Hi, all!
If people know you quilt, it's likely that you've heard that question: "How much would you charge me to make a quilt?"
And you've probably either drawn a blank, or quoted a price right off the top of your head without thinking.
We've all been there! Let me tell you about my experience...
Several years ago, a friend at church asked me about making a very large t-shirt quilt for her, and wanted to know how much I would charge. I started to tell her $100, but then I remembered an article I read by Sam Hunter of Hunter's Design Studio about how to price your handiwork. Instead I told her that I would work up a price for her and let her know in a couple of days.
Using some of the tips in Sam's article, I came up with a price of $450 for a queen size t-shirt quilt. Wow! I couldn't believe my initial impulse was so far off from the actual cost. I did some research on the internet to see if my price was in line with those online, and found that mine was, if anything, a little low. So I wrote up my itemized estimate and went back to my friend with the information.
We had a good conversation about her quilt and what she wanted, and I pointed out some places where she could save money (like making her quilt smaller). Ultimately she decided against having me make the quilt - but she is one of the few people who have changed their mind after asking me for a price quote.
Since then, I've had lots of folks ask me how much they should charge someone to make a quilt. I'll share my estimate form with you here, but I would also suggest that you read Sam's article, and especially read the comments. There's a world of information there, and a great conversation between quilters about the topic. It will really make you think!
Quilt Estimate
T-Shirt Quilt
Memory Quilt made using 16 t-shirt panels, arranged 4 x 4 with sashing and cornerstones
12” blocks, finished size approximately 68” square
Cotton backing and batting
Straight line, triple cross-hatch quilting across the squares of the quilt.
MATERIALS:
Interfacing - woven fusible $12.00
Sashing and border - Kona Pink - 2.5 yards @ $6.15/yard 15.38
Cornerstones and Binding - Kona Honey Dew - 1 yard @ $6.98/yard 6.98
Backing - Kona Iron - 4 yards @ $6.89/yard 27.56
Batting - 5184 sq. in. @ $.00179 per square inch 9.28
Thread 4.00
TOTAL MATERIALS: $75.20
LABOR:
Deconstruct 18 t-shirts; 15 minutes each;
4.5 hours @ $12/hour $54.00
Cut and interface 18 blocks, 2 hours @ $12/hour 24.00
Arrange and piece the quilt top; 3 hours @ $12/hour 36.00
Piece and press the quilt back; 1 hour @ $12/hour 12.00
TOTAL LABOR: $126.00
QUILTING:
Straight line quilting, diagonal cross-hatch through the squares;
6 hours @ $12/hour $72.00
BINDING:
Machine sewn to front and back of quilt $20.00
TOTAL ESTIMATE: $ 293.20
The above is a sample of my t-shirt quilt estimate. The first part is a description of what I am making.
Then comes materials. List everything here, being as specific as possible so there aren't any questions. If you will be charged for shipping or sales tax, add it in to the cost. And see the last entry - Thread? That covers a lot of things - thread, basting spray, sewing machine needles, all the little things that it takes to run your studio. You may find that you want to add other items or increase that last entry - do what you need to make it your own estimate.
Labor comes next. I find that breaking this down so that your customer sees how long the quilt will take to make allows them to understand why quilts cost so much. And this is where your hourly rate comes in. Rest assured I think my time is worth more than $12 an hour, but I had to start somewhere - which was originally $10 an hour. I increased my rates about a year ago and I'm finding that it isn't slowing things down any, so they may go up again after the first of the year!
Finally, quilting and binding. If I am straight line quilting, as in this particular quilt, I charge by the hour. That time includes not only the actual time to quilt it on my domestic machine, but the time it takes to spray baste the quilt. If I quilt on my long arm, I charge by the square inch. I charge $.015 per square inch for simple meandering, $.02 p.s.i. for small meandering or simple designs, and anything custom is negotiated with the customer based on how long I think it will take. Binding is a more personal call for me - this is way under the going rate for binding, but I find binding to be pretty simple and just couldn't charge the rates I found on-line.
When I review this with my customer, they can see exactly how I came up with the price, and I don't (usually) get a shocked face! If I do, I sit down with them and discuss ways that she could save money. These may include using fewer t-shirts in a quilt, making a smaller quilt, using less expensive fabrics, a simpler pattern, or having the customer put in a little sweat equity. Right now, I have a customer deconstructing clothing for several memory quilts. She had the time to do it, and it will save her some money and allow me to get her projects done in time for Christmas!
I can honestly say that I have only had two customers decide not to have a quilt made after reviewing their estimate. I have worked out ways to reduce costs for several, and I'm pleased to say they were happy with the end results!
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Now, a few tips.
Don't take on a quilt that you won't enjoy making. If you hate what you're making, there isn't enough money in the world!
Don't take on a quilt that's beyond your skill level. If a customer picks a pattern that you don't feel comfortable making, try to find some other options that are similar, but within your skill set.
Don't allow the customer to pick out fabric without some direction from you. I say this from the standpoint of watching a friend deal with a customer who brought her fabric - upholstery fabric, eyelet, embroidered pieces, stretch knits, and quilting cotton - and saw her pain as she tried to create what the customer envisioned.
Get a deposit before you start making a quilt for someone. I usually ask for at least the cost of materials up front, with the balance due on delivery.
Don't overcommit! I keep a list on my calendar whiteboard of all the commission jobs I have going, and any that I've been contacted about but that haven't been finalized yet. And I set a cut-off date when I won't take any more commission jobs before Christmas, and also before graduation. I don't ever want to be in the position of telling someone that I can't finish their job in time.
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And now for a few final thoughts. Why is it important to charge a fair price for your work? Because when you charge a fair price, you allow others to charge a fair price too. If you don't believe that, imagine a craft fair where you have your beautiful baby quilts priced at $175 each (a fair price), but the lady at the table next to you has similar quilts priced at $40 each. You know she can't even buy the materials for one of those quilts for $40, but she tells you she just loves making them and doesn't care how much she gets for them. That's unfortunate - because she just made yours look overpriced.
It's also important to charge a fair price because, darn it, you're worth it! Your work is art, and don't you forget it.
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So that's just a short (ok, maybe not so short) post about how I price my commission quilts. Now it's your turn to throw in your two cents - leave a comment with your own thoughts, suggestions, or questions. If you leave a question, PLEASE leave your email address too - I hate being unable to respond because of the "no-reply" blogger syndrome.
PS: If you want to save this article for future reference, you can print out your own copy easily. First of all, look right under my sign-off and see if there's a green label there that says "Print PDF". If it's not there, go up and click on the title of this blogpost and it will open the post alone and it will appear at the bottom. Now click on that green box and it will take you to a site that will create a PDF that you can print out.
Hugs!
Sarah
Sam Hunter was spot on with her original post. You might want to boost the "labor" cost up to $15 per hour. Warehouse people now get $15 per hour and they are not even close to being an artist and a craft person, which we as quilters are :-) (PS I am a warehouse worker for UPS and make way above $15 per hour--boring job, but it pays for the fabric to be a quilter/artist)
ReplyDeleteYes, she was! And I agree about boosting the labor cost - I've just been working up to it as I gradually educate my customer base about the cost of making quilts.
DeleteReally appreciate your article and the permission to print and add to my file. I am such a frugal person, working in an expensive art form, (!) I am quite squeamish about charging "what it's worth." This helps. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHappy to be of assistance! It really will help people understand why you charge as much as you do - it's hard for them to argue with you when you've got it spelled out in clear detail! And it's easy to see places where the cost could be reduced with some compromise on their part.
DeleteI use pretty much the same standards as you. A written contract with all those details filled out. I keep fabric catalogs on hand so customers can see the actual price of what materials cost - or use on-line look ups for them. I find a lot of people are just not aware of what fabrics and threads cost. I can design in EQ so the customer can see the 'actual' look. I keep a photo file on completed quilts for them to see designs as well. I ask for a deposit to help with materials expenses as well. I also give an estimated turn around time. I limit commissions so I can meet those turn arounds. AND I am strict about the cusomer order of business - no one sneaking a project in before another.
ReplyDeleteSounds like we do things a lot alike! I keep several color cards of solids on hand for customer review, and always have my computer handy to look up fabrics and prices. Looks like the only big difference we have is about customer order - if I have a customer come in with a "need-by" date that's earlier than another job, I may jump the line on that project if it doesn't mean I might not get the other project done in time.
DeleteVery good post! I have had the uninitiated (oh, I want one, too!) gasp at the cost but then others are happy with it!
ReplyDeleteI've been slowly raising awareness in my circle for a while now, and considering how many people are coming to me from the recommendation of other customers, it seems to be working.
DeleteI agree that most people have no idea of the cost of materials for making a quilt - much less the hours involved.
ReplyDeleteShowing them the reasoning behind a cost takes it out of the realm of being an arbitrary decision on your part. It shows that you put some thought into it, and that you are doing what you can to provide a beautiful hand-crafted product for a fair price.
DeleteThank you for the informative article and link! I follow a similar process, but it's always nice to see what others are doing to be sure I'm not missing anything.
ReplyDeleteI agree - that's why I so enjoyed reading Sam's article and the comments to it. It''s important that we talk about stuff like this so we can learn!
DeleteI was asked to re-do a family heirloom Overall Sam quilt. Not knowing how much work would finally be required, I was very specific with written estimates prior to working on the quilt, charging $12.50/hour plus supplies. It was several months before I finished, which included internet and shopping sprees to find similar vintage fabrics for repairs. I kept the owner informed by email throughout the process, very detailed, letting her know how many issues I was finding - ended up having to re-applique 20 Sams, requilt, re-embroider, replace the whole top border (I cut off the backing, brought it to the front, and replaced the back with a repro similar in color), re-bind, made a label, washed in RetroClean, mended split seams/holes and frays...needless to say it was MUCH more work than my original estimate of "over $200." Over 40 hours of labor - I was initially shocked of the time, as I'm not a beginner or slow. Just tedious work. The owner was pleased and was happy to pay. Probably never a re-make again - it's like clothing alterations, can be frustrating.
ReplyDeleteI have done a couple of remakes and repairs on vintage quilts, and I agree with you that they are in a class of their own. It's virtually impossible to determine in advance how much time will be involved. It sounds like you did it well, by keeping your customer informed of the progress and the work involved along the way. I've always relied on my clients to pay a fair price for those remakes, because the number of hours I put into them makes it such a huge job - but fortunately they've always been more than fair with me. I think though, in the future, I'll need to set a per-hour charge and an estimated number of hours, with a "retainer" to cover the beginning of the work. Otherwise, it's only a matter of time before I get burned! I enjoy bringing a vintage beauty back to life, though.
DeleteThanks for sharing this on your blog! I've been using this since you shared it with me a while back and I'm getting much more comfortable with charging a fair price for my work. :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it's been working for you! It's a tough step to take, but so worth it!
DeleteThanks Sarah. I did save this, and will use it.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad! It really has been a help to me - I feel like I'm getting a fair deal, and giving one too!
DeleteThank you for sharing. I have printed it and will use the next time I am asked. Although, I very well may say 'no thank you' since I really do not enjoy making T-shirt quilts much anymore.
ReplyDeleteT-shirt quilts aren't my favorite either, but they pay the bills and I can splurge on other things, like QuiltCon or retreats or that new bundle of fabric that catches my eye! And the estimate form can be easily adapted to patchwork quilts, too - the concepts are still the same. Materials, Labor, Quilting, and Binding. Check carefully to be sure you didn't miss anything, and you're good to go!
DeleteI do not take in work for commission. Mostly because I hate being on a deadline, but also, because I want to work on what I want to work on, being tied to someone else's project isn't for me. If I love someone enough I will make them a requested item if I am interested in the project. This is usually limited to family and close friends. Great breakdown of the process and costs!
ReplyDeleteThat's a good decision to make, particularly if your sewing time is limited. It can take the joy out of it if you don't have time to work on something you really want to do! But it's also good to know you can come up with a fair estimate if you are asked and are interested in taking on the project!
DeleteI especially like your comments about other quilters charging the market rate for their work. It stinks to be on the up side of that equation (voice of experience talking....)
ReplyDeleteYes, it does - and it's not limited to craft shows. I've seen it on Etsy and other selling sites, too.
DeleteThis is so good when itemised. Years ago Hugh had a lawn mowing business, and over many years, had only ONE person query the charge. The grass was about 3 feet high, rough, not cut for ages, and he charged at an hourly rate for that first cut. The owner didn't want to pay, and declined to pay the full amount, and said he would get his grandson to do it. We happily agreed he should do just that, but still cover the full amount. He finally did. I think a lot of people see a quilt, and have no idea of the time, the machine used, wear and tear, and time to set up, and all the other things they don't see going on.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, and your story makes me remember something I forgot to mention - it's important to agree on a price BEFORE you agree to take on the job. I always sit down and talk to the customer about what they want, pick colors and fabrics, then write up an estimate and send it to them. Once they agree to a price, THEN I start working on their quilt. That way there are no surprises, and hopefully everyone ends up happy!
DeleteYou are right that most people have no idea how much time and expense goes into making a quilt. I made a quilt for my daughters friend. A very nice twin size, quilt store fabric and of course the time of labor. She seemed to like it. A couple of years later my daughter saw the quilt on Facebook for sale for (are you ready) $15! I told my daughter to buy it back. But evidently the mother had put it up for sale without the friends knowledge. It was saved and now lives with my daughters friend in her new home after she moved and was married. I've only made one quilt by commission. But I sometimes wonder if gifted quilts don't sometime end up in the dogs bed.
ReplyDeleteOuch! Most of the quilts I make go to my family, and I make sure that they hear about how much I charge for commission quilts so they know the value of the ones I make for them. I'd hate to think they'd end up in the yard sale pile! I made a quilt in the past for a charity group to auction - beautiful quilt shop quality fabrics, a modern design, and hand quilting - only to find out that they let it go for $50! That was the last quilt I donated to that group. Now I just make a cash donation. Anyone else who asks for a quilt for auction gets a letter that states the value of the quilt on the market so they have a reasonable price to aim for in their auction.
DeleteThis is helpful, Sarah. I've only done a couple pieces of commissioned work. I severely under-priced my work and grew resentful by the time I finished it. Not a good feeling. Was totally my fault for not figuring out a way to price my work more fairly.
ReplyDeleteYes, underpricing your work can make you resentful, and it puts a lot of bad ju-ju in the quilt! But seriously, that's why I won't reduce my price just because someone thinks it's too high. I know that it's fair, I've shown them that it's fair, and I won't haggle just to make them happy. They know the quality of my work and I know it's worth it. So if we can't come to an agreement, I just shake hands with them and tell them thanks for considering me!
DeleteYou are very kind to share this, Sarah. I've not had time in the past to make quilts for anyone except my family and charities. I was recently asked to make a t-shirt quilt for someone but I answered that I only quilt for fun. My answer was mainly because I had no idea where to start to figure out how to charge. Your post is helpful.
ReplyDeleteI will say that while t-shirt quilts aren't the most creative quilts to make, they do pay the bills! Or at least allow me to indulge in some things I might not otherwise do - like QuiltCon or a quilt retreat, for example. And when people find out that you quilt on commission, you start to get more interesting projects, too!
DeleteVery good article. I've made a few t-shirt quilts on commission, but have decided that until I make ones for my own kids I'm not making for anyone else. I also use to make purses/bags for sale either privately or at a few craft shows. I stopped the craft shows when the popular party purses became available at craft shows. My prices were too high compared to the mass produced items and I wasn't going to give away my blood and sweat. Some of my friends don't understand that, but on well. Now I only sew for myself or as gifts.
ReplyDeleteMaybe someday when I don't work full-time I will reconsider doing commission pieces, time will tell.
That's probably a good decision when your sewing time is limited. I'm fortunate that I get to do this 40 hours (or more) a week! I agree with you about purses - there's too much work in them to sell them for the going rate.
DeleteMaking this itemized list is so important when we quilt for others or make ready-made quilts for sale. It's great you are educating your customers and slowly raising your rates to a fair compensation for yourself. It's far better to have less customers who are willing to pay what the quilt is worth than more customers that pay less than its worth and be so busy we can't keep up, because we only have so much time to create quilts. I price out batting by the inch for the full 96" width (rolled batting) rather than the actual square inches used, because even if the quilt is smaller than that, that leftover piece of batting goes on the scrap pile. I also add at least 15% to cover business expenses, grow my business and to help cover taxes. My hourly rate is higher than $12 an hour, because that $12 drops to $10 an hour after income taxes. I too find that the going rate for binding is quite excessive and don't charge that much. We each have to find what works for us and go with that.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your article. I do not do commission work because it would take the fun out of quilting.but your article gave me insight as to how much my quilts are really worth.
ReplyDeleteGreat post and SPOT ON with respect to why under pricing is bad for all of us!
ReplyDeleteI had a friend recently ask how to charge, I knew there was an article, I just couldn't remember her name! Thank you for the information, I have forwarded it on!
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I have been asked to make a T-shirt quilt, and did for my grand daughter, she loves it which makes all the work worth it. Her friend has since requested one, but I said no. Quilting is my therapy :) I really need to enjoy the process.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing that valuable information. I only make quilts for family and friends but that is good information to share with them so they will know how valuable my gift to the really is!
ReplyDeleteThis was an EXCELLENT article and I agree with what you said. My question is: how do you figure out how long it will take you to do certain things? Did you just keep track on a number of quilts to come up with the hours needed? That's what I did to figure out what to put down on my taxes for donation quilts....but I don't really have any idea how long it takes me to make things. (dreamsoaps@aol.com)
ReplyDeleteAnd this is for a T-Shirt quilt! I just finished a quilt titled York Lodge - it consisted of 30 Lone Star - 10" blocks. I made it to enter in Quilt Show. If I ever sold this puppy it would cost the $3,000.00 - The pattern was listed as Intermediate but that is mis-leading it is only for an Advanced quilter, and it took approximately 6 hours to make 1 block, and that does not count the blocks that did not make the cut - But I did it! Non-quilters have absolutely no idea of how much time it can take to make a quilt that is perfect in every way! Absolutely wonderful post for those interested in selling!
ReplyDeleteI'm with the commenter who said $15/hour. Even our church custodians make more than that, although they are craftsmen of another type keeping our old building running and looking good.
ReplyDeleteIf someone asks me about making a quilt for them, I think about the person and how I feel about them and their project. Will it be something I enjoy, and enjoy working for them. If the answer is no, I usually say, "Oh, you couldn't pay me enough." which is true, but a reasonable way to decline. If it's someone who's close to me, I just do it as a labor of love. Not necessary, but my choice as it relieves a lot of stress.
Thank you for this great article! I will print and save.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this information, Sarah. It just proves I made a mistake in agreeing to make two quilts for a neighbor. I didn't do any of your recommendations and I'm the one that will pay the price. And it's not just what I won't get paid for, but the time it took away from my own projects. Well, live and learn. I know I won't do any more commission work.
ReplyDeletePat
Pricing is tricky! you have the right idea. Yes you have a correct way of looking at things. In Canada, the price should 30% more due to exchange etc.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I used to use a chart to figure the cost of each of my quilts, filling it out as I went along. At some point I stopped doing that and the quilt prices on the quilts I have listed on Etsy sure reflect that! I think as I've started making more quilts without a pattern, maybe I drifted away from that practice? But in hindsight, I could at least keep better track of the fabric I'm using! For an improv scrap quilt, how would you suggest estimating the fabric used? Just by the size of the quilt and an average for the yardage?
ReplyDeleteThank you for the article. I have only made one “commissioned” quilt. I was so nervous the whole time I decided not to do anymore. Quilting is my hobby and not my job. I retired after working 40 years at several jobs that paid much more an hour. I’m glad there are Quilters for hire. I have used Longarmers before. I do give quilts away, but they are a surprise and no input from recipients. I don’t really think about the quilts again as it is a gift. The owner can use as they want.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Thank you! Thank you!!! I have often wondered how I could answer that question. You brought up things I never thought about! Thank you!
ReplyDeletep.s. Did I remember to thank you for this???
This is great info. Thank you. I too have had inquiries about t-0shirt quilts and this will definitely come in handy.
ReplyDelete