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Question About Pricing


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I need some help with pricing. I've just finished a custom quilt for a paying customer....a rarity for me as most of my work is panto or overalls and many are for my sister so she gets the family discount. I quilt, she buys the margaritas!

I've just finished this huge quilt, I don't know if any of he stitching shows up but each block is done differently, all the yellow sashing is egg and dart, all three borders are treated separately, the outside one is piano keys and I stitched in the ditch each side of each border and each side of the dark blue that goes around each block. Oh yeah, and lots of ruler work.

If anyone could guide me or would share a price list with me I'd be more than grateful.

Thanks!

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Hi Cindy!

 

It probably should be 5 cents per inch but It's hard to get a customer with a large quilt willing to pay $500+ for the quilting!

 

Your stitching is precise (wowser!), your designs are perfect for the pattern, and that egg-and-dart sashing makes me jealous!

 

The "rule" about pricing is more money is involved when more time is used. All these things take extra time--

  Ruler work.

  SID

  Thread color changes

  Original designs and/or extensive marking.

  Micro or other dense quilting.

  Wonkiness that is apparent at intake and which will require extra care on the frame. ( You know that "can't you quilt that out" thing or that "it doesn't look that bad--do what you can" thing. :wacko: )

 

Of all the things mentioned above, ruler work and SID are the techniques that make the quilt look great but aren't the most dramatic or evident. Any time I use a ruler to stitch, the price per inch goes up a penny from a basic charge. Thread color changes are noted on the intake sheet and if there are more than two colors, a half-penny is added (in my head). Dense stitching around applique or large areas of filler will up the price as well.

 

 

All that said, I'd first ask what their budget is for the quilting and work from there. As in--well, if you want to spend around $300 I can offer the same block design in each one or a CC design in each block that has the same look and density. The sashing will have a running design of curls, and a similar design will run along the blue border. The outside border will be an overall stitching of leaves and tendrils. Then I remind them there will be a thread charge and sales tax added as well.

 

For $400--add SID around each block and two sides of the border.

 

For $500--a more intricate sashing design and outside border.

 

So though I said 5 cents an inch at the top of the post, I probably would charge 4 cents. And it's not enough! :)

 

Not much help, am I!

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Thanks Linda, that helps a lot. I charged 4.5 which made it $279.00, then I gave her a $79.00 discount and have been worrying abut it ever since.

The customer is my best friend, she gave it to me 4 years ago to "practice" on when I first got my machine....she made it for her sisters picnic table. For a long time I was afraid of it, then when I finally got to it I wanted to make it really nice and failed to consider that it was going to be a gift for her sister and maybe she wouldn't want to pay 279.00. After all, she gave it to me to practice on. I'm ok with the 200.00 for this and I think she is too, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't out of line with the 4.5 per square inch....she is a really good friend and also my best customer.

I had 4 different thread colors, can't even count the number of changes, but I did learn I love Rinbows thread, so pretty.

Thanks again.

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I paid $378  with tax it was? 413.96 to have a queen size Mariners Compass Star longarmed. It was a custom job with two color changes.  After that decided to buy a George and do it myself.  

It did turn out gorgeous, just knew at the rate I am doing quilts, I better do it.

 

Your quilt turned out beautiful.

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  • 1 year later...

Cindy,

Your work is beautiful.  Your generosity should never be questioned.  You did the right thing for you and your friend.  Next time you may want to give a receipt showing what it normally cost and then the discount so she can see how generous you really are.  Don't Sweat the Small Stuff.  She'll be back if she is a true friend. 

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