Why you shouldn't ask someone to make a quilt for you. The true cost of a quilt.

 

Having recently been in lockdown, I have used my time designing and making quilts, wall hangings and various sewn items. I make these for myself, for my own amusement and entertainment, to stave off boredom, to take my mind off everything which is bad with the world and because I like producing beautiful things. I don't always have an idea where the finished item will go, who it's for or even whether it will work out. It is both the process of creating and the anticipation of the final item which keeps me going.

I've made a few quilts recently and put them on Facebook, as I like people to know I do actually have some talents, I like to show my stuff off - or what is the point of making them and let's face it - it's lovely to receive comments as justification that perhaps I actually have a talent. Makes me feel good - of course it does. It spurs me on to go to do more.  I have donated a few quilts to the local hospital baby Special Care Baby Unit as quilts to go over incubators. I've made some for relatives or friends as it makes me happy when someone knows the work required and suitably appreciates it. Giving makes me happy.

So here's the problem - when someone I know kind of not too well asks me to make a quilt for them or their family. - What do I tell them?  I'm honoured to be asked but I never know what to say as a reply.

Firstly my quilting is done in my own private leisure time, after work. It's done in my 'me time,' my relaxing time. I put on my music (yes likely Rock Choir), I shut my door, put on my onesie and the creative ideas and juices begin to flow. I rarely know what a finished piece will look like until I have finished. For those who don't know the process, it's this;

1) Planning - how big, what colours, what design. what method (sewing/applique/piecing......)

2) Buying the fabric - do you go out to get some? do you use what you already have? - each piece of fabric comes from a bigger piece - the smallest bit of fabric you can buy is a fat quarter - usually about £2 upwards for a fat quarter - these are usually only sold as a part of a fat quarter bundle - with 4 or 5 other fat quarters - about £10-£15 a bundle.  Off the roll, the minimum you can buy is a half metre - about £5.  So for EACH colour you want in your quilt, you will have to get the fabric first. Take the elephant above - I used 12 different fabrics - We're talking about £15 at least for the pink alone. The backing fabric was £7.50 a metre - I used 1.5 metres. so £22.50 so far. Plus my petrol running about to the shops or postage to get the fabric. Then there's the iron on interfacing - this helps me to be able to cut each tiny piece of fabric without it fraying and losing its shape. This is £3.50 a metre - Let's call it £30 just for fabric. 

3) Now the elephant - I need to spend probably a good 2-3 hours drawing a grid to make the elephant from an A4 PC printout to the actual size of about 3.3ft x 1.5 ft. I can't draw freehand. - Oh and add a roll of wallpaper or lining paper so I can draw it in one go without having to sellotape lots of A4 sheets together. - Cost about £3 time taken - about 3 hours

3) Now I need to iron the interfacing onto the fabric and draw out each shape individually and label it so I know what goes where - each bit gets sewn on individually.  This part probably takes about 4 evenings kneeling on the floor in the evenings in front of the tv. -   For the brick quilt, I have to measure and cut each brick to EXACTLY the same size plus the 'cement' strips of fabric - also these need to be exact. I then have to lay the bricks out so no two the same are together and the whole quilt looks equally balanced.  I then have to number the bricks so they don't get mixed up.  cost £0   hours - 15 

4) Now I can start sewing. - I need to iron each piece on and then sew it onto the backing fabric. This takes probably about 25 hours for the elephant. For the wall probably about the same as each piece has to be placed, lined up, pinned, sewn and ironed before adding the next 'brick'.  About 25 hours.

5) Adding the wadding and backing. Once the front is finished and I'm happy, I have to buy the right wadding - this is about £15 for 3 metres - it is best to get more than needed so you can trim it down later - I also have to have it posted or go and get it in the car.  I also need a 3m piece of backing fabric - plain cotton is about £7.50 a metre.  I then have to find a huge space on the kitchen floor and lay the quilt out there, all three layers have to be flat with no wrinkles - this then has to be pinned about every 10" or so to stop it moving about. This part is murder on the knees and takes about 2 hours.

6) Once you have the quilt sandwich, it has to go through the machine to be quilted to stop the layers moving about and give the texture and loft expected on a quilt.  I only have a normal sewing machine and trying to feed a huge quilt through it while supporting the weight and being accurate is an acquired skill which I still have not fully acquired.  You CAN get this sent off to be done on a long arm machine which is probably worth doing if you are doing a family heirloom quilt but this will cost you well over £100 depending on design and size.  I do mine myself and if you look closely my lines are all off and to be frank it wouldn't pass any tests - although my quilts are just for me and mine are all about speed and being pleasing to MY eye and the creation of an idea.  I would never win any competitions for skill and accuracy - this is not important to me. If you have spend years doing a quilt and it is to be a family heirloom - have it quilted professionally.      Time taken on a regular (Aldi) sewing machine about 30 hours. (and this is my method which is rushed as my quilts are for me and nobody is judging my accuracy or skill).

7) Next you have to cut the quilt square and edge it - more fabric and sewing.  I like to put a corded edge in my quilts just to give them a frame. More crawling about on the kitchen floor with pins. This part takes about 5 hours.

So we are looking at a cost of £lots and time MANY hours. Bearing in mind these quilts are for me alone, the odd slip up is fixable and a last minute new idea is acceptable. I get pleasure from the creative process, seeing my idea come to life and making something all mine which reflects my own personality, and gives my family something for the future.

So what to do if someone wants to buy my quilt? - well if firstly, I don't think the person asking is ever aware of what goes into a quilt - time or cost or love. If I were to tell them, I'm pretty sure in 99.9% of cases the person would be horrified. If I were to charge by time and cost, we are talking of my own time, outside work. If I were paid minimum wage per hour of £8.50 or whatever it is, we are talking hundreds. Then you have my creative ideas, my skills and my personal input. My 'me' time is precious - and surely I am undervaluing myself by charging anything less than minimum wage. If I were to ask more than £50, most times the horror on the asker's face would not be well hidden and an excuse would soon follow - this creates awkwardness I could do without. £50 would be asking less than £1 an hour for my skill and time and that is without the fabric cost. Yes you can get a manufactured one online for less than this - may I suggest this as an alternative?

On asking a non-quilting friend recently, what they thought I should charge for a quilt if I made one for someone else, their reply was 'Well you want to charge at least £50 - it's your time after all, you don't want to undersell yourself!'. This was from a well meaning friend - not wanting me to undersell myself.  Says it all really.  The fabric alone costs more than that. I pointed out it probably took me about 3-4 months in all, as I was working in the day time and managed only about an hour a day on the elephant one.

If I were to make a duplicate quilt for someone else, the creative process would be gone along with the uniqueness of the original. There would be time constraints too if I were making it for someone else. I would feel pressurised into doing something in my 'me' time which would be for someone else.  My 'me time' is worth at least minimum wage. It should be at an amount which makes it worth it. I've had people ask if they can provide the fabric by way of old sheets and clothes. This makes it harder for me as I still have to cut off seams. sleeves and the fabric is all different making it far more difficult to sew. I still have to measure each piece and cut each individual piece.

Even if I were making 'just a quilt with squares' it would still take a HUGE amount of time - my time - which I could, and would prefer to, spend doing my own thing.  So no, I won't make you a quilt, so please don't ask.  I have been asked - many times, and I feel bad saying no. However, time is precious and spending months making something for someone who expects it for £50 - it isn't going to happen. Please google 'true cost of making a quilt'. The article estimates the true cost - at minimum wage, would be thousands. Whilst I think it is maybe an overestimate it does break everything down.

I've heard tales of people spending YEARS making a beautiful quilt for someone, putting hours upon hours of painstaking accuracy and love into it, giving it as a gift, to find it being used for the dog months later.  If you want a lovely quilt, I hear they are quite reasonable ones to be had online. :)

To sum it up, I have a story, I once made a special wall hanging quilt for a friend.  I spent virtually a whole week on it when I had a week off work.  I'd guess it took me about 30 hours.  I was So proud of it and the person I made it for love d it too.  Stupidly I did not set a price before I made it and so when they asked how much did they owe me, I lost 2 nights sleep and then fought with myself whether to ask £35 or £50. I finally asked £50 which the friend was willing to pay.  I was very chuffed... Until the following day when my stopcock started leaking, it was a Friday and I panicked it would get worse over the weekend. I had no idea how to fix it - this was the main stopcock tap so I couldn't turn it off and try myself. I rang a plumber who told me he was passing my house in an hours time, he would have a look.

An hour later, the plumber knocked on the door and asked to be shown the stopcock which was right near the front door. Wrench already in hand, he spent about 8 seconds tightening the nut. (Which I could have done had he suggested it before he came - I didn't know stopcocks did not have washers).

He charged £100.     £100 callout for 8 seconds work.  It kind of puts everything into perspective really doesn't it?

So just please don't ask xxx

Alternatively you can buy the same sewing machine I have - in Aldi - £149.  Then you can make your own. :)