynn K.]

I have made one quilt on commission and they lady did not bat an eye when I told her the price. If they don't bat an eye I am willing, but I will not compromise the worth of my time and effort to make a sale. I quilt because I love to quilt. I give most of them away at my own expense. I have told a few family members that if they pay for the fabrics I will make the quilt for them. I have not had takers yet. As a general rule for pricing I go with 2 times the price of the fabric for my labor and then add a price for the quilting, either my quilting it or hiring it out, plus 0.25 an inch for binding. The one that I did for commission I kept careful track of the time it took and then went back to my figure to see how I came out and I was please with the per hour results. If a person truly appreciates quilts and what it takes to make one they will pay for it.

[Lynn K.]

What I think is amusing is people seem to think hand made quilts should be soooooooooo cheap!!

I'm mean, really now, why should quilts be so expensive, it's not like you had to drive to wal-mart and pick one China made one, all wrapped up in a plastic reusable zipper bag!!!!

What people don't understand it the amount of time, dedication, fabric's supplies, allllllllll these things we put into making to the best of our ability the perfect quilt.

I had a guy stop here, saw a teapot quilt a client of mine made, he said he would love to buy itfor his wife, so I talked to the lady. With the type of fabric, the applique work that was done by hand, plus my cost to quilt it, all came to aprox $300.00.

I thought this was a good price, however the man coughed said he just don't see that amount of money in a quilt what so ever. Ah well, lets see him find that type of quality work in wal-mart.

Phyllis

[Lynn K.]

Amen to that, Phyllis! 8)

[Lynn K.]

I don't want those kind of folks to own my work anyway. I am really picky about where my quilts end up living. If they see no value in my work, I see no value in their opinion. :roll: Betty Ann

[Lynn K.]

If I make a gift of a quilt, it is simply that a gift. Once it leaves my hands; I have no control over what people do with it. I do tell receiver that should at any time the quilt needs to be repaired to return to me for repairs.
It is true that many do not respect the time or energy which is put into a quilt; however I don't have control over that fact of life. I have had people who don't use the quilt for fear they will 'spoil' it. I explain to them to use it...it was given to be wrapped in love.
I generally don't do quilts on commission. I do quilts from my heart.

FW

[Ricky T.]

"Never sell a quilt for less than you are willing to accept." Words from a wise teacher! If you do sell your quilts, ever, that is. Don't accept less for your quilt than it is worth to you, in your heart. And never never haggle with someone over the price of your quilt: if they are haggling, plainly they do no understand or appreciate your work. The teacher who dropped this into a lecture was Ricky Tims himself.

Indeed I did say that - almost word for word! Good on ya for paying attention tarabenet.

[Ricky T.]

If I make a gift of a quilt, it is simply that a gift. Once it leaves my hands; I have no control over what people do with it. I do tell receiver that should at any time the quilt needs to be repaired to return to me for repairs.
It is true that many do not respect the time or energy which is put into a quilt; however I don't have control over that fact of life. I have had people who don't use the quilt for fear they will 'spoil' it. I explain to them to use it...it was given to be wrapped in love.
I generally don't do quilts on commission. I do quilts from my heart.

FW

Well said! I gave a totally hand-appliqued, hand-quilted, even hand bound Hawaiian-style quilt to a friend for his baby. I said make sure this gets used - don't hang it up. When I visited him later, that quilt was the one the kid took to pre-school for naps and it got washed every week! It was well-used, well-loved, and I'm sure he had no idea what went into it. I was happy to see it holding up so well to so much use, too.

One story I think is funny is about a quilt I made for a friend to give her friend who had adopted a baby. One time the baby was sick and throwing up all over the place, and the mom had a moment of being more worried about the quilt than the baby!

I like to sleep under the quilts I make that are leaving me for one night, so I can infuse them with my love and spirit. I do this even with the ones I make on commission, because those are usually made for people I know and care for, too.

Tama

[Ricky T.]

I have a standard answer when I'm asked to make a quilt for someone. I tell them I've won national competitions, and that I charge $150 per square foot for my work. They usually just slink away in shock, or get indignant that I would charge so much when they can get one at Target for much less. I then suggest they might rather buy one at Target. I always have made baby quilts for any of my co-workers who were having a blessed event, but turned down the grandmothers who wanted one for their grandbaby. A co-worker will only produce one baby in a year or more, but a grandmother could have several grandbabies. I offered to show them how to make one, though. I've given away more quilts than I can remember. And, we have a very active chapter of Linus Project here in our little town, I do a lot of quilts for that.

[Ricky T.]

I make baby quilts for friends, nephews, neices, greats. NOT for friends' grandbabies! That is just going too far.

Most of the quilts I have given are well used. Many times I hear "that's his lovey, he must have it to sleep." One of my favorite compliments was "she christened your quilt - it was the first thing she threw up on!"

I take my quilts to work to show. One of the gals there also quilts - well she pieces and pays me to quilt for her. It's working great so far. People that ask me to make a quilt from scratch get a really high price because at this time I don't really want to deal with doing that. I have plenty of my own quilts that aren't done! :lol:

Sally in MO

[Ricky T.]

I, too give most of my quilts as gifts to family members. Sometimes it's a surprise, sometimes not - depending on how picky some might be! :roll:
When someone at work sees a finished project & starts hinting I just laugh & tell them how long it took. That usually stops them, & if it doesn't I tell them how much fabric costs.
On the other hand, SIL recently spoke to DH quietly, asking how to "get back in the quilt line up"
I guess she liked hers after all. :roll: