Design Time question

[jeri]

I have the Machine Quilter's Business Program that I'm just getting up and running. I do alot of designing quilting patterns from fabrics etc. For example at the moment I'm making a panto for borders that I'm using the basic design of the sashing fabric and adapting it to a quilting pattern.

I'm trying to keep track of the time I spend on each quilt though I charge by the square inch.

How would you count the design time? I can usually use designs I make on other customer quilts. this one today should be quite usful in the future. I'm not sure if I should o count it toward this particular quilt or into some general design time category.

thanks jeri

[ffq-lar]

Hi jeri--

I think that no matter where you get quilting designs, the customer shouldn\'t be charged extra unless they specifically ask for something custom. You are the professional and if a customer asks for huge cabbage roses in each block, your job is to provide that. If if means spending hours digitizing the perfect rose for a CompuQuilter, hand-drawing a rose on Golden Threads paper to stitch, or searching for and buying a pattern pack of rose designs, the customer doesn\'t care or want to know as long as the design is nice. So...no extra charges, because that is your job.

You sound very resourceful and artistic. You will use those designs again---and maybe you will amass beautiful designs that can be published as pantos or pattern packs. Then you will get to double pay-back for your talent and time.

Just my opinion, of course. I think if a customer pays extra for a custom design, it should belong only to them. Sort of a reverse copyright thing!

[Stagecl]

Linda...

if you design a pattern or motif...whatever it is...that is purely for that customer and you won\'t be using it any place else...why wouldn\'t some or all of the time be charged to that customer? As you said sort of a reverse copyright.

If one goes to a dress designer, furniture designer or whatever to have something made especially for them (a one of a kind)...doesn\'t that designer account for their time? If so, why would or should we be any different? Aren\'t we artists in our own right...designers in our own right?

Just wondering.

In general, I do not charge customers for designing because I will use it for others. But, if it was only to be used for one customer...I would charge for my time. Time is money and why would I want to give it way freely when I could be working on a different quilt making money?

Cheryl

[ramona-quilter]

Hi Jeri,

I see both Cheryl and Linda\'s points. Time is money. A few months ago I attended a night quilting class at the local high school in our small town. We learned to make a cut-up quilt which ended up looking southwestern. I was still piecing mine when the first southwestern quilt came from a customer.

She wanted kokpelis, about 8 or 9 inches tall, in the open space. I spent time researching the design, drawing it so it was continuous, resizing it to fit into that space and then reversing it so the 4 kokopelis face each other on the quilttop. It was what the customer wanted. I never expected to use this motif again. It was a learning experience for me on how to draw, size, and make a customer happy. I did not charge her for the design work and stuck it in the folder with my other design work.

The customer showed off the quilt in class, at the quilt shop and at the senior center. It was a hit, she was so proud and I got lots of free advertising.

Since then, I have quilted 6 more of those southwestern quilts and each customer asked for those kokopelis. The only one that does not have the kokopelis is mine.

Like any business venture, we can\'t predict what will happen or who will want our service. But every job we do has the potential to impress a future customer. I hear their wheels turning ... "if she can design a kokopeli, maybe she can design a [fill in the blank]". Why yes, I can.

[ffq-lar]

Hi Cheryl--

I agree with you completely. If you design something specifically for a customer and they have been told they will be charged and that that design will never be used again--great! I just can\'t guarantee anyone that that design belongs only to them--my brain only remembers the last quilt I did--thank goodness for digital cameras!!

A recent customer requested a Celtic design to fit an odd-shaped area in a large top. I researched Celtic designs and figured a way to do a continuous-line design. Then I made my own stencil to use (80 times in the top!) Those extra hours it took were compensated for by the fact that this design took the top into my custom pricing rate. Because of the design of the stencil, the top took less time to quilt so the extra 1.5 cents an inch added up to an extra $140 charge for this quilt. It took about 5 hours to research, think, plan, and execute the stencil but the hourly rate was very good.

I firmly believe that everyone should charge for their time and talent. But, my purchasing design books and taking classes will be paid for as I become better and faster and perhaps as my prices rise. Just my opinion--which can change as circumstances change!!!

[jeri]

I probably didn\'t ask the question right. I never charge extra for doing my own designs. I charge by the square inch and the complexity of quilting.

What I\'m trying to figure out is that i\'ve been keeping track of how much time I spend on each quilt so that I can figure what I\'m actually making per hour.

Would you count that design time toward that quilt?

I\'m also trying to keep better track of the time I spend working on paperwork, marketing, practicing, actually working on my quilts, etc. Might just do another category for designing.

[ramona-quilter]

Jeri,

I totally jumped over the MQ software part of your post. My bad. I think if you add the design time to the quilt time just so you can figure out what you are making per hour that you will be disappointed with the outcome. But it is a good assesment and self-examination tool.

IMHO, custom work does not really pay what it is worth until you get into the Myrna Ficken, Linda Taylor, Renee Hadaddin, Sherry R-H category. Freemotion and pantos are the bread and butter of everyday quilters. That is where the $$ is.

A couple of years ago I took a class from Myrna and Renee stopped by with a couple of her stunning quilts. These were ultimately ribbon winners (Radiance of the Son and His Light Reflected) at shows and even with Radiance still in progress you could see the work that went into it. One person in the class asked what she charges per square inch for custom work. 7 cents. That makes the quilting $700 for a queen. And you know what, I bet that she would not be making minimum wage for that that price.