JuliaDay Posted February 19, 2007 Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 Okay - Here is a poll. Do any of you just get evil quilts? I am convinced that some quilts are simply destined to not come off my Milli happy or me happy with them. Fabric - Thread - Batting I haven't found the culprit because sometimes it is one or all of the above!!!! ARRGH - The good thing is the last evil quilt is off my machine and I have a new one loaded and ready to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BethDurand Posted February 20, 2007 Report Share Posted February 20, 2007 Sorry to hear that you have been experiencing evil quilts. Knock on wood, I haven't had any that I would describe that way. I've had 2 (from the same customer) that I wondered what the heck she was thinking when she pieced these suckers. She had never quilted before, but decided to make a Lone Star from a Martha Stewart pattern. It had Mt. Vesuvius in the center (think "D" cup at least, maybe more like "G"). None of the edges actually met, and one piece of fabric was off a good 4" from the piece that it was sewn to. I thought all was well when she picked them up, but about a month later she called to ask if I would bind them! Aaaiiieeee! In addition, both times she asked if there would be a "post Christmas" discount if I didn't rush to get them done. No, I'm not Target or some other retail store who is trying to dump all the Christmas merchandise afterwards. However, they are done, gone and I really hope that she decides to take on some other non-fabric hobby. Beth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted February 20, 2007 Report Share Posted February 20, 2007 I'm with Beth, not sure I've had evil quilts....but sure can vouch for some Darn UGLLLLLLLLLLLLLLY ones. I have to agree there have been a few time I too asked "What was She thinking?" I think my worst ugly quilt was actually dubbed that by the customer...and when we got done with it and did some pretty fancy thread work it was fab to look at....so I guess we all have gotten "sows ears", but its our jobs to make some pretty purses out of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giftedhands Posted February 20, 2007 Report Share Posted February 20, 2007 How about the ones where none of the measurements are equal? So you don't have a perfect rectangle, but maybe a romboid? argghhh...and the customer says, "can't you take the borders off and fixit?" (for an extra $50). shoot me now..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltingtina Posted February 20, 2007 Report Share Posted February 20, 2007 Julia, I know how you feel. At least you're on to the next one...hopefully it will be an angel and all will go smoothly. Beth, how much do you charge for binding, and how long does it take. I never really know what to say to customers about it. for me it seems the hand stitching takes an eternity. I'm thinking about asking at my guild if there's anyone interested in binding....I have 10 quilts to quilt and bind....Happy to quilt 'em, binding is another story! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BethDurand Posted February 20, 2007 Report Share Posted February 20, 2007 Hi Tina, I based my charges on what the going rate is here in OR. To attach the binding to one side of the quilt is $.04 per linear inch. Construct and attach the binding is .08. Machine finish the second edge is .04, and hand finish the second side is .12 per inch. If the customer wants to pay me to do their handwork, I'll certainly take it on. Good luck finding someone to bind for you, and if not, mail them out here! Beth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patch Posted February 20, 2007 Report Share Posted February 20, 2007 So are you adding all those together, so .12 is the final total? Or are those each separate and you end up with a bigger total? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancingstitcher Posted February 20, 2007 Report Share Posted February 20, 2007 BethDurand - Do I have these different examples right for a customer with a 400" quilt? Attach the customer's binding at $.04 = $16 Make and attach the binding at $.08 = $32 Sew the second side on the machine at $.04 = $16 Sew the second side by hand at $.12= $48 Attach customer's binding and sew by machine = $32 Attach customer's binding and sew by hand = $64 Make and attach the binding, then sew on machine = $48 Make and attach the binding, then sew by hand = $80 This sounds like a good money making service. I thought that the last one of $80 would normally be about $50. Vicki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramona-quilter Posted February 20, 2007 Report Share Posted February 20, 2007 Sounds like binding is a lucrative side-business. I would pay for it. I don't like doing the binding. I do fine on the attach binding to quilt using a machine. It's the second side that gets me. Hand-sewn is the best but sooooo time-consuming. If I machine the second part, it never looks good to me. The stitch line is part on the quilt and part on the binding. UGH. I know one quilter that does a wavy stitch on her second side so she doesn't have to worry about the thread showing on her binding because all the thread shows. That kind of treatment looks fine on a childs quilt but I don't really care for it. It's easier, though. I have a deal worked out with one of our local quilters. I quilt her stuff and she binds my stuff. Not customer quilts, just my personal quilts. Looking at the pricing chart here, I would say that is a pretty good deal for me. But ugly quilts...Oh my. For me, wavy borders are the worst. I had one that was so bad that even piano keys were not going to pull in all the fullness. I just fixed the borders for her and ended up with an extra chunk of fabric border that was 4 inches long. I stapled the 4 inch chunk to the bill. Now borders is a potential side-business. I think that a lot of piecers add up the length and width, make one long pieced border. Then they just start sewing it on and cut it when they get to the end of that side. They sew then cut. Grrrrr, that is so wrong !! Measure the sides and middle, compute the average, cut the border to the averaged size and then sew them on. Repeat for the other 2-sides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuliaDay Posted February 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2007 I've had wavy too. My girlfriend thought I was nuts until she expeirenced it too. I can honestly say I am happy to get them off the "rack". Working on a fiesta turning 25 pattern for our bed now. It has lots of chili peppers and fun stuff on it. The names just come to me - This one is . . . "I hear chili peppers improve your sex life" LOL - my DH was laughing so hard he almost fell over! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingupastorm Posted February 21, 2007 Report Share Posted February 21, 2007 I have only been quilting a year and I think I have already had all of the above. I had one that was really wavey on the bottom border............I really worked hard to get that sucker to lie flat. She wanted an allove medium meander and got a pretty tight meander on the bottom....................she thought it was just fine...............we are not even going to bring up the piecing on that particular quilt. Can you say bad piecing....................things not matching, seams popping open! How about unfortunate color and fabric choices................on that one I did custom quilting as it was a friend and by the time it was done I almost liked it. She was just floored at the way it looked and was so happy. I figure I am the quilter and people pay me to quilt their stuff. I try my best to make each quilt look the best it can with the design chosen for the quitng by the owner. As for binding.......................I provide binding services and on the rare occasion that someone wants me to bind their quilt it is a pretty good money maker. I have actually gotten pretty good and fast at doing a good handturned binding. Today I got to finish one of mine that has been on and off the machine since October 18. I have zippered leaders.............I have to add up hours but I think it is the record time so far of any quilt I have done with the exception of handquiltng. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BethDurand Posted February 21, 2007 Report Share Posted February 21, 2007 My binding rates are all added up together. So, if I have to construct the binding and attach it to both sides, one side by hand, it would be $.08 construct it, and then $.12 cents to finsh. The only ones I've done so far for customers were the two quilts from the land of eternal damnation. The one that was 97X85" at a rate of $.12 per inch (construct and attach, and machine finish) was $43.68. The horrifying Lone Star (Mt. Vesuvius quilt) was 94X99", and came out to $46.32. Grand total, $90 for two quilts. Not too bad I thought. Beth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clq-jill Posted February 21, 2007 Report Share Posted February 21, 2007 I don't really want to do binding work, so I priced myself "high". Customers still want me to do it! I charge $1.50/ft to prepare, attach and machine finish, $2.00/ft. to hand finish. This is actually a little lower than Beth charges, so I guess I 'm not that high. A friend of mine likes to do binding, and doesn't have a lot of extra money to pay for machine quilting. I try to give her quilts to hand finish, and put the money I owe her towards machine finishing a quilt for her. I feel this is a win-win relationship. I take the quilts to her after I'm done quilting, and pick them up after. The customer pays me the whole amount. We are all happy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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