EDITED - Updated Link
I have come under fire for my quilting pricing before, and I will most likely be under fire again for this post. I do not charge the 'going' rate for my long arm quilting. I love what I do and I am lucky enough to be able to do it. With that being said, here's what the quilts at my house look like. Take a few moments to click on the photos and read the captions.
I have come under fire for my quilting pricing before, and I will most likely be under fire again for this post. I do not charge the 'going' rate for my long arm quilting. I love what I do and I am lucky enough to be able to do it. With that being said, here's what the quilts at my house look like. Take a few moments to click on the photos and read the captions.
As you can see
the quilts at my house are very used and loved. Just everyday quilts that
we love. This is the way I want it, this is the way I love it.
Now let's talk
numbers...
My rate for
quilting is .01 per square inch. Let's do the math for a simple quilt.
If you send me a 100" x 100" quilt I am going to send you a
bill for $100 for the quilting. The going rate for most other long arm
quilters is in the range of 015-.020 per square inch for simple edge designs
and that does not always include the thread. If you are paying .015 the
same quilt quilted by someone else is going to cost you $150 and if your
quilter's rate is .020 you are going to pay $200 for the same quilt. Why
would/do you pay an extra $50-$100 for quilting?
This is for
edge to edge quilting not custom quilting, custom quilting can and SHOULD cost
you more. It's .010 for just about any design that I carry with no additional
charge for the thread. I might charge you extra if you send me a really
wrinkled top or backing, but most of the time I will just press it and move on.
If I do charge you, most likely you will find my fees lower than the
'going rate' of other long arm quilters.
Often I hear
"you get what you pay for". Maybe, maybe not. I quilt
hundreds of quilts each year and feel that I am a very experienced
and confident machine quilter. I am not attempting to get rich
or make a name for myself, I just like what I do and am lucky enough to be able
to do it.
Recently a
blog post was written about Quiltonomics:
The Real Cost of Quilts. Yes,
quilting is expensive. The cost of the material alone can blow a normal
budget out of the waters for a month or two. However, statements
like the one below tend to make me a little crazy.
EDITED
Link above may be unavailable, so here's another link....
http://www.mooreapproved.dreamhosters.com/2015/02/quiltonomics-the-real-cost-of-quilts/
EDITED
Link above may be unavailable, so here's another link....
http://www.mooreapproved.dreamhosters.com/2015/02/quiltonomics-the-real-cost-of-quilts/
"Every
time one person undersells, it creates the expectation of the buying public
that a low price is the going rate,” Hunter weighed in. “We need to raise our
prices to a living wage for the sake of all. We are no less skilled than
plumbers and mechanics that charge $100 an hour.”
The problem I
have with this statement is this:
I
believe we will eternally need the services of plumbers and mechanics to
keep the plumbing and mechanics of our lives working. The need will never
go away; it is job security. It isn't a trend to follow, plumbing is
pretty much plumbing. It was plumbing 5 years and will be plumbing 5
years from now.
In case you
are wondering what I'm talking about in the paragraph above, I remember a few
years ago when scrapbooking was all the rage. Now it seems to be
quilting. When will it end? Will it end? Who knows? I
don't believe anyone really does. Yes, there are the eternal diehards that
will remain quilting, but will the industry be as strong 5 or even 10
years from now?
I know of
several gals in my guild who only make quilts to give away. They have
made more quilts than their families can use or want. Hard to believe for
some of us, but it does happen, and I have seen it.
Is every quilt
a fine work of art? Is it really going to be a true heirloom? Should
we/you expected to pay a higher price just because someone thinks their time is
valued at a high dollar amount and who sets the standard? After all isn't
this considered a 'craft'? I don't know of a college out there that
offers classes or a degree in quilting.
I'm sure if
you ask the plumbers and mechanics of the world
they will most
likely tell you they do not feel they are in the
same category
as the quilters.
Another
thing...I have known quilters to 'hang a sign' and begin quilting customer
quilts just weeks after purchasing their machines. They would charge the
'going' rate? WAIT! What happened to the learning time? What
about the pre-professional pricing? I certainly didn't begin with the
highest price possible. I have quilted
many, many free quilts to learn before even thinking about charging. Just
because you own a machine does not mean you should charge the same price as
someone who does superior work. It's like paying the same amount of money
for a Chevy as you would a Rolls Royce.
With all of my
heart I believe that if you have made a show-stopping quilt you should expect
to pay more for the quilting, but if you have made a quilt to be loved and
used, you may want to think about this post and ask yourself…
Am I paying
too much?
thanks for checking on me,
hugs,
joanne
love to hear what you've got to say.........