gable428 Posted August 18, 2007 Report Share Posted August 18, 2007 Hi. For those of you who offer batting and wide backing to your customers, if you charge by the yard, do you give the left over batting/fabric to the customer when returning the quilt? I hope this question makes sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BethDurand Posted August 18, 2007 Report Share Posted August 18, 2007 Hi, Makes perfect sense. I only offer batt to my customers, and I charge them by the yard, then leave whatever excess there is around the edges. If I bind the quilt for them as well, I still throw whatever excess backing and batt. there is into their bag for them. I offered to purchase back batting from a customer when there was enough to be usable to me, but otherwise throw it back to them. Beth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie Posted August 19, 2007 Report Share Posted August 19, 2007 I offer batting to my customers - I carry the queen size rolls which are 93". I charge by the inch so however many inches I cut off the roll and use is what gets charged. Usually I end up trimming off some length when I get to the end of the quilt. I give this to the customer. I don't end up with extra batting laying around and my customers have batting for wallhangings, table runners, whatever! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsbishwit Posted August 19, 2007 Report Share Posted August 19, 2007 My rule is this anything less than 4-5" wide is thrown out. Anything larger than that is sent home with the customer. I also trim/square up all customers quilts at no extra charge. Most of my customers don't have the space to trim the quilts themselves and appreciate that I do it for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramona-quilter Posted August 19, 2007 Report Share Posted August 19, 2007 I only provide batting. Since I have an LQS in town, customers can bring batting from the LQS because I know that she only sells the good stuff. I have a relationship with the LQS and I will not undercut her price; we are a small town. I don't bind quilts for my customers so I don't cut them. My feelings are that if they buy it, it belongs to them. They get the quilt just as it comes off my machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarieBrewer Posted August 19, 2007 Report Share Posted August 19, 2007 Batting is incuded in the price of my quilting. I stock 50/50, 100% cotton, 100% CHEAP poly for charity quilts and Soft & Brite poly. Including the batting means I get to use good quality (except charity). Customers like the idea of getting someting for no charge. I also carry the wide batting because I don't like taking the time to piece any thing. I'm truly a convenience girl!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gable428 Posted August 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2007 Thank you ladies for the responses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted August 19, 2007 Report Share Posted August 19, 2007 Hi Gable-- Some things to consider if you want to retail products: Is there room to store batting on rolls and in packages? Is there room for a bolt or two of wide fabric? Will your customers want the fabric you have chosen? Will tieing up cash in an inventory (maybe LOTS of cash) be off-set by the potential profit you can make by buying wholesale and selling retail? Your customers can tell you what they would like you to offer as a convenience to them. Some of my customers never bring batting--they never thought of it! When a new customer comes to drop off a top and doesn't bring batting, all I have to offer is W&W on a roll---sold by the inch. We discuss the best batting for their top and if it is a blend or poly, the customer will purchase and deliver it to me. I have no incentive to make a trip to the LQS to pick up something I will make no profit on, unless I'm heading there for something else as well. I do steer them to the best place for a good price--Joann's if they want cotton and have a coupon, Fabric Depot online if they can wait for it to be shipped and they want Quilter's Dream (30% off online--love it!) and the LQS for the good stuff at full price. So I guess what I'm saying is, don't tie up your capital in stuff until you see what your customers need. It would be terrible to buy a wide bolt of backer and only sell a bit of it. Likewise, having a big inventory of packaged batts looks great on the shelf until you have to dust it cuz it ain't moving!!lol Be assured that you will find what works for you and your customers. As for the original question that started this thread--yes, all the trimmings go with the customer unless they want to use my trash can. They bought it and they get it back. Any left-over batting that they leave goes to my guild as a freebie for crafters and small-project quilters to use. Have fun--it's great to get to make all your own decisions as to which direction you want the business to take!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Circle Square Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 I purchase rolls of batting wholesale from Kings Men Quilting Supply. I stock 100% cotton (white) and PolyDown Plus (both Hobbs). I sell it to my customers by the inch. I add up the price of the roll and the shipping, then divide it up by the inch, then add a little for my trouble. My prices are comparable to JoAnn Fabrics. About half my customers buy the batting from me, the others bring their own. Since they're paying by the inch, they only get what they pay for. One drawback - I have to collect sales tax on the batting and send it to the state revenue dept. I can't say enough about Kings Men Quilting Supply. They get my batting to me in 3-4 days, and it comes in plastic bags and then in boxes. They ship it by DLS, who don't dirty and beat up their packages like UPS does. -Ann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbm Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 Gable, I'm brand new at this, but before I started I did a LOT of homework. I bought a roll each of wide Hobbs 80/20 and PolyDown Plus from my local supplier, and I sell it to my customers at just above my cost, by the foot, rounded to the nearest six inches of their quilt top. They are happy not to have to drive 100 miles roundtrip to the nearest JoAnn or WalMart, and I know the quality of the stuff I'm using. My customers know they can bring their own batting - and some have - but they are told up front that I reserve the right to not use "icky" stuff. So far this is working for me - I'm getting ready to go get my second roll of 80/20. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gable428 Posted August 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 Hey All. Here are my thoughts... At this point I don't have lots of customers. I already have the batting for myself and I buy it in rolls so I figured I would offer it at a per yard amount a little above what I paid for it. One lady whom I have done several quilts for really likes the idea that I have the batting so she doesn't have to make an extra trip to get some. As far as the backing goes, I figure if I buy a white and a cream wide backing, then I can offer that as well. If nobody wants to use it, I will have it for myself at least. I don't have a lot of room to store extra stuff so I'm thinking this might work. You all brought up some good points. So many things to think about! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingupastorm Posted August 23, 2007 Report Share Posted August 23, 2007 I return anyting that is cut off the customers quilt to them.............even very thin strips when squareing up the backing. As for batting...............they buy the piece and I always leave the batting untrimmed attached to the quilt. They did pay for it so it is theirs to keep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted August 23, 2007 Report Share Posted August 23, 2007 Here's another thought on offering batting for sale---- The two professional longarm books say to not undercut prices of the LQS---do not "steal" customers and make an enemy where there should be a mutually-advantageous relationship. If there is no nearby LQS, offer a good price if you like but remember you have your capital tied up and as a business should make a reasonable profit on retail sales. I have a Joanns and two LQSs nearby and people still come without batting and are paying full-bore retail ($9.99/yd---actually $.28/inch) for W&W I purchased at 50% off. The cost to them is more than made up by the convenience. Yesterday a customer questioned my "full price" policy wondering why I couldn't give my "friends" a break. I sidestepped and let her know that she could get a better deal at Joanns if she had a coupon and off she went to the store. One more story and I will go....a prolific and precise piecer who is also a good friend brought a cute Dick-and-Jane top to me. She pieced the batting with 8" strips left over from a quilt-as-you-go charity sew-in at our guild. The strips were sewn together with a wide zig-zag and added in no order--she stopped adding to the edges when it was large enough(64x64). Some strips were W&W and some were W&Nat and of course no attention was paid to have the correct side up. It was a thing of "beauty"--and no problem to quilt!!! She's a hoot!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted August 23, 2007 Report Share Posted August 23, 2007 Linda, you always have such terrific advice, input and fun stories to share, too. Thank you for that and thank you for being you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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