tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691299483488197666.post9092988479403556865..comments2024-03-12T00:55:17.655-07:00Comments on Little Bluebell: The $600 Baby QuiltLittle Bluebell (Adrianne)http://www.blogger.com/profile/06805431890457344837noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691299483488197666.post-46580858224465741742016-05-14T19:55:44.019-07:002016-05-14T19:55:44.019-07:00Oh, my $20?!! I was considering donating one of my...Oh, my $20?!! I was considering donating one of my quilts to a nonprofit organization for an auction just to get my name out there and drum up some business. Now, I'm not so sure.Umihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04060530982599348529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691299483488197666.post-85495828752566246072015-02-28T06:27:38.250-08:002015-02-28T06:27:38.250-08:00I agree with you. I am a quilter and have realized...I agree with you. I am a quilter and have realized that if I just give my handmade quilts away, I'd be happier doing that than not to have to be stressed out worrying about breaking even, etc. I love quilting, and would be tickled if i could sell mine at real prices, making money, but I don't see it happening since most people see quilts as "blankets" and end up destroying them Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16594192018886180698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691299483488197666.post-89035720707112661652014-06-18T21:43:05.112-07:002014-06-18T21:43:05.112-07:00Appalled doesn’t even BEGIN to cut it, Nicole. “Th...Appalled doesn’t even BEGIN to cut it, Nicole. “They don’t need a fancy longarm-quilted professional quilt”? Wow, Nicole, that is one of dumbest things I’ve ever heard a woman say on a quilting blog. The grieving parents “probably wouldn’t know the difference” between one of your half-assed patchworks & a beautifully designed professional memorial quilt? What kind of planet do you live in on Lily-Therese Wallahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13699509817171384813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691299483488197666.post-67469778611327358332014-03-29T22:44:33.741-07:002014-03-29T22:44:33.741-07:00I know this was awhile ago but I have to say I am ...I know this was awhile ago but I have to say I am appalled that you would charge grieving parents that much to preserve their precious child's memory! Imagine how much that quilt would mean to them and their family, you can't put a price on that. If it were me I would do it for NOTHING and thank God that he blessed me with a talent that could create something so priceless. Quilting is so Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08193995051167468383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691299483488197666.post-67953379632799983192013-11-02T18:11:11.019-07:002013-11-02T18:11:11.019-07:00I hope someone sees this and can get back to me AS...I hope someone sees this and can get back to me ASAP. Two co-workers lost their baby this year, at only 19 days old! Last night, the mom asked me to turn some of his sleepers and receiving blankets into a quilt for her 6'7" fiance! I have made full size t-shirt quilts, both fully stabilized, and custom machine quilted. I definitely undercharged for the first one, but was paid $650 Suzannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01844409805554629757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691299483488197666.post-2583800895816941122013-10-11T11:22:47.649-07:002013-10-11T11:22:47.649-07:00I totally agree with Rebecca Grace.
I make quilts ...I totally agree with Rebecca Grace.<br />I make quilts for therapy. I don't' take commissions because of the pressure level. It then becomes a job. Been there, done that. I make mostly scrap quilts. If someone wants to buy one of my quilts, then I sell.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05294686478447098839noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691299483488197666.post-41834999904928231352013-06-19T15:38:30.342-07:002013-06-19T15:38:30.342-07:00You should have said $600! If the quilt was appra...You should have said $600! If the quilt was appraised for insurance purposes, that's probably where the value would come in!Rebecca Gracehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14801489818836195754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691299483488197666.post-29056264156526386872013-06-19T15:37:27.094-07:002013-06-19T15:37:27.094-07:00No, the difference is that men generally present t...No, the difference is that men generally present themselves and their work with more confidence and authority, and we women apologize for ourselves, tell people we're really not that good, point out the flaws and shortcomings, and call it "just a hobby."Rebecca Gracehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14801489818836195754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691299483488197666.post-50181680073154050822013-06-19T15:35:02.242-07:002013-06-19T15:35:02.242-07:00Here's the catch: You need to connect with tha...Here's the catch: You need to connect with that upscale customer who is willing and eager to pay a premium for something that is one-of-a-kind, created just for them, that no one else will have. You need to have the technical skills to create a quilt that is to the highest quality standards for a customer who is paying that kind of money (no cutting off the points on your triangles, seams Rebecca Gracehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14801489818836195754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691299483488197666.post-70988603470140974792013-06-19T15:34:39.872-07:002013-06-19T15:34:39.872-07:00I disagree with everyone. Before you write me off...I disagree with everyone. Before you write me off as the lone crazy lady who doesn't know what she's talking about, let me tell you that I'm an interior designer, and I just got back from a meeting with clients who hired me to do a custom nursery. They approved a custom DIAPER STACKER that I designed and that my drapery workroom is going to sew, for a total cost to the client of $Rebecca Gracehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14801489818836195754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691299483488197666.post-12418546145241824572012-03-20T01:31:08.840-07:002012-03-20T01:31:08.840-07:00I have only made a couple of quilts to 'sell&#...I have only made a couple of quilts to 'sell'. I made them for a church fair and insisted on raffling them. Most people will pay £1 for a ticket but not £100 for a quilt in our area. Luckily I managed to raise £200. I think unless you get the right type of people who appreciate handmade products then you will have folks wanting to pay the lowest price possible. Good luck to all who Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691299483488197666.post-2451377372901558922012-01-27T07:48:16.270-08:002012-01-27T07:48:16.270-08:00I agree with most of the commenst above. I have n...I agree with most of the commenst above. I have noticed that most craft items produced by women are undervalued by the consumer. However, those produced by men (such as furniture, carvings and metal sculpture)are seen in a different light. Is time spent on the men's products more valuable than the time we spend on making a quilt or other fabric item?agoldencomethttp://goldiesrambles.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691299483488197666.post-43401594004580327542011-10-19T19:54:56.943-07:002011-10-19T19:54:56.943-07:00I just had the exact issue recently, when I donate...I just had the exact issue recently, when I donated a lap quilt for my son's school auction and they lept pressing me for a value. Well, let's start with $100 in fabric and batting. Conservatively estimating my time at 50 hours, and assigning a newbie value of about $10 an hour (I'm slow, but the quality is excellent), there's $500 more. Obviously I can't say $600, so what&Tennjennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01397113148008290316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691299483488197666.post-61772153125628214812011-09-24T07:42:17.246-07:002011-09-24T07:42:17.246-07:00One more thing - so many of the quilts sold on ets...One more thing - so many of the quilts sold on etsy (not all, certainly, but a majority) are relatively simple quilts, quickly pieced. Uneducated consumers tend to value quilts by their size rather than by their complexity, comparing a baby quilt to a baby quilt, a king quilt to a king quilt. The difference in the labor cost between the two quilts is vast - I could make a baby quilt in 5 hours orAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691299483488197666.post-68295167118288858182011-09-24T07:33:47.041-07:002011-09-24T07:33:47.041-07:00Supermom pointed out the most important difference...Supermom pointed out the most important difference between Ink & Spindle's formula and our reality: It doesn't work for a heavily labor intensive product like quilting. I also think starting at a wage of $20 per hour is excessive for a home based business. Using that formula, the twin size sampler quilt I'm working on now would need to be priced at more than $3,000! No one where IAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691299483488197666.post-21076970604925449152011-09-22T17:15:20.729-07:002011-09-22T17:15:20.729-07:00A lot of people sell their quilts more as a turnov...A lot of people sell their quilts more as a turnover rather than a business. Sell a quilt to buy materials to make more. I love quiltmaking and I do sell some of my quilts on etsy and use the 1/3 method to calculate the price. Whatever the cost of materials to make the quilt multiply x 3 to get your sale value. I take into account that if I do want to make a sale, I need to be at a certain Janenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691299483488197666.post-70512427316333045452011-09-22T13:03:18.346-07:002011-09-22T13:03:18.346-07:00After reading the article and all the comments, I ...After reading the article and all the comments, I agree that there has to be a difference between building a business and sustaining a hobby. I hope to start selling my quilts at a reasonable price (say, $250 for a lap quilt) once I become a good enough quilter. The goal here is not to support myself, but to support my habit and keep the clutter down. Perhaps on etsy I could make that clear inEricahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17160232490303903590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691299483488197666.post-18973907262444694482011-09-22T12:53:28.608-07:002011-09-22T12:53:28.608-07:00I have done commission quilts as well, and I follo...I have done commission quilts as well, and I follow Poppyprint's example, exactly. Always get a deposit or cost of materials up front, then if they can't come up for money for finished product you really are only out your time but still have a quilt that can be gifted or sold to someone else or given to charity. <br /><br />I think selling quilts or handmades on a (craft-specific) siteDorishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09167997687171327482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691299483488197666.post-80789676536221029782011-09-22T10:30:58.138-07:002011-09-22T10:30:58.138-07:00I love the graphic you included in this post - ver...I love the graphic you included in this post - very clever quilt of stacked bills! I recently did a commission quilt for a soon-to-be-born baby. It was for strangers that found me through a friend. I met with them, we talked about their vision for the quilt (which was very precise). I estimated the fabric costs and requested that they pay for the fabric up front. I then drafted out the quilt Poppyprinthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08251892807966340175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691299483488197666.post-2408061599928434542011-09-22T08:43:00.678-07:002011-09-22T08:43:00.678-07:00I agree with Sam!
Also, I think another missing p...I agree with Sam!<br /><br />Also, I think another missing piece is "what would I be willing to pay for a quilt?" I know the cost of materials, I know the time it takes to make a quilt. <br /><br />I know all that and yet I do not think quilts are worth as much as the formula would have you believe.<br /><br />How can I exect someone to pay a price that even I wouldn't pay?Crystalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16246323377929476660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691299483488197666.post-50022457665232384972011-09-22T07:23:02.262-07:002011-09-22T07:23:02.262-07:00I think their formula is misguided and very narrow...I think their formula is misguided and very narrow minded. They're assuming that ALL sellers need at least 50% mark up on the cost value. Let me tell you, a 50% profit margin is HIGH, a 100% profit margin (what they suggest charging for retail) is super high. Most retail businesses operate at around 30% profit margins, and that's considered a healthy profit. You can't just times Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691299483488197666.post-26864581679785895542011-09-22T03:00:42.339-07:002011-09-22T03:00:42.339-07:00Personally I can't put a value on the joy I de...Personally I can't put a value on the joy I derive from all aspects of quilting. If that means I never recoup any money for the time I spend making something then so be it. In many ways I've already received payment, just not in the monetary sense. I'm sorry to hear that people thinks this devalues all quilters, and I struggle to see how this is the case. For every person willing to Samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16556604419447448633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691299483488197666.post-45522991823189462152011-09-22T02:46:19.799-07:002011-09-22T02:46:19.799-07:00I agree. The demand side of the economic equation...I agree. The demand side of the economic equation is as important as the supply side. If the price you need to charge to make money is a price that no one is prepared to pay, then you do not have a viable business model. Most crafts do not provide a viable business model.<br /><br />If you want to sell things you've made at less than their full economic value because you've had the Roshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02669423378438380019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691299483488197666.post-74908590516833973632011-09-21T10:05:33.051-07:002011-09-21T10:05:33.051-07:00I've heard the point before "you don'...I've heard the point before "you don't get rich selling your quilts" and I agree with everything everyone above says. I've toyed with the idea of selling my handmade wares too, but I think for me it would come down to whether I'm selling them as a hobby (so I can buy more fabric and make more stuff after everyone I know is tired of quilts and bags and hats and scarves) Angela O.https://www.blogger.com/profile/18372693316252128131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6691299483488197666.post-78454171916780551122011-09-21T07:17:19.529-07:002011-09-21T07:17:19.529-07:00Great post! 600 IS a lot for a baby quilt, it'...Great post! 600 IS a lot for a baby quilt, it's so crazy! I'm off to read that article, thanks!Jessicahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17179681581545359529noreply@blogger.com