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Have I got you humming that childhood tune yet?
Every once in a while I get the question about how much a quilt is worth as well as “how do I price a quilt for someone who wants me to make them one”
The answer to the first question in my opinion is of course, “Invaluable”.
A quilt is worth what value the owner puts on it. I have seen beautiful quilts with hours and hours of hand work on them sell for less than a hundred dollars - and my heart breaks.
The reason it sells for so little? Usually it’s a find in an estate sale - where no member of the family likes or wants the quilt. AND they have no idea how many hours Grandma put into it - or the cost to her. Even quilts we make today sometimes have much more value to us than to the receiver.
The answer to the second question is not only determined by the cost of the materials and the hours we put into making it, but also what the market is willing to pay. Many many times the value of the quilt far exceeds the price the market will bear - unless you find the right market. Selling a quilt at a craft sale or market or county fair at the price it is worth almost never occurs - just ask anyone who has tried. In general any of the quilts that I sell are ordered by family, word of mouth or my web site.
When I make a quilt for sale, I generally choose a pattern that is not complicated and one that I can whip up quickly. Usually it is fabric that I have from my stash - but sometimes it is fabric that I have ordered and just received and I cannot wait to see what it will look like in a quilt!
I do account for my time at $25.00 a hour. And I add in the quilting cost at 3 cents per square inch. I calculate the exact cost of the fabric in the quilt and add the batting and backing and that my friends, is the price I put on the quilt.
Pricing
My pricing for a baby quilt is generally around $275. A lap quilt might run from $450 to $600 dollars. A t-shirt quilt usually costs $750 and a queen sized quilt often sells for $850 - $1300 depending on the pattern and amount of work. And I do not worry if someone sells quilts for less than I do.
Do I sell a lot of quilts? Not as many as I would like to. If I kept all the quilts I made - I would have to build a storage shed! Sometimes (almost all the time) my creativity outruns my sales ability! But I do manage to sell about 10 per year. And sad to say, I likely foist a few more away - and NEVER ask what the recipient does with them. Once it leaves my hands - it is theirs to do with as they please. (yes sometimes they turn into picnic blankets, dog blankets or extra car blankets - but that's ok too!)
Which brings me to the point I really want to make. Your craft, your skill, your talent, your heart and your generosity is what makes a quilt so very priceless and precious. Never ever forget that. You will never know how much your gift or the sale of a quilt means to someone. For many it is a blessing they will never forget.
The world needs more quilters. A quilt is kindness and love embedded is a ‘blanket’ as many call it. (don’t cringe - they just do not know). It will foster many memories and maybe even cradle a few tears but will always keep someone warm in body and soul. Never ever forget that - and quilt on!
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