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Charging by bobbin vs Sq. Inch


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I've been realizing that my really intense quilting jobs usually involve about 10 bobbins (I always use Bottom Line pure wounds), and have begun to wonder if it would make more sense to simply charge for quilting by the bobbins used, rather than different prices for size and difficulty. What do you think? Foe example, 1 bobbin = $50, 2 bobbins = $100, 5 bobbins = $250.

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I've seen this formula used before. The only issue is how do you give your customer an estimate of charges?

Plus the problem of any unstitching you might need to do. Just like you wouldn't charge for frogging if you were charging by the hour, you couldn't double bill for bobbin thread that's frogged---I guess.

I've done some figuring over a few years and density of stitching is a good indicator of time spent/area covered. But intricacy of design needs to be accounted for. I might use the same amount of thread to densely stipple a triangle as I would to do marked and stitched dense curved crosshatching. But the time involved is vastly different, which includes the thought process and tinkering with the design.

These are the reasons I haven't given this formula a try. But I know it works for some quilters.

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I just charge per square inch and the thread is included. I am really thinking about adding a thread charge, per bobbin. When I started ordering pre-wound Magna Glide bobbins (previously only wound my own) I realized how much I am spending on thread. A jar of 20 bobbins usually last only 2 quilts (pantos) with a few leftovers. I did order the boxes of 100 or 70 in some of the colors, but the colors were limited to the basics. I still wind most of mine, since I have soooo much thread and can wind the colors that my customers want, but I really love the pre-wounds now.

I will have to go back through the search feature and get an idea of what people are charging per bobbin for thread and go from there.

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I did a search last night of some old posts regarding the price people are charging for thread.

The lowest was 70 cents per bobbin (but she said she will raise that price), to $3.00 per bobbin. These prices included the charge of the top thread, too. I think the average was $2.00 per bobbin.

I want to start adding a thread charge, maybe in January, and was considering $1.50 per bobbin, but now I am re-evaluating that and considering upping it to $2.00.

What are you currently charging?

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I have a $10 thread charge which includes the first 3 bobbins, then $1.50 per bobbin over the 3 that are included. That way, I feel that I'm making a bit on the thread and the bobbins are covered as well. Also, I do have a $50 minimum.

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when it comes to E2Ees, i can estimate within a couple dollars too....

but when it comes to custom quilting jobs, i tell my customers that it is an ESTIMATE only and it could be 20-30% or more upon completion...but i have a good idea of how long something will take (my first four years LAing, i kept really good time sheets) i include the price of thread into the estimate...i just bump it up $5 to $10 depending...

(forgive my saying this- but for those that estimate and then over shoot the quoted estimate- perhaps it's time to scrutinize your price points?? . i found myself in the same predicament, and it took a customer telling me i wasn't charging enough for me to get it (*gah* a customer! embarrassing). i did some research and found that local LAers were charging my base PSI for simple pantos *oops* so i went up a full cent in my custom levels. i did stay under what i felt the market would tolerate, but i want to be fairly compensated for my time and experience level...in my book a 'custom' job is anything NOT an E2E)

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  • 1 year later...

I charge by the square inch. Then I have a set bobbin charge going from $4 for a baby quilt, up to $10 for a king. I can't be bothered trying to keep track of all the bobbins I wind and this way I can give the customer an accurate estimate and not surprise them with a large bobbin bill at the end. Sure, sometimes I lose out on a dense quilt, but mostly it balances out.

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I charge $2.00 per bobbin. For metallics or varigated, it's $4.00 per bobbin. As I am quilting, any empty bobbins are placed over to the side so I can keep count. Then, when the quilt is finished, I count the bobbins and double it, to account for the top thread. Thread has gone up in price and I feel that I can't afford to give it away. Money made quilting is put right back into supplies, so I can continue to quilt.

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