Custom Quilt - Pricing
This custom quilt pricing business is a little tricky - because the production work involved in making a quilt (even when filled with love!) is intense. As I’ve been trying to figure out the right way to price them, whenever I’ve assigned a $ value to my time, it just doesn’t end up feeling right, for a couple reasons. For one, it makes each quilt so pricey and that just isn’t what I want this to be about. Also, I love doing this - and participating in the process of making a lasting heirloom by hand, with care and intention, one step at a time, is part of what gives me joy.
It feels like work worth doing slowly and well, to me.
So I have a unique pricing system. The total price of each quilt we determine together, by added together two variables. One I decide and one you decide:
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Base cost - A set amount that covers the cost of materials (fabric, thread, tools, etc.) and finishing, determined by the size of quilt you select.
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Makerwage - For each quilt, I ask you to decide what feels appropriate for you to pay me for creating your quilt.
Base Cost
Mini
(~40 x 60")
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$150
Lap
(~55 x 70")
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$275
Full
(~70 x 90")
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$375
Queen
(~80 x 100")
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$450
King
(~100 x 100")
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$550
Covers the cost of:
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Fabric: I focus on 100% cotton fabrics, though the occasional weirdo may sneak in there every now and then. I keep fabric costs down by shopping warehouse and vintage fabric and making the most of everything I have.
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Batting: The soft, snuggly stuff between the layers of fabric.
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Thread: High quality thread that will make your quilt last through many washing and drying cycles of life.
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Finishing: Custom longarming services by yours truly, trimming/squaring up, and hand-stitched binding.
Makerwage
How much you decide you’d like to pay me for my work designing and making your quilt is up to you. Maybe for you that’s $50 or maybe it’s $5,000 or somewhere in between or more!
I know that everyone’s circumstances are different, and so ask you, my partner in this project, to consider what feels right to you to pay in the context of the other variables in your life, and trust that you’ll tell me the number that truly feels right to you.
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Also, I've learned over the years of doing this that lots of people want some help/guidance figuring out what is appropriate to pay for this kind of creative work - so I put together this guidance to help you calibrate to a price range to consider given the complexity of the quilt I'm making and your personal circumstances.
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I’m very glad to share any other information that may help you decide on this. For example, some folks want to better understand the process, the approximate # of hours a quilt takes to make, or what handmade quilts often cost in other contexts. Let me know what would be helpful to you.
Payment Schedule
After we’ve figured out the general details (size, timeline, etc.) and I’ve agreed to take on the project, we’ll sign an agreement in which I’ll include the base cost and you can define the makerwage you’d like to contribute. I ask that at the time of signing this agreement, you put down 80% of the base cost as a deposit. The rest of the base cost and the makerwage you determine will be due when the project is finished.*
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*Unless your project is Queen/King size - then, I'll request that you submit payment for the final 20% of the base cost prior to the finishing step.