Bonnie in Ok Posted November 23, 2011 Report Share Posted November 23, 2011 If you are just quilting the quilt do you charge a set up fee or just the price per sq inch on the type of quilting? If so what is the fee? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judy Bland Posted November 23, 2011 Report Share Posted November 23, 2011 hi Bonnie, I charge a $50.00 set up fee if it is a small quilt, otherwise it's priced on area and type of quilting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calicokat Posted November 23, 2011 Report Share Posted November 23, 2011 I don't have a set-up charge, but I do have a minimum ($50) and that helps when it's a small quilt that I'd otherwise not make much on. My sister decorates cakes for folks and we often talk about these type of business issues because, although we are dealing with different crafts, the business workings are very similar. She has a cake decorater friend that says she won't even turn her stove on for less than $100. So my minimum is kind of like that - I won't load a quilt for less than $50, LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted November 23, 2011 Report Share Posted November 23, 2011 $50 minimum... Pricing is based on square inch plus thread. If price less than $50...then minimum applies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sspingler Posted November 23, 2011 Report Share Posted November 23, 2011 I don't have a set up charge. I only charge by the type of quilting I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted November 23, 2011 Report Share Posted November 23, 2011 Hmm - perhaps I need to re-adjust. My minimum fee for a small quilt is $35 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator Posted November 23, 2011 Report Share Posted November 23, 2011 Linda, the going minimum rate where I live is $50.00. Don't sell yourself short. I just read some items written by Cindy Roth (I think that's her first name) at LongArm University concerning pricing and it opened my eyes to charges. The articles were excellant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewcrazy4quilting Posted November 23, 2011 Report Share Posted November 23, 2011 Ditto on the $50.00 minimum no set up charge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted November 23, 2011 Report Share Posted November 23, 2011 I have a $50 minimum, but if the top is small, I make sure the charge is well-spent by doing some extra work on it. I pondered a set-up fee last year and since none of my competition charges one, I dropped the idea and upped my thread charges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted November 23, 2011 Report Share Posted November 23, 2011 I no longer read Cindy's articles. The first time I figured out how much I was making an hour, I cried. I just accept that I'm doing this because I love it and go from there. I know a lot of quilters strive for $25/hour in their quilting. I worked for a major research university as an administrator for 32 years and was not making $25/hour when I retired. I can't figure out how I could deserve $25/hour for my quilting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie in Ok Posted November 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2011 Thanks for all the replies and I will implement the minimun fee I think. I know how you feel Linda S since I just retired and didn't make that amount either. But have been told that I do somehting alot of people don't and I deserve a decient fee per hour. I don't really know what everyone charges around here but know when I do mention my fee it is not something they thought it would cost. I really struggle with fees to charge and don't want to charge too low, then it may ruffles feathers in the neighbor hood so to speak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunningThreads Posted November 23, 2011 Report Share Posted November 23, 2011 Bonnie We charge $30 as a set up fee but no minimum and no charge for thread unless it is something special. That pretty much guarantees a baby quilt will come in at $50 plus. The way I see it you probably have at least an hour into talking to the customer, measuring the quilt, light pressing if needed and loading. We had a customer recently that rented a longarm at the quilt store in town and after loading her first quilt on the machine told Brenda $30 was way to cheap as a set up fee. Linda Maybe you didn't get $25 per hour at your last job but you probably cost more than that to your employer when you add paid vacation, paid sick leave and the employers share of the payroll taxes. Also you didn't have to supply $30,000 worth of equipment and how ever much you have in training to do the job. We seem to be lucky around here very seldom does anybody question the price. Nigel Ultimate 1 with IQ Brenda Green Millie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted November 23, 2011 Report Share Posted November 23, 2011 Originally posted by Linda S I no longer read Cindy's articles. The first time I figured out how much I was making an hour, I cried. I just accept that I'm doing this because I love it and go from there. I know a lot of quilters strive for $25/hour in their quilting. I worked for a major research university as an administrator for 32 years and was not making $25/hour when I retired. I can't figure out how I could deserve $25/hour for my quilting. It's all relative, isn't it? You deserve $25 an hour because you are a business and that amount is an industry standard for a viable one. I work part time so my employer provides me with health insurance and I have a fall-back in an emergency. I try not to figure my hourly earnings when I quilt--I'm just happy to be able to do something this fun and gratifying and get paid for it as well. At the rate I quilt, if I quilted full time and had a huge customer base, I still could not replace the income from my store job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted November 24, 2011 Report Share Posted November 24, 2011 It's true, you can't replace your "other income" but I am doing something I love and that was missing when I did bookkeeping. My min. is $50.00 per quilt too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted November 24, 2011 Report Share Posted November 24, 2011 I don't have a set up fee, nor do I have a minimum fee. I will quilt a small quilt freehand or panto e2e (say 40x40) for its total square inches. But, if it's a custom small quilt that I will likely spend hours on, then I will adjust my fees accordingly so I'm not making 2 cents an hour. Somehow I feel very guilty charging someone $50 minimum fee for a quilt that might take me 30 minutes to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kueser Posted November 29, 2011 Report Share Posted November 29, 2011 My minimum is only $20 and yet I had a customer tell me the other day she had 5 quilts to do and couldn't afford to pay the $100 it would cost. I don't feel guilty! It takes a lot of time to set up a quilt, even a small one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aktbone Posted November 29, 2011 Report Share Posted November 29, 2011 Being new to all this - this is what I was thinking of charging. I do only E2E - panto: Length X Width / 1296 X $12 or $15 (depending on density of pattern). Thread charge $5.00 for solid and $7.00 for varigated. Others in my area are doing custom only. Although, I have checked on pricing for E2E and most are charging .02 per sq inch. I just finished a 90 X 101 and the charge was $84.00 plus the thread charge. The gal that I am stepping into her place was charging what I have layed out. Any advice on this one is greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoryJM Posted November 29, 2011 Report Share Posted November 29, 2011 Currently, I charge a set-up fee and I have a minimum fee. Set up is $25 and minimum is $35. However, new year, new place to live, new prices: I'm thinking of keeping the set-up fee at $25 unless its a huge quilt, then I'll up that to $35. This will be subject to change based upon quilting. Allovers will pay the $35; custom will probably have the set-up (or portion of it) as a discount. Minimum will be $50, but I won't charge any set-up on those. They go so fast that I really don't think its fair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njquiltergirl Posted November 29, 2011 Report Share Posted November 29, 2011 In my first LA class, the instructor said we should be getting $35+ an hour. I got depressed about that. Another national instructor said she gets $65/hour! I wanted to quit right there. I get no where near either of those rates. I spend way too much time on each quilt. When I think of the investment in tools, supplies and training, I know I will not get it back anytime soon. It is enjoyable work and it has its own rewards. I do not have a separate set up fee but do think a minimum is fair. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyLake Posted November 29, 2011 Report Share Posted November 29, 2011 I charge $50 minimum for first-time customers; $35 for frequent customers. No set-up fee. I find it is easier just to have one charge rather than several smaller ones. I give customers a general idea of the cost, then adjust depending on how well the quilting turned out, how much finalgling I had to do with their piecing job, etc. In my area, we do frequent thread changes, and don't charge for those. It is figured into the custom rate. I do require customers to purchase their batting and thread from me. Thread is about $2.00 per bobbin (includes top thread), and I charge retail price for batting -- that way I am not competing with quilt shops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoryJM Posted November 30, 2011 Report Share Posted November 30, 2011 So, Joan, you charge your thread cost based on the # of bobbins you use?? I went to the set up fee to eliminate charging for pressing, turning, trimming, etc. Lisa, don't get disappointed at how much/little you make. I just count my blessings that when I work on a quilt for so long that instead of earning, I'm losing, I don't have to actually pay the person giving me the quilt! Does that make any sense?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njquiltergirl Posted November 30, 2011 Report Share Posted November 30, 2011 Hi Dory - that is funny! Though I am always grateful to be earning, though if I think about the "hourly rate" it is not the highlight of my day!! I am not a big fan of all the separate charges. So I just went with "per inch" rates that cover all the prep involved - squaring, pressing, fixing minor holes, or taking a pleat in a wonky border, loading, and such. My per inch rate may sound high to someone shopping on price alone, but there are no extras (other than a per bobbin price for thread) on top. I think it all works out to be the same in the end but I am more comfortable with fewer individual charges. Great topic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoriasews Posted November 30, 2011 Report Share Posted November 30, 2011 I have no set up fee and charge $25 minimum. I've always been bummed by extra charges so don't do that to my customers. I'm a pretty fast quilter and the red snappers let me load quilts in almost no time so I make ok money. There are at least 9 LA quilters in our area and I'd like to stay in business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallPinesStudio Posted November 30, 2011 Report Share Posted November 30, 2011 I charge $25 setup for most quilts, but if they are very small, I only charge $15. I don't charge extra for threads. Minimum charge for a quilt is $50. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njquiltergirl Posted November 30, 2011 Report Share Posted November 30, 2011 Hi Tall Pines. Does that mean your minimum billing for is small: 15+50=$65 and larger: 25+50=$75? Interesting how we all figure this stuff out! Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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