Some FAQs About Pricing
I wanted to take some time to answer some questions I get regularly about pricing. This is all based on my own experience and comfort levels and is not a reflection of others’ work :)
“Your prices are too low!”
(Not a question, but something I’d still like to answer)
First of all- thank you, I think. Pricing is hard. As of right now, I try to base prices on hours of labor plus cost of materials. I pay myself approximately $20-25 per hour which is the “living wage” in California and I try to use all secondhand materials or fabric from my stash, which really cuts down on the cost of materials. I work a full time day job so I’m lucky in that my sewing and textile art can just be a creative outlet for me. I basically WANT to get rid of stuff so I can have room to create more. I have also started teaching classes and I intentionally price them low so that they can stay accessible to as many folks as possible. All this being said, prices will probably go up at some point in the future and I thank you in advance for your understanding and support :)
“How much would a custom quilt be?”
It depends on a lot - namely, the size of the item, the materials, and the intricacy of the design.
For example, a baby quilt consisting of 36 blocks and made of fabric I already had on hand, like the one pictured here, would take about 8-10 hours, not including the time to figure out color combos and placement. I would say $250 would be an accurate price for me. A quilt this size with bigger/ fewer blocks would be cheaper, because it would take less time to cut, sew, and iron before quilting and binding.
Improv quilting, which doesn’t follow a basic block pattern, takes FOREVER - at least for me. Pieces that use this method will probably be a lot more expensive, unless the piecing is done with very large scraps.
“Can you make (insert special / odd request) for me?”
Again, it depends! Some other examples of custom commissions I’ve done - I recently made a custom apron, which was really fun. The material was provided for me and it took about 8 hours total, for an agreed upon price of $200. On the other hand, a few years ago I made two custom cushion covers for someone who was redoing her camper trailer - the agreed upon price was $300, which I know was waaaay too low, considering that I had to go source the fabric myself and disassemble the existing cushion covers before I could even make the new ones… but upholstery is not my wheelhouse and I considered it a one time deal for a friend.
Sometimes people request items I make regularly in specific colorways, and I really love doing this for no extra cost. These kinds of items include quilted pillows, pot holders, tote bags, basic half aprons, etc.
“Can you make that article of clothing for me?”
If you are willing to spend a lot of money for something that is not professionally made and not guaranteed to fit perfectly, then okay! Many at-home sewists learn to tailor patterns to fit their own unique bodies but we are not seamstresses (usually) and I can really only work off of your basic measurements without needing extra fittings. Additionally, if I am using a pattern from a known pattern maker, it’s probably not intended for commercial purposes. So, I will only make something here and there for folks as a one-off, and at craft fairs I will only occasionally sell stuff that I’ve made for myself but no longer need. No mass production for me at the moment. If I start to make things using my own design, though, that will be a different story :)
If you’ve read this far, thank you for your interest! Please get in touch if you have any other questions or ideas for fun custom projects!
