Grrr, Wanting Something for Nothing & No Appreciation for Fine Hand Quilting....A Rare Speckledhen

[speckledhen]

Just found this today at a local thrift store, two full yards of nice quality cotton fabric, perfect for a border for a lovely spring wallhanging or two. Only cost me $2! Can't beat that with a stick, can you?

 

[fisherlady]

 

[sewchick]

I was commissioned to make a bed runner for my neighbor, really a runner to protect her mother's cedar chest that graces the foot of her king size bed and to complement her current comforter, which is an abstract wash of seafoam to sagey greens mixed with rosy to almost coral pinks. I told her I'd probably have to order about $25 worth of fabric, though I'd most likely not use every little bit of it in her project, and that I would charge her $90, including the fabric, for a machine pieced and entirely hand quilted runner, truthfully, less than I would charge someone who was not a friend/neighbor. I didn't even charge her for the batting, which I had on hand here.

The final result was 30" x 80", as wide as a regular bed quilt. It is made with first quality 100% cotton quilt fabrics from Thousands of Bolts, who sells excellent fabrics at wonderful prices, often less than even Walmart's lesser quality stuff. I bought fabrics for her runner at one of their great sales, most of it less than $5 per yard, and if you know good quilt fabric, a real steal.

My neighbor works at a senior center. Apparently, she told them what I was doing for her, and without even seeing it, without knowing the size or the quality, without knowing of my skill at hand quilting (I pride myself at being very good at what I do, with 30 years experience), they started spouting off:

1)You're paying way too much for that.
2) She could get much cheaper fabric somewhere else.

I was insulted and angry. If one more person denigrates my pricing for custom hand quilted work one more time, I swear, I'm going to tell them Wally World is their friend and to go waste their money there. Would they work for less than 50 cents an hour? Of course not, but they expect me to do so and throw in the fabric for free. And if I have the fabric in my stash already, it's still not free--if I use it in their project, I cannot use it in something else and will have to replace it.

I could have found cheaper fabrics?? Where?? Not likely! The worst quality cottons at Walmart are $4 per yard, you know, the ones you can see through? Their usual prices are $5-7 per yard now and they are starting to get somewhat better quality cottons at some locations, thankfully. The cheap cottons are never a good choice in a quilt and you pay the price in other ways, even if you can save on the fabric. It doesn't quilt well nor wear/wash well.

Here is the runner in question. That outer border fabric is such wonderful heavy cotton, it feels like flannel. I got 2 yards of it for just $4.95 each, half the cost at any quilt shop in the U.S. She wanted paisleys, not much floral, a challenge with these colors, but I searched and found quite a few paisleys, including that large border fabric, in addition to flourishes, florentines, botanicals, etc. If it was going to be a bed quilt, I would have done some extra quilting in the outer border, but it will live on her cedar chest.

By the way, I told my neighbor that if she didn't like it, she didn't have to buy it and I meant it. She said she likes it and I hope she's being sincere.

That i s a beautiful job. If it was at a senior home I would not take it too hard. They live back in the day when things were "CHEAP". So don't be too insulted they probably don't know any better. I think your price is fair. Maybe even a little under priced in my opinion.

 

[speckledhen]

Thank you for the support; it's much appreciated! I agree-I would have priced it higher if I had been doing it for someone else or just for general sale.

I have the other bed runner for her DIL done except for the border. I have to shop for fabric for that now. I did have to buy a yard of fabric for the sashing since the original sashing for those blocks was short a few strips and I think I like the substitute better than the original.

Here is the new one in a picture taken while in progress (I have finished the sashing/lattice now)

 

[sewchick]

I like the colors you are using. They work very well together. The pattern is very attractive.

 

[HillbillyHeart]

Thank you so much, you're very kind. I have quilts made by both my grandmothers, fragile as they are now. You are right- hand quilting is a dying art. Most things are machine quilted nowadays, a skill that escapes me but which I wish I could learn. I do prefer the look of fine hand quilting to machine quilting, though the time difference in making the two is major!

I even pieced by hand up until a couple of years ago. I'd given up quilting because of my hands until then-at the time, I was still a moderator and the staff wanted to do a block swap for a lap quilt with chicken themed blocks. I declined, again because of my tingling/numb fingers, but they decided to gift me with a sweet little Brother computerized machine so I could participate and I've been doing the piecing with that ever since, which saves my hands for the quilting part. It saved my hobby.

Someone just asked if I had done a horse or chicken quilt. This is the lap quilt from that staff swap I mentioned. Of course, I didn't do all these blocks, but I did sash, quilt and bind it. I treasure it.





You may have seen the Amish quilt sites online, the prices charged, the measurements of stitches per inch. Most of the time, I can match those stitches per inch. I just feel I do not overcharge for my work, not to mention, the price of cotton has soared, along with the price of everything else. The $1/yard cotton fabric days are over. Trust me, I am very frugal, but I don't skimp on quality fabric, especially if I want a quilt that can be washed and dried by machine and will last for many, many years. I didn't take close up photos of the stitches on this particular bed runner, but here is the type quilting she got:

I WISH my hand quilting looked this nice! I'll keep at it until it does! Excellent job, very lovely!

 

[speckledhen]

Thank you! Was delayed by a house fire so I'm living in an RV in my driveway. both the runner and my queen pieced quilt top were smoked up and had to be washed, something I've never done to a pieced item with unbound edges, but they seem to have come out okay, just the edges a tad frayed. The runner didn't even have the final border on it yet. My customer will have to wait several months for the runner, I'm afraid. The catastrophe company took my computerized machine to see if it could be cleaned or if it will have to be replaced.

 

[HillbillyHeart]

I wish you all the best, I know how hard it can be dealing with the aftermath of a fire. It took my sister quite some time to get things back to normal. I am just thankful that no one was hurt.

 

[speckledhen]

Thank you and welcome to BYC. My SIL's house burned to the ground on Christmas day in about 20 minutes so I am very thankful ours wasn't that bad. At least, it won't be months and months before we're back in.

 

[Haunted55]

Thanks for the support, all. I recently did break my "no quilts for family" rule (which of course, makes me sound like an ogre for having such a rule, but there's a reason behind it, trust me) and made a quilt for my grown niece in South Carolina. It was two years in the making, having to put it off, then get back to it a few times. When I presented it to her, she was in tears. She now says it's one of her most prized possessions. I'd rather give a quilt to someone I know will appreciate it than hire out to make one, though I do need the money, and get complaints about what I'm charging. Life's too short and my fingers won't hold out that much longer anyway. I quilt through carpal tunnel/tingling and numb fingers. In fact, just typing this post has my fingers tingling already this morning, first thing I've done today.

Oh I get the 'no to family' SpeckledHen. I have an embroidery machine and do a lot of that work with quilts, etc.. Your work is beautiful and I agree with your thoughts on making and offering. No hurt feelings that way on either side of the table. I'm so sorry this happened to you, but I've learned that 'someone' always knows better quality, cheaper prices and faster turn around. I say let them have at it, the problem isn't with your work or prices, that's for sure! For your hands, it you haven't tried it already, 2 tbls, ACV, 2 tbls honey, mix with warm water and drink. If it's really bad you can add in some cayenne pepper and drink it fast. It takes about a week for it to really show, but if you keep at it you'll see results.

Noli nothis permittere te terere