Revealed: the realistic cost of a handmade queen-size quilt
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- Опубліковано 19 лют 2024
- I added up costs for a quilt I just made to show how much it would cost for ME to make a quilt on commission. Prices will vary depending on skill level and labor involved, also costs of fabric make a huge difference as well. I don't sell quilts, quilting is my hobby.
I would love to hear how YOU price your labor, and why. Please keep the discussion civil, we are all artists and my channel is meant to be a source for all quilters (or fiber artists) to have a place for open discussion.
Yes- I'm still living in a hotel room. One more week of class then I'm heading back home!
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My grandmother was actually famous for her quilts. She would finish a quilt (no custom) and then sell raffle tickets for the quilt. She would have the raffle when she got the amount of money she wanted for it.
That was pretty smart marketing from your grandmother!
Wow, your grandmother was smart! What a great idea.
Our church quilt group does this twice a year!
So smart!!
Gosh, amazing XD
My wife quilts for people as gifts. People receive these quilts act like they got underwear or socks for Christmas. It drives me nuts because I watch her work long and hard to craft these one of a kind art works. People who quilt are highly skilled and as you correctly point out material isn't cheap. Thank you for bringing this to light.
Yes, I have had this experience.
You could do what I do when my family are ungrateful with my husbands woodwork. I smile and sigh like I agree with their disappointment however I’m “disappointed” in a different way. Smiling I tell them “yeah, I was not too happy when he bought that crazy expensive wood but lesser wood wouldn’t do for that spa seat… and don’t get me started on how many HOURS it took him to make. He takes NO care of himself. Sigh” and then walk off letting them realize he slaved away for them, bought top quality materials and all with a humble attitude without telling any of this when gifting it (making it seem perhaps to those who has no clue how much work it takes to custom make a seat takes) 😋🤷♀️ gives them a little perspective and mostly everyone goes up after and are much more appreciative after that ☺️ just an idea anyways 👍
I crochet, and I've actually been really lucky with some of the reactions I've had to the blankets I've made. One person I gifted one to (for his new baby) is a knitter himself, so he knew exactly how much it could have cost in time and materials. And recently I made one for my niece. My brother immediately asked me how long it had taken, and then told her that the labour alone would be worth $2000.
I crochet and knit, I'm not good enough to quilt. I'd be so over the moon to be gifted even a quilted pillow! It's such a beautiful craft, it should be cherished for the blood, sweat and tears that go into each piece.
Giving to the wrong people! My family appreciated my sewn gifts and I’d get requests for next Christmas.
Many years ago, I went to a church sponsored rummage sale and found a beautiful KING size quilt and two pillow shams as well. It was priced at $25.00. It was not only a quilt, but the maker had added cruel needle work and tiny ribbon flowers and bows to various squares as well. Again, just beautiful. I was poor then, but bought it because it was just beautiful to me. I got it home, took it to a good laundry-mat and washed it in a front loader machine, it is well made and heavy. When I got it home and I was just admiring it, I realized that it was actually quilted by hand!!. I can’t image how long that took. I vowed, that I would keep it all my days because I knew how much work went into it. The maker has most likely passed on, but I will honor this beautiful quilt all my life. Glad you made this video, you’re so right! This work is not valued as it should be. God Bless! ❤️❤️
Awesome 🤩
It's sad that the woman or her family didn't value it enough to keep it.
Crewel, not cruel.😊 But however you spell it, that quilt was obviously a labor of love. I'm glad it went to someone who treasures it as it deserves.
A little while ago, I got a hold of a school quilt, only the face of it survived- something that looked to be 19th, early 20th century, all manner of decorative hand stitches, shapes cut out, cursive names and little designs embroidered. They must've brought scraps from home, it was different all over. It is so beautiful.
I won a quilt on a raffle, just beautiful. I literally redid my whole bedroom around that quilt. I will keep it on my bed as long as I have a bed.
I appreciate this video and as long time quilter I’ve had mixed experiences:
1) made an inexpensive basic baby quilt early in quilting journey with Joann’s fabric - it became a family heirloom for a family and is passed onto to every baby born in family for past 15 years.
2) Made a complex quilt with quilt shop more expensive fabric for a charity silent auction and a $40 bid won, for a quilt that cost me at least $400 in fabric and labor.
3) Made a quick panel quilt for a baby shower my husband was attending for his coworker and expectant mother broke down crying she was so moved.
4) made a wedding complex wedding quilt that took six months to complete and never even got a thank you card from the nephew and his wife.
I could go on with the stories, but what I’ve learned over the years that it’s the person not the quilt that determines the quilt value to them. I don’t make quilt gifts anymore except for Very Special select people. I make quilts only for me now and I don’t try and sell them because I’ve been burned doing that.
I appreciate your comment. I think you made a good note on the value. I wanted to say that I am quite disappointed by the charity auction, because even some normal blankets sell for over $100!
I resonate with your comment so much as a quilter. As a quilter, I've been shocked to see the lack of appreciation that some of the people I've given quilts to have shown. I spend so much money buying fabric and time actually piecing and quilting and then, sometimes, when the gift is opened, it's tossed aside with the wrapping paper. You almost want to take it back. On the other hand, some people treasure their quilts. One of my first quilts was so well loved it was worn thin and the baby I gave it to is a grown man who still mentions it when I see him. One of my last was for my dying mother during Covid and she told me it was a way for me to be close to her when she was in isolation. When she passed, my grown daughter asked if she could keep the quilt as a memento of her Nana. Those are the quilts that matter.
@@acebaker3623I think most people haven't touched a needle or sewn a button and haven't got any idea of what it takes, hence the lack of appreciation. The same with food!! How is it treated when people grow their own veg in comparison to shop bought or ready meals? It is very sad that such skills aren't taught at school or at home.
I make a bunch of cross stitch and plastic canvas work. I used to try to sell custom but everyone wants to pay $5 or less and say its just easy idle time stuff that I'm greedy for wanting $100 for a cross stitched custom wedding banner. I can hand embroider but nobody asks about that since my cross stitch price is so high. Simply i say for 20 bucks ill make you the pattern and you can go mske it yourself since its so easy. Ive had people buy a custom pattern ive never had a single one come back and tell me how easy the project was. Ive never seen the completed project either. Every year it gets harder and more expensive to get the materials but the people wanna pay less and less.
I feel your heartache, God bless you and as hard as it is, forgive...don't forget or hold it against the person who did not see the beauty, time , and love poured into each stitch. In my eyes, every piece I do, whether a quilt, cross stitch, crochet booties and cap each one, to me, is priceless. I have never charged for any thing I have done because they were from the love I have for those I gave them to. Some were treasured, some were a quick thanks, never to see displayed or thought about again. So it is in this world today, but God is close and my Lord will return, he said it and I believe in Jesus.
IT's about time someone puts a realistic price on our work. I rather donate my quilts than have people not value my hard work.
Everyone is underpaid, except bosses nowadays, I've heard carpenters talk about deck projects in much the same terms as OP, costs of materials and especialy labour make it unviable.
Except that donating your quilts is encouraging people to continue to devalue your hard work. Because they see you donating something they say, oh it really can't be worth all that much if you are giving it away. Even if it is fundraising for charity. Maybe you won't get that money but I guarantee that charity is not going to get the full value of that quilt either. I've been to charity auctions where artists have donated their work and very, very rarely will that work go for what the artist stated it should go for. Most times it is much less. I won't devalue my work that way anymore.
Very good point! I honestly would rather donate the $250(ish) that my quilt will bring as a fundraiser and keep it for myself.
@@andreaslind6338 One of the weirdly most rewarding and highly paid jobs I have ever had was an odd job man in about 2005. I was charging £20 which would be about $50 an hour now I believe. The mistake I made was turning it into a "proper business" making custom garden buildings and that got instantly wiped out in the 2008 crash.
It was low stress and really varied work - painting fences, cleaning gutters, mending garage roofs etc. I got to meet lots of different people and I was never bored.
This is exactly what I do. Give the baby quilts that I make away. It is something I do for passion, release, upcycling, skill-building and I have another art practice as my main income - as in these quilts are precious and one of a kind and most people wouldn't pay what it's worth. I rather hustle my other art forms and get paid for sewing in other ways. That pays me for side quilting time
My wife is a crocheter. She makes cute little monsters and people are always under valuing her time and effort. Thank you for making this video.
They're NOT "under valuing". They just don't want to spend that much. Like cars, houses and everything else!
@@22lyric Sure sure. It's "cheaper" to buy goods made with what is essentially slave labor in China. We should totally just keep doing that. Good thinking, my friend.
Right, I have done this, and people are 'willing' to pay me $10-$15 for something that takes like 4-5 hours of work. Not even worth it. Although one year, just after Pokemon Go came out, I crocheted pokemon and put them in pokeballs made from plastic ornament forms, and gave them out for halloween. Kids loved them! Time well spent there.
I always look at beautiful hand made toys and plushies at local fairs and it always makes me so sad that they're priced at $20 when I know it took the woman or man waaaaay longer than $20 worth to make it. Especially the micro items omfg I can't even make my hands work or eyes see those tiny things anymore but they are the cutest and I adore them
The kind of thing happens for Knitting. A project can cost me over $100.00 for just the yarn used in it. The labor time is high. The skill level of such projects took me 20 years to master.
Nothing has ever crushed me like spending tens of hours knitting a gorgeous shawl in a very complicated pattern from tempermental light bamboo "wool" (I was considering the weather where this person lived) for someone and seeing her clearly wish she'd been given the $16 initialed necklace I gave someone else. The "wool" alone cost me $50 on a major sale buying bulk to repeat the project for others. I love pouring my heart into things for others, but I'll never again do it for someone who I haven't talked about knitting at length with. That way I'll know if they actually recognize what they're being given.
When I found out that my grandmother had knitted my baby blanket I cried and thanked her because I knew how intricate the work on it was (and so perfect that I thought it was machine made). If I hadn't taken an interest in knitting, I never would've known how much effort that took from her, and what a precious gift it is. Maybe it would've gone to the landfill instead of being carefully hand washed and kept.
I am 75 years old. I started quilting in the 80s. I made quilts for my family members, I made quilts for friends. I made healing quilts, made with love for friends and family that had to go into the hospital or do cancer treatments. I made lap quilts for nursing home residents that had no one to visit them on holidays, like Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. I made quilts for the Children’s hospital. In all that time I didn’t charge anyone, I gave them something that had been made with love for their comfort and perhaps feeling cared for. Over all these years I have maybe had a handful of people truly thank me, let me know that they still have their quilt or that they still remember it.
Perhaps the making and giving of a quilt meant more to me than the receiving of one, I’m not sure. I know that I refused to allow myself to make judgements about it but look at it as something that my intention was loving and good.
When my sons got married, their wives weren’t interested in handmade items. They wanted everything to coordinate in the baby’s room. I made my grandchildren quilts anyway, when they came to visit me, I got out their quilt and they played on it, slept with it, learned their colors from it. It is theirs when they turn 18 and they can do what they wish with it. I did not want to see my gift to them being declutterred and donated.
Thanks for the eye opener of the costs. I think even $25.00 an hour is undervalued. You didn’t even include the wear and tear on our machines. Each quilt required me to oil and clean my machine, as you said replace needles, etc.
it does make me sad though that less and less people see quilts as something made with 💕 for them. To be wrapped up in one when you are feeling sad or lonely, is to feel the love of the person that made it for you, giving you a hug.
I think people just don't know how much effort and work and love goes into things like that. Fewer people than ever take up a needle craft or other type of craft such as wordworking so that means fewer people are familiar with how labor-intensive and difficult it all is. I'm 28 and I've tried multiple types of needle crafts and so I got to have a taste of how brutal they are starting out. So my grandma's afghans and cross stitch projects are even more precious to me than somebody who has never tried to learn.
I couldn't agree more. I've tried to sell small quilts and table toppers at our Church bazaar and even then people say they are too expensive. So, I go back to why I love to quilt. For the pleasure of seeing the faces of those receiving them. That warms my heart the most. I'm currently making quilts for my husband's siblings (6 in all) from their mom's dresses. These will be something they can cherish the rest of their lives. And that is why I quilt. 😊 Oh, and I'm 66 and have been quilting since 2015. I love it!
So eloquent. You should write a book about your quilt making!
I couldn't agree more ❤️
I am so glad to hear another quilter put a realistic price on a quilt. If asked for a quilt now I quote $1200 plus fabric and batting. No takers.
In the past, I was always invited to baby showers, because everyone knew I’d make a quilted baby blanket. I’m an RN, so quilting is almost meditative for me. However, I gifted a baby blanket to our unit secretary, a star patterned quilt. I quilted it myself because it was small enough to do that. (I’ve also done long arm quilting as a professional, and oh my god it’s hard to make people understand that I charge by the inch!). I ended up putting about 80 hours into the quilt, and then gave it away. Several of the other nurses wanted a quilt. When I said sure, go to the fabric store and buy 100% cotton fabric, in these shades, and X amounts, then I’ll happily make a quilt, and charge per hour, and you can send it off to be quilted. I got no takers. One told me that I was crazy, she wasn’t going to spend $100’s on fabric. Thank you
Someone asked me to make a crochet baby shawl "like granny made for all the family babies". No written pattern because granny had made so many she didn't need one. Eventually I was shown a very blurry tiny photo where the shawl was thrown across the back of a couch that 2 children were sitting on. What little I could see of it was impossible to make out any design except that it wasn't a standard granny square or smaller granny squares. I suggested yarn (nice baby yarn but nothing fancy or luxurious) and something for my time but not the going rate might come to about £50.
No surprise I didn't hear from that young woman again and her aunties didn't mention it either. People have no idea.
Fabric prices have gone up!
I wouldn't have bothered making a quilt for that nurse unless she was your best friend or someone you highly valued. Good on you for standing your ground with the other nurses though. People are so used to mass produced dollar store products they have forgotten what it takes to make a home and build a life. We used to make everything ourselves. Grow our own food, build our own houses, make our clothes, etc.
Traditionally for baby showers in my family instead of gifts everyone would contribute to making baby puff quilt and the party would be working on the quilt. Almost everyone in my family has one. I did it for my oldest son and I invited my friends and in laws and they didn't even come because they didn't want to put that kind of work into a gift. We got the puffs made and I had to put the quilt together myself because we didn't have enough people to help.
@@winterrose8174 I had those kind of Aunts. Not my mom, never my mom. By the time I was old enough to be married and have a baby on the way, my Aunts hands has so much arthritis she could not longer hold a needle. I never got a quilt or any needle work from her as her daughter swooped in and took it all. Your tradition is amazing!! I wish I had friends close by to make those traditions with. You and your family sound amazing. I love those puffs quilts. Perfect for babies. 👶😊
I’m a guy who sews, mostly men’s shirts, and the number of times people ask me to sew them a custom shirt for $20 is just unbelievable. That won’t even cover the fabric. My response nowadays is just, “I don’t do commissions.” Thanks for this video.
That has to be so hard to hear because they don't mean it to be insulting because they're just ignorant but it is insulting.
I like your kitty in the pfp.
I sew, but its for a small business that gives me all the fabric and supplies and literally just pays me for my labor.
Back in the 80's, I used to make blouses for a woman who was very large. She was a bank exec and couldn't get nice, professional clothing. She would buy the fabric, interfacing, buttons... and pay me $40 per blouse. She understood...
Now a days, that would be equal to $150, each.
I worked with a guy who makes custom jeans, per your body measurements, $200 each. No one blinks an eye at his price.
So, there are people out there who "get it", you just have to find them...
@@jilbertbtbh it should be more common, anyone interested in nice clothes especially with the tailored element should be expecting around that cost. I mean people will but mass produced stuff for half that anyways, and not even “quality” stuff
Thank you for calculating this!!! I’ve quilted 6 years given away about 30 baby blankets and about 7 regular quilts all to family members. Ones who honor and appreciate my work!!!
My grandmother (passed away 8 years ago) crocheted blankets for all of her grandkids and my wife's grandmother knitted a little jacket and mitts for my daughter when she was about 2. Daughter is now a senior in high school and grandma Verla passed away years ago. Those items are priceless and heirlooms in the family.
exactly!!!
When I gift a quilt now I have it appraised and give a year’s insurance cover. Amazing the difference in how those people care for their quilts compared to the ones I just wrapped up and gifted. Sad that an external evaluation makes the gift worthy of more consideration.
Exactly!
@@diannehanby1855that's a very interesting idea. Tyfs
I knew our work was undervalued, but I never imagined it to be that drastic. The way you explain it makes it so crystal clear and so concise. Thank you😊
I think you're confusing something, men also make things, as a hobby, that they don't sell.
The value of a work has nothing to do with the amount of work or material that goes into it.
In using the pronoun "our" I am referring to all creators as I'm well aware that these can be she/he/them. If one is creating something for sale, what else is considered in valuing someone's work?
@@Cre0leD1va
An object is worth what others pay for it.
Last week I made a wooden toy for my nephew on a CNC router, that was 10 hours of work + 15 € material costs. Nobody is going to pay €200 or more for it, similar things can be mass produced for €20.
Four months ago I produced a spare part for a series production on the same milling machine, 3 hours of work at night, but the The assembly line was up and running again within 5 hours, for which they paid ~1200 €.
This has been the way of it for generations and is why we would rather just give our quilts to beloved friends and family.
Good thought, but even then, I've read where a quilt is put on the dog's bed or flipped over because the recipient liked the backing fabric better. Please choose carefully as to who gets your handmade quilts.
My wife is a crocheter and I'm a sewist and I always feel SO SAD when I see BIG crocheted blankets in the goodwill or the thrift because I just know how many HOURS of love and labor when into those things as "basic" as they seem. It's also why I don't make clothes or things for people. People always ask if I could make them a cloak. And i'm like...at my working professional rates this would cost you at minimum $1000 not including materials. It took me 40 hours and most of it was the hand sewing required for the lining and interlining steps. Same with my wedding dress. Slowly constructed over the course of 2 years...not including the year and a half i spent teaching myself sewing from scratch to couture techniques. But in my case I was TRYING to replicate the work of a couture brand lol.
What kind of cloaks do you make? Thats a ridiculous price. At most-4 yards for $50/yard for a good wool is $200 + 2 hours cutting time , 4 hours of pinning and 8 hours of sewing ( being generous) @ $20/ hr is $880.
Does your price include S&H? 20% tax?! @@beccam9854
All my quilts have gone to close relatives. Sometimes not even a thank you card. I can't quilt anymore because of physical disabilities. The few I have kept... 5:31
@@wickiwo1098 this happened to me! I gifted a friend’s mother a complex patterned quilt, but she liked the kittens on the back better and always laid it out that way. The daughter I gave a baby quilt to hung it on the wall by driving 10 penny (read really big) nails through the corner fabric. Made my heart break just a little, that was a 100 + hour project.
I am so glad to hear someone else say this! I am 70, and I have been sewing since I was 16. Over the years I have knitted, crocheted, cross stitch was my true joy, I began that journey in 1978 when I found out I was expecting my first child. Over the years I have completed over 300 pieces, most of which I cut wood for, framed, and stained/painted plus cutting the glass for the frame. Most of these pieces ended up in the homes of my children or other family members. I did these pieces and didn't charge for them, only asked that I keep the book/leaflet, as well as any extra floss if they purchased any for the project.
I did my first quilt top in 1980, I never finished it. This top was a Dutch Doll, my Mama showed me how to make ( I have her first quilt which was made in 1930, all hand sewn, it is done in little squares made from the clothes of family members, she was one of 8 children from a poor family living in Eastern Georgia. Sorry, thinking of what was and is today sometimes becomes a struggle.
People today do not see the art in what is created by hand and sadly will put a greater value on " store bought " than handmade. Even my own family, I was reminded that it was a gift I gave and the person who owns it should be free to do with it as they please. This was cross stitch, some done on 14 count, most pieces were on 32 or 28 count, hours of love and time which now lie in a box stowed away in an attic. Perhaps I shouldn't care, but I do, to me each of those pieces were Mona Lisa's.
In my life I have created and completed a quilt for each of my 3 adult children, 2 kings, 1 full. I made a queen size for myself. I have made many crib size quilts most of which were biscuit type or as some call them " puff " quilts. I have sewn more clothes for children than I can count, as well as sewing for myself.
I struggle with tremors and arthritis now, I still try to paint, not that am good enough to brag but it brings me joy to be creative after all, idle hands and minds are the devils workshop.
Well I have given you far more than you have asked for, to the point, over the years people would ask me " How much for this or that " after being insulted, not in words so much as the lack of appreciation for my time, and effort did I begin every such conversation with, if you have to ask, you can't afford it. Did I bristle the fur of some, yes but truth is, everybody wants something for nothing, and handmade crafts are worthless to those who have never set about crafting themselves.
You, dear girl, like myself will be given respect somewhere hundreds of years from now, should our crafts withstand the test of time, If this world remains and the Lord delays his second coming, our artwork will be sold for hundreds of thousands, lol but for now, we are not respected or valued. Take care and please forgive me for being long-winded. 🙏🙏
I have done award winning embroidery and quilting. I have given pieces as gifts. My one son had a short lived marriage to a girl than when I offered to make them a quilt the look on he face was not of appreciation. We went to Target to see their registry. They had a quilt on it. The quilting stitches you could catch your fingernails on all of them. Made in China and not made well. When I saw what she prefer to one of my quilts, I knew I would do a thing for her. My son married again to a totally different type of girl and she took the time to color a quilt to give me a way to go. She is so precious. One year for Christmas I gave her a beautiful tea table cloth and napkins in cross stitch that had never been used that I bought for $2! from our thrift store. The first girl would have sneered at it but the other appreciated it. Like I always tell her, I can never visit their home so she doesn't need to keep things I give her. I have really bad RA and I am not up to traveling 5 hours to see them. These days, I am very fussy about who I give homemade gifts to.
It's nice to read thoughts that reflect my considerations as well. I've actually been in WM and said loud snarky comments about how it pisses me off there's little but Cheap Chinese Crap. Crystal at BagODay did a yarn review of Temu yarn. It easily came apart n was obviously made from? Made by whom? Labor in China is too cheap. Get too many immigrants here n labor wages will be cheapened. Compared to the early 80s a lot has gone to goat digestions. And kids don't get art n music n encouragement to try doing creative things. I occasionally encourage creativity on vids bcos. .we could all use some positive feedback. Btw. Totally agree with pretty much all both of you said. My thing is crochet but I won't make anything for my son again and likely will stick to not making things for others unless a donation of stuff for a shelter or something. Lately I've been working on mostly things for me that I need. I'd still like to crochet me a burnoose but.. lotta work. It's really sad some of the attitudes of appreciation anymore. Like learning about the attitude of Gratitude would be a good start . Many blessings ya'll.
As far as I'm aware, the Torah says nothing about long-windedness being a sin. 💖
I make beautiful creations as well by crochet or knitting and I don't want to sell anything either, I'm like you said, I would've to charge too much, when I give something as a gift, all I ask is for appreciation 😊
Apparently I significantly undervalue my own labor, even though I'm a man.
I've made fudge from basic ingredients and given it as Christmas gifts to my coworkers. And I got an uncomfortable (to me) amount of thanks for it. It was a few cents worth of supplies and a couple hours of cooking.
And I also crocheted my grandma a little blanket that was similar to one she had described to me from her childhood; one her mother made her. It was blue with a white duck in the middle, and had hand-tatted lace around the side. I can't seem to tat lace, but I crocheted her a blue blanket with a single white duck on one side, and on the other side were two big ducks with three smaller ones to represent her, grandpa, my aunt, mom, and uncle. And I sewed some lace I bought from Joanne's around the edges.
I didn't think the blanket was a huge deal- it was less than $50 to make after all, and she and Grandpa always give everyone a $50 bill for Christmas and for birthdays. And I'd given my parents crocheted items and they'd always wind up buried and unused in the spare sock bag- so my crocheting itself obviously wasn't that valuable. I really just made it for her to show I'd been listening to her. Because I didn't think it would be a big deal, I gave it to her in front of the rest of the family. Apparently I accidentally showed everyone up with that gift. It was a huge deal, and suddenly my parents were bragging about my crochet abilities.
Now that I think about it, I once made a rag doll just to see if I could. Once I finished it, I didn't really care to keep it anymore, so on a whim I gave it to that same grandma. I expected her to play with it a little then throw it away or at best maybe give it to a kid. It was made out of garbage after all. Now I wonder if she still has it.
I do lots of things for fun: cooking, baking, sewing, embroidery, crochet, knitting, writing stories, singing, guitar, ukulele. They're idle amusement, or they're ways to make unique gifts for my family who have more than enough money to buy whatever they want. They've always just been things that bring me joy, not anything of value.
Maybe it's sexism? Maybe it's late stage capitalism making things seem like "if you didn't pay a lot for it, it doesn't have value". Maybe it's a generational thing? I'm 26 years old- so late millennial, early Gen Z... 🤷♂️
And this is why when my cousin said she would make me a quilt and took me to pick out fabric I was incredibly thankful. i have no clue when it'll be finished because she has a few people in line before me, but to have her make me a quilt is such an honor.
What is even more amazing is, that after you do all this work for people they get tired of what you made them and donate it to a thrift store!!!!!!!!!! I have bought so many BEAUTIFUL quilts, baby blankets, hand made cradles , etc... for almost nothing.
This. It's kind of like finding old family photo albums from the late 1800s and early 1900s. I always wonder what happened that all the old family photos ended up at a thrift store. It always makes me sad 🥺
I wouldn't just assume that the people got tired of the gifts. Especially if you find (older) stuff of high quality that looks brand new in thrift stores it must have been well cared for. There are many reasons why people (have to) give those things away.
And it can be just as beautiful if someone finds those wonderful things and gives them a second home and cherishes them once more.
Alot of older people in my city quilt and use recycled materials and donate them. It's beautiful
I'm a quilter myself, but I buy those same things in thriftshops just to give them an appreciative home.
Every craftsman should remember: most people don't care about hand-crafted items, otherwise they would be handcrafting, too. Many simply hate old-style estetics and love modernity only. As result, most of your gifts go straight to the trashcan.
I tell anyone that is interested in a piece that: I don't make decor...I make heirlooms. I crochet wedding shawls meant to be passed down to another generation. I go through the whole buying process with a client down to picking the fleece I spin into thread. I require a deposit just on the materials that is NON- refundable. I had a potential catty client ask why so much? Why can't you go to Walmart and just buy some yarn? In return: I told her this is a piece of me; my soul, my very valuable time, and my craft. This is my price and if grandma can make it from "Walmart yarn" then you should get her to make it 😊. Big thumbs up for addressing this topic ❤
She would have asked Michelangelo to paint with acrylic 🥵
My mother-in-law was a fabulous knitter - but tended to buy acrylic "wool" (she always called it wool, no matter the content) because it was cheap. My daughter wore one of her real wool jumpers when she was small (about 4) after it had been worn by several older cousins, and I know it got passed on to others after that, and still looked marvelous. The acrylic ones didn't hold up nearly as well. While she made us many sweaters and cardigans over the years, almost the only time she used real wool was when I (or someone else) bought yarn for her.
@@mggrantcowi9989Sounds like she enjoyed knitting so I suppose thats a good way to do your hobby cheaper and also ensure youve always got people to give them to 😂
@@Lucky9_9 I wish someone had paid Leonardo Da Vinci to paint on wet plaster so that the paint wouldn't chip off.
When I am asked if I sell my quilts, I say no because the price would be prohibitive. I also say that the cost of materials AND my labour would put people off. If I choose to make/gift a quilt to someone, it is for my pleasure. Making it into a business would take all the joy out of it for me. Thank you for putting this video out to the universe.
My thoughts exactly. I am much happier giving them to those who value or need them.
Absolutely 💯!
Great comment! That’s my thoughts as well. I’ve been asked why I don’t make mine and sell them and the reasons you stated why you don’t are the very reason I don’t.
Agreed 💯
I say yes and put a very high price on it. They can walk away. This one that Kayla is calculating out, I'll say $6,000. If they really want it, I'll sell it for that!
My Nana made me a quilt for my wedding. It is probably one of the most treasured item I have.
This is true for all crafters. Always insultingly undervalued.
My grandmother was a master quilter. I was blessed to have hand-quilted quilts my entire life. when they wore out my mom would make, teddy bears or other small things with what wasn't worn through. The last quilt she made for me was a queen size quilt for my wedding. It was constantly on our bed for 10+ years, we kept using it long after it began to fall apart. I still have the pieces in a space bag waiting for me to sew into pillows. I have also yet to find a comforter that feels as nice. These functional works of art are labors of true love and skill and are unmatched by anything available on the open market today. To anyone who wants a "quilt, like Granny used to make" you better learn to quilt because no one is going to make you a quilt for the price Granny did.
My grandma did this for my wedding too 😊 I got the first quilt she ever made
So lucky! Quilts started appearing here only recently. our grandmas used to emboider/crossstich large wall hangers - about 1.5 meters long, and some 70 cm wide. These get hanged on the wall by the long side, usually just above the bed. In some cases, they would do bed covers in the same methods.
I had a neighbor who would plow the snow in my driveway- would never take a dime. The third year he did it, I made him a queen size quilt. He asked what it was worth. I went on Etsy, found a quilt just like it (full size) and showed him it was $700. He almost started crying... and he loves it!
Same! I have several from my grandmother who’d complete one quilt per winter. She’d sew by hand on the frame grandfather made her in the evenings. My favourite is the wedding ring pattern I received on the occasion of my marriage. Our grandmothers started sewing at the age of 5. No wonder the stitches were so perfect!
And this is why I treasure the quilts that were made by my mother and grandmothers. ❤
Same. I have a crocheted afghan that my maternal grandmother made back in the early 70s..it's a simple chevron pattern, in typical 70s colors and scratchy yarn, but I cherish it because she made it. I also have two quilts one of my aunts made. She is now in her late 90s and no longer quilts, but boy did she make some beautiful things!
Same here! I hope to pass mine on to any daughters my son may have in the future.
I feel so lucky to have cross-stitch gifts from my (thankfully still-living) mom, knitted clothes from my grandmother, and crocheted afghans from my great-grandmother. I don't understand people who don't treasure these things!
I have the quilt my great grandma made for my dad 60 years ago, I sleep with it regularly ❤️
Quilt making is definitely undervalued. I made a quilt for someone recently and during the party she opened up the gift. There were no ooh's or awh's. She just said oh that's nice then put it to the side. I was devastated. I put a lot of time and love into that quilt because I love her. And I know she loves me. I took into consideration that she was pregnant and overwhelmed. But people have no idea how much time money and love goes into quilt making. I think that quilts made by big companies have made a big difference in how valued self made gifts are.
I'm making a quilt now that the materials alone costs around $600- fabric, templates etc. It's going to be appliqued upon an applique upon the background fabric. Lots of time. Lots of money. Lots of love. Best part is that the person getting this is going to REALLY appreciate it -ME!!
I love what you said. When you're done, enjoy your beautiful quilt!
Love the ending to this! 😁😁🫶
My heart broke when I read her reaction to her quilt, you deserved so much better!!
@@lauracruz2021 it's ok. I've learned to not judge too quickly or harshly. You never know what someone's going through. I know and God knows where my heart was. I do believe in you get what you give. From experience. So even if I didn't get it from her, I know that God was proud of the love I showed through the quilt! And you can never out give God. So keep pouring out my love and God will do the rest. Like I said I know she loves me. I think it was a very long day for her. She really is a very nice person.
Thank you for your comment. It's nice to be understood 🥰
If someone gave me a quilt, I'd feel awful because I know a lot of time and love goes into them. I'd hate for them to feel like you did here, but I can't change that patchwork quilts aren't my thing. I wouldn't use it, so for me it would just be another item taking up space -which is tragic given all the effort that went into it. To avoid future disappointment, maybe check beforehand if someone would treasure one of your lovely quilts as much as they deserve.
This is why I make my own quilts. It isn't as hard as I thought it would be; it does require precision and care and time. If you can cut a straight edge and sew a straight line you can make a beautiful quilt. And as an added bonus I have a deeper appreciation of the mastery and art of advanced quilters.
That's like when people say if you have a steady hand with the nail polish you can give yourself a pedicure, as though it's the easiest thing in the world. I do not have a steady hand, nor can I cut or sew a straight line. Doesn't stop me from trying, though 😂
Not just “women’s work” I feel like the whole creative and craft industry is so undervalued. I paint in oils, draw, do digital art, and hand-paint wood pieces, all without much overhead cost to do. But my time is worth everything, and most people just don’t understand the value;
If you want that $40 target quilt, sure, go to target; but then again you are getting cheap fabric sewn together in a factory probably by young kids making a $1 an hour.
If I had thousands to drop on a hand crafted quilt you made, I would, because I can understand the thought and craftsmanship that went through it.
I don’t think I’ve come across a quilt anywhere, least of all target, for less than $100. If they want bedding that cheap they’ll have to visit a thrift store.
I've definitely seen factory made quilts on sale for fifty.
exactly, industrialisation of manufacturing processes, economies of scale, as well as offshoring labour cost mean that the average person has no idea about what it takes to make something handmade or of a higher quality. Because of this, it really shouldn't be surprising that people balk at this price.
People are willing to pay large amounts of money for paintings, clothing, furniture, digital art, writing, watches, etc. But to get that kind of money, your products need to be creative, distinctive, and high quality enough that they are clearly better than the mass produced stuff.
I paint with acrylics, but my art (usually cost me around 7 hours to paint it) is being sold for 40 euro's, including the canvas-and-paint-costs.
And still, nobody takes it. Art is being heavily undervalued, since you can easily snap a picture, print it out at home and hang it on the wall if you want.
The value of handmade is gone for many.
I don’t make quilts for less than the cost you quoted. People don’t want to pay the price so I quote 1500 to 3000 depending on the size they want. Shut them down and I get to focus on the quilting for my family. I did have a person that his wife inherited Mother’s Flower Garden blocks and did not know how put them together . Asked me how much I would charge to complete the quilt. I had batting and backing so I said 1500.00 and I finished the quilt. His wife and Mother-in- law cried when they saw the quilt. I felt good cause I knew they would cherish this quilt very much.
That's wicked nice! Good story.
Quilter here. I was recently given some cut pieces of fabric that belonged to my grandmother. Luckily, she had put two blocks together, so I know what she was doing. Sorted the rest of the fabric, and there is enough for thirty blocks. Your story inspires me to get at it, despite half a dozen quilts in the works.
Love this! I too only make things for those who understand the work that goes into it and values it.
I mostly sew clothing and this is exactly my strategy. When someone asks for a piece, I give them an outrageous price. There are two outcomes and I'm good with either. 1) they decide it's not worth it. Great, I didn't want to make it anyway. 2) They decide they do want it after all and I make it at a price I'm happy with. I have yet to have anyone choose option 2.
I kept track of everything to me last quilt. It was around $800. Remember, this does not include a sewing machine, cutting matt, blades, lighting, etc. Etc. I love making quilts. So question, what do you do with all of them?
Everything you said about the cost and work is true. But, I made a lap quilt in red, white, and blue to give to a veteran uncle of my son's wife. When they put it in his lap, he burst into tears that someone he didn't even know made it just for him. His gratitude made my cost and work priceless.
I like your comment. After watching this video I realize a few things. 1. I may be really stupid or 2. I like doing my craft and I'd rather do it for cheap and have happy people than not at all.
Im doing quilts for 200 to 400. And giving quilts to my old life long friends etc... And im okay with it.
Thank you for sharing this grest story!!
Share this like crazy! People need to be woken up about what handmade really means! This applies to handmade anything!
I have made many quilts for friends over the years. I wasn't expecting anything from them, but what made me cry was when I got a thank you card from a "10" year old little girl. It would mean the world if more people did the same.
That's so sweet 💜 why's "10" in quotes though?
Not to speak for her, but I assumed she meant the girl isn't 10 anymore@@kiwipomegranate
That is my biggest complaint. Not getting the good manners of a thank you note for a quilt. How can a person be not respecting of my feelings?
My sister makes the most beautiful quilts I have ever seen. She makes them for the family babies. Each one is based on a children’s poem or story, Wynken, Blynken and Nod, the Wind in the Willows, Just so Stories. Each one takes her about a year, every stitch is done by hand. You couldn’t pay enough to buy one. They are works of pure love.
Agreed. There's love and thoughts of the receiver in every stitch.... there's no more loving a gift, than that that's hand made. Your Sister is wonderful ❤xx
"the familie babies"🥰 Love captured in fabric❤
That is so very special. It makes me very happy. She’s uniting the family and she’s created a tradition of love and talent. It sounds like you understand the deep value she has bestowed open each new addition to the family. Y’all should create a scrapbook with photos of each baby, their quilt, and your sister, and the theme she’s put into each quilt. That might be a nice way to sincerely express thanks.
@@Happybidr What a great idea!
My grandma quilts, she’s made me three quilts in my life for my 4th, 13th and 18th birthdays and i treasure each and every one. I did have no idea of the labour and fabric costs of a quilt though so thanks for opening my eyes.
A close friend’s grandmother made around 100 quilts in her life and never started giving any away until recently. I have been incredibly fortunate to have been able to receive one of these quilts. After the blanket my own grandmother crocheted, one someone gave my parents as a wedding gift, the first blanket I ever made myself, and the baby blanket I made my nephew, it is my most prized blanket. When you know something is made with love and care, even if not intended for you, it feels warmer.
I never take a commission because no one would want to pay what it is worth. I sew for my own pleasure and if I want to gift or donate a quilt that is for my pleasure as well.
I am the same. People are surprised I don't go to the local farmers market and sell things for "fun". Quilting is a relaxing pleasure for me and I would never want to change that!
This is the perfect description of my quilting. I enjoy making them and the look on the faces when people receive them bring me joy.
People ask me why I don't go to farmers markets with my produce. You will never get what you put in it for time spent weeding, picking, washing and sitting and setting up you would get very low pay if you count labor
I don't have any children, but I DO have 4 nieces and 2 nephews. All but one of them received a quilt made by me as a wedding gift. The colors were their choice, the patterns were my choice. The one remaining niece will get one too, but she is not engaged yet. The quilts I make are gifted to them at the Bridal Showers and I am ALWAYS asked if I make quilts for others or do I have a shop. The answer to both questions is always no. Maybe I'll change that a bit and say yes. Then I won't feel at all guilty when I give them a price for it. I'll hold my head up high and look them right in the eye when I quote that $5,000 price!
Kayla, I'm your newest subscriber! Thank you for this video.
I hope your nieces and nephews value your gifts already, but I also wanna pitch in that if someone would ask you if you sell quilts and for how much and you'd say the fair price, that they would appreciate your work and skill even more, seeing how much did they get.
This doesn’t have anything to do with men vs women. Try selling a piece of wood furniture right about now. It has to do with authoritarians and those who believe they hold authority. Labor is not valued the way it did when the slaves knew they were slaves, true, but I don’t think ignorance is bliss. The Most Dangerous Superstition is on youtube in audiobook form. It’s pretty good at revealing reality to some people. Maybe you, reader, will find it beneficial too.
I love the tradition of passing along handmade things, but please keep in mind that not every child may be engaged someday or have kids. I'm the last of my siblings to get married and my nana passed before I was engaged. She gave me a "wedding quilt" before she passed and it means so much to me. She said she didn't know if she would ever see me walk down the aisle, but she wanted me to know that she was proud of me whether or not I ever got married, and that as long as I'm happy, that's all that matters. If she would have waited for me to get engaged before she made it, I wouldn't have ever gotten it.
@@AnnaBananaRepublicmy fiance makes snake and insect enclosures out of scrap materials... He makes more per hour doing that than his 9-5.
@@SavageMinnowThat was beautifully said.
THIS. Exactly why I stopped doing sewing for people. I used to say, please go to the payment counter at the clothing shop and tell them, that you would really like to buy this pair of pants, but only want to pay half price for it. See what they will do with you...
I specialized in bridal and formal, both alterations and custom design. I'm retired now. But even family members who knew that was my profession and source of income would try to nickel and dime me down. I held firm and they left very unhappy. They didn't think my knowledge and skills was worth anything. I told them try looking in department stores on the clearance rack for something in the price range they wanted to pay.
Thank you for making this video! I often say a handmade gift is a sign of true love. The actual costs (as you demonstrated) are astronomical. Anyone receiving such a gift should be extremely grateful. (I knit and sew/quilt.)
I have been quilting for about four years now. I NEVER realized how much my grandma spent in making all her quilts until I started quilting myself! It makes me treasure her quilts all the more!😊
There were no such thing as "fat quarters" that are very much higher pri Ed than on the bolt.
When your grandma was quilting she was using scrap fabrics old clothing and things that she couldn't use anymore but still had good pieces of them. There's a big difference cost now is on new fabric pre-cut fabric patterns that are very complex. Quilters that make quilts from brand new fabrics and brand new items are very very skilled and should absolutely be paid every dollar of their worth but when Grandma made your quilt it was scraps it was made during downtime in the winter when she wasn't doing other stuff like canning and cooking and gardening and cleaning....
@zimrasawyer18You don't knowvif she was using scraps, that is an assumption. I started out with nothing and had to buy fabric from the get go.
People don't seem to care about keeping family stories alive. Diaries n journals n family history spoke of how quilts were made of old clothes most of the time if not all. Many people don't know how much women did just in a regular day. Misogynists are the worst about that. Many blessings
We have such a altered perception of what things are actually worth. Decades of the price of goods being really cheap because workers are exploited has made us believe that the costs that we see in target are what we should see. Thank you for this video, I can’t afford a handmade quilt anytime soon but I do believe some handmade things are worth saving up for because it will be the best quality item I ever own. I have a handmade coffee table and that tank will outlive me, I imagine your quilts would do the same if cared for.
It used to be you’d pay a lot of up front but the thing would last years and years if you weren’t stupid. Now you pay barely anything up front and the thing lasts, maybe a year or two?
So when people come across the former, it confuses them.
I agree 💯! I sew, crochet, embroider, bead, etc all the beautiful things AND work in cabinetry. Your logic and reasoning is extremely accurate. And what the average consumer doesn't realize is the skills they are asking for are not things a machine is able to execute.
THANK YOU! I was watching a video of a couple that received a beautiful quilt as a gift, in the mail. They opened it and spread out on their bed. And promptly their large breed dog jumped up on the bed and that beautiful quilt. In the comment section I mentioned the substantial money, and the hours and hours that was spent on it. I said that I wished they had at LEAST waited until they were done videotaping, out of minimal respect for the person who gifted this work of art to them, before they allowed their dog to trample all over it.
Boy did I get attacked! I just simply responded that if you had never put the hours and hours work, and the substantive amount of money into making on of these works of art, then you have absolutely no voice to comment about it. That wasn’t a popular comment either. So the willfully ignorant stay ignorant because they always think they’re right, but secretly know that they don’t have a clue what they’re talking about, but would rather die than ever admit it.
I crochet. And for the same reasons, I started putting tags on my gifts. One side is washing instructions, and the other side is “yarn stats for nerds” i don’t tell the cost, it’s a gift, but I do include the hours it took, and the number of football fields down and back it would take to unravel it, and I draw the hook size I used. It’s always fun to watch their jaws drop!😂
I had a friend who recently received a small lap quilt. He really liked it and chimed "I'll use that for a curtain in my camper" in front of the person who made it. I about spewed my drink out thru my nose.
Later on I took him aside and explained the time and materials cost and told him if he still wants to make a camper curtain out of it, PLEASE let me make a hanging sleeve for it, rather than put screws thru it and mount it to a wall.
@@jilbertbThat’s horrific 🥴
My mom has been working on a quilt for my brother and his wife for years. They requested it as a "wedding gift." She estimates that she has put about $800 worth of materials into it so far. When it's done she'll have to spend a lot of money to ship it across the country. She has been dragging her feet, not wanting to finish it, because they have dogs that pee on their bed. My brother doesn't understand why this is a problem and wants her to just finish it already.
@@heidi_mcheidiface OMGOSH!! I wouldn’t send it. No way. I want to hug her and tell her it’s definitely ok to keep it safe for them, and give it to them when she feels it’s going to be treated with respect and care. They don’t have a clue what she’s doing for them. Noooo way.
Thank you for standing up for all us hand crafters out there. I am a sewer and quilter and people are always shocked when I give them a price for an item. My adult patchwork skirts take 10 mt(yards) of material, 7 spools of thread for sewing and overlocking and 15 hours to make. If I charged the Australian $23.23 minimum wage that would be $348.45 just for the labour so I work for around $4 an hour now and if I get the comment "well i can get that for less at the store" I advise people to do so and support the overseas sweat shops and not me. It is what it is. Thanks again
I can believe that you would use 10 different fabrics in a patchwork skirt. I cannot understand how ONE skirt could use 10 full yards of fabric. Wouldn't that produce multiple patchwork skirts? The cost of the ten yards should be divided among the quantity of skirts. I'm guessing 5 skirts.
Your skirts sound beautiful ❤
Do you have an instagram page with pictures?
@stitcher4729 Depends on width. If the material is a slim bolt and only like 20" wide, it might take more than you think. There's lots of details missing so I'll just assume it's already been broken up per skirt
And that is exactly why our clothes are "cheap" its made for pennies. Majority of people care more about price than anything else sadly.
Being a fabric artisan myself, I already knew this. Buts it’s so satisfying to hear someone else break it down for the general public.
In our world of fast fashion and throw-away mentality, a handmade quilt is a treasure and should be priced and regarded as such. 🙏🏻
My parents paid $1300 back in 1980 for a commissioned quilt for a design set. It was absolutely beautiful in cream shades of eyelet, velvet, and satin. I inherited it and it’s one of my prized possessions. Definitely yes, charge more. That quilt would cost nearly $4000 in today’s dollars. It’s a work of art made by hand. Charge more and be proud of what you do.
As a knitter, I often have this question asked. Once, I wore a shawl I’d made that required me to dye the yarn before making it. When the lady got upset when I told her that she couldn’t afford to pay me for the shawl, my husband, who is a skilled laborer, intervened. He pointed out that the yarn conservatively would cost $150, and then I’d spent somewhere in the neighborhood of 6 months working on the shawl. Resulting in a labor cost of several thousand dollars at just $10/hr. Suddenly, people around me no longer ask if I’ll sell my work. I do give it away when someone really likes it or has a baby coming or a wedding. But quilting, knitting, crochet, tatting, etc are skilled labor.
I was once told to my face by a stranger that because I am "the knitting lady" (I knit in public) she would give me the yarn and I would knit a baby singlet for her to give to a friend. I said that with the cost of my time she'd be looking at a minimum of $150. She laughed at me and walked away. Notice that at no point was I asked whether I would do this, but merely informed.
@@micheinnz The rudeness of that lady to demand you make something for her that would take up hours of your time as if you owed her something….and you didn’t know her?! Some people have no concept of common courtesy and respect. I knit in public, too. And I meet a lot of interesting people. But I’ve never experienced that.
Skilled labor but not valued skill
Raising kids (“daycare”) is also very skilled & valuable labor but completely unvalued.
It’s just life 🤷🏼♀️
I can’t imagine leaving my kids w/someone 50-60 hrs a week who gets $2 an hr to raise my kid (5 kids at $10 an hr total). Once in a while, a night out, a day to help a sick friend etc, sure. I would still pay $10 an hr for just my kid tho.
Ppl do not THINK anymore.
@@YeshuaKingMessiah I cannot agree more about childcare. No matter the opinion on it, paying someone else to raise my children should require something more than a pittance from me. The childcare provider didn’t choose to bring my child into the world; I did.
As far as skilled labor vs valued skill, that is a matter of how one views the world. It is a proven fact via many studies that so-called “hobbies” (fiber arts, quilting, painting, etc) are actually beneficial to a person as they age. They help create neural pathways and neuro-elasticity in the brain that can alleviate depression, anxiety, various other mental and emotional illnesses, as well as be beneficial to those suffering with dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Another very undervalued area of labor in addition to childcare is food preparation. And survival. And food growth. In America, at least, these things are all relegated to hobbies or things we do for enjoyment. But they are truly what helped humanity survive for centuries.
Sorry. I’ll get off my soapbox. It’s an area I’m passionate about.
Yes! I get this All The Time! I also work on projects, mostly shawls, for 6-12 months each. Just recently, a compliment on my massive beaded knit lace peacock shawl "Thanks I made it" omg you could sell stuff! $36 of beads alone. 5 skeins of alpaca silk blend minimum $50. And a YEAR of working on it, 365 hours minimum. And I make $35/hr in my day job. No way I could ever get a fair price for anything I have made. Why would I do that to myself?! I will stick to personal passion projects, thanks. The pressure to monetize hobbies is absurd.
I was deployed on a Navy ship, my mother made me a beautiful quilt and I loved it. It was bright and green and so toasty. I got hurt in an accident and sent home. I didn't care that they didn't send my military kit home to me, I don't care that someone stole/lost my clothes, I don't even care about the hundreds of dollars of make-up lost because of people's carelessness. I miss that quilt more than anything. Sure my mum could make a new one, but it really wouldn't be the same. So, the people who value the work you do to make a quilt are the same people who will always value you as a person.
Why didn't you get your stuff back?
@@Alice-si8uz poor leadership? I would honestly love to know the answer to that question, but no one actually remembered about my things at all in the first place. No one I spoke to knew where it went, or where it was stored. Basically, I got hurt and then didn't exist as far as they were concerned.
I am so sorry 😢 I understand the pain of losing a treasured quilt, it happened to me too. They’re really irreplaceable, it’s hard to move on I know ♥️
The idea that there are people that think a hand made quilt and a walmart comforter are even remotely comparable astonishes me. I've got several hand made quilts that my grandmother made over the years and they are an absolute treasure.
I recently received an Amish made quilt as a gift and never thought about the value.
I knew to appreciate it because many hours were spent making it. Thank you
I make a lot of quilts for charity, but I have been a professional seamstress for over 45 years and have a lot of fabric I need to use up. But when someone asks me to "make them a quilt" just because they want one, (Oh, I'll pay for the materials), or they know I don't charge for sewing anymore and they want me to make them something...it does piss me off. I used to need the money, badly, and people would bitch about paying $5. to get a pair of pants hemmed. REALLY? No, people do not appreciate what the work is worth. This is a great video! And...I only do the sewing I want to do now and am finally doing some for myself. Let the cheap people go to Walmart.
When I was growing up in the 1960s, my mother sewed "for pocket money. " People would bring her a pattern and fabric to make a garment, no thread, zipper, buttons, etc. She even made prom dresses and wedding dresses. No one ever wanted to pay what it was worth. And she hemmed pants for a quarter!
I remember in the 60s the dry cleaners charged about $1.50 to hem them. And I have also always supplied the notions. I got old, I'm not as nice as I used to be. What a shame.@@hyacinth4368
The concept of I'll buy the fabric and think that is all they would need to contribute is ludicrous. They have no clue what fabric costs as well.
This! I could never ever ever sell my crochet itemsi for the time, labor and material it's worth. I've always made things for people when I CHOSE to, andwouldn't even tell them I was making something for them, because I couldn't put a deadline on finishing a project. It needed to come strictly from my desire to gift them something that I knew they wanted, needed or would likely appreciate. And, It was typically worked on during my free time between every day-life responsibilities and other activities. Now, if someone asks me to make something, I simply determine whether or not I have the time to dedicate to another project. If I do, then I charge for the materials (if shipping is required, then shipping charges apply as well). I just never agree to make anything just because someone wants it. I did once for a good friend, although I enjoyed it, it was a slightly more advanced level project, so there was a bit of a learning curve and it took me way longer than most of my similar projects. She even witnessed the time and effort it took me because I worked on it alot when I would come over to her house to hang out. She saw all that was involved and never asked me to make anything for free again lol. She was my only exception because we were that close. I's best for me to just keep my mouth shut and make something when I'm inspired and just show thr recipient when I'm ready to give it to them.
I used to do sewing/mending for people. Only ONE lady paid me without bitchin'. She used to pay me $1/per button (in the 90's!) And $15 to hem her jeans!
And I laugh now, seeing a man in a poorly fitted suit - he was too cheap to pay $100 for custom alterations! 😂 (and THAT'S cheap)
I crochet. I made a beautiful sunflower blanket for my best friend. She LOVED it. Eventually the cost of making the blanket came up when she asked me why I didn’t just sell crochet for a living as I was obviously talented. I broke it down for her in numbers as it wasn’t the first time she had casually mentioned it. Her massive blanket took me roughly 80 hours of work. If I paid myself $15x80hours the cost of just my labor would be $1,200 not including the cost of yarn. Her jaw literally dropped. Then she thanked me for her super expensive gift. That was the first time she truly understood. ❤ I explained that crochet wasn’t just the item, it is representative of my feelings for them. I sat and thought about the person receiving the blanket, talked about who the blanket was for with my kids and husband, pictured them wrapped up in it, made decisions based on the recipient preferences and kept it a secret from them for 80 HOURS! That’s LOVE.❤
When I was at a women’s refuge I was gifted 3 quilts (one each for me and my two kids) I told them this is such a special gift this is made with love for us! And on the quilt it had a tag that said made with love! I do know what they are worth I still have them and they mean so much to me.
i have 2 quilts that others have made for me, one long armmed and one paper-pieced hand quilted. they are absolutely worth 1500+. i am so thankful to the women who created them and gifted them to me.
It’s not just traditional women’s craft and art work that is under valued. I’ve sewn for 55+ years and have made quilts, lots of kids clothes, home decorative items, etc. I am also a retired architect. I worked for a firm that mostly designed public and commercial projects such as schools, office buildings, etc. Whenever anyone would ask my husband what I did for a living, often they’d come back with “Oh, I have a kitchen remodel (or whatever) she could give me some ideas on!” My husband would immediately tell them what I charged per hour for such work, and their response was inevitably “Oh, she charges for her time? I had no idea!”
Oh lordie!!
Ugh, it's like oh they must be joking...but you realize they aren't. I hope we can all learn that really the best thing to say when we make a blunder like that is something like "Ah I'm sorry I didn't mean to be rude" or "Sorry that was really presumptuous" or maybe "You're right my brain jumped to the idea of free labour because it's coming from a friend and I am embarrassed now". I also hope people normalize not joking about free labour from friends, family, and doubly so from women. I wish it was more obvious to people that skill, respect, and compensation aren't things by or for men. Also it's kinda funny because I feel like asking for remodelling advice from an architect is like getting a regular checkup from a brain surgeon. Like their expertise is probably beyond what you'd need for that situation unless you have something truly unique going on. If someone said my wife is an architect I'd probably ask a lame question like "What's her favourite building?"
Deeply appreciate this. You talked about the specific costs of labor and material here, but I also think the creative aspect is so important and undervalued. A quilter has to design a quilt before they can make it - and that takes so much time and mental energy. Nobody blinks when a fashion designer or artist is valued based on their creativity (in addition to labor) and I think we should value that in crafts - crochet, quilting, sewing - as well.
Unfortunately making any sort of money as a fashion designer is also very difficult, and as an artist you're lucky to be making minimum wage doing your craft as well. Most artists will need to have another job in order to still do their art as a hobby in their scarce free time. This problem is spread over most creative work, artists of pretty much every type being undervalued. Even the carpenter she mentioned in the video, is most likely not able to ask for a fair price for their labour and expenses. Because people could just get a table from walmart or ikea why would they pay so much for it. Not to mention, most people can not afford real handmade locally created things even if they care about any of this.
Thank you for this!!! I cannot tell you how many people have seen me knitting in public and asked me, a total stranger, if I could make them something. I got so tired of the snotty comments that now I just start with “what is your price point?” The number of absolute strangers who are like “oh I have to pay for it?” is astounding. Not once has anyone ever set their price point over 50 bucks, and that person wanted a California king colorwork blanket!
People who don't sew or quilt have no more idea what it costs in terms of materials or time than most of us would have if we were asked what it would cost to make a car engine from scratch. Your thoroughness in itemizing the COG and the times is impressive. Thank you. You're right: When someone comes back with "But why wouldn't I just go to Walmart and get one for $40?" the easiest thing is to simply let them go. Well, we could educate them on the cost of goods and the amount of time if we want, but there is no way we're going to get them up from their expected $40 to the realistic price of $1620. Even if we get them to go buy the materials on their own, they'd still fight you on the cost of the labor.
The cost of a hand made Quilt is why I learned how to make Quilts. This is the only way I would be able to afford to have any. I’ve been Quilting for over 20 years now. Love it and them!
I just finished a t-shirt quilt for my daughter. It was made from shirts from her dad who passed away. I pieced together the other side using his dress shirts in assorted, grays and blacks. It turned out absolutely beautiful (So it has a playful side and a serious side) and I tied it rather than quilted. It was supposed to just be a full-size and it grew to king size. LOL! For the heck of it after I was done I googled the price to send t-shirts off to have somebody put it together and was amazed to see the price to just to do the top and with a plain backing material and unfinished sides. But I absolutely understand it and know that the quilt I made for my daughter would probably have run her over $3,000 with all the work. It was a project with so much love! Thank you so much for the price breakdowns. I will continue to explain this to people
I have a quilt made by each of my grandmothers, who are passed on. They’re priceless to me! I also sew and know how much work went into them. One is hand stitched, too. You have a valuable skill! ❤
Your quilt is absolutely beautiful and totally worth it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and some people don’t understand what handcrafted means anymore. I create sterling silver jewelry and just the cost of material alone is so expensive! Thank you for this video breaking down the prices!
Thank you so much for making this video. I tried to turn my crochet hobby into a side business. I sold my toys ridiculously cheap, enough to cover the cost of material and make a little extra to make it worth my while to rent space at craft shows. It boils my blood when people think handmade gifts are "cheap".
This is so true. I hook rugs and am often asked if I sell them and I always reply that nobody would pay the price. I have done some on commission but those that asked understood the worth & I got my price. However, the average person doesn't understand what goes into making a hand hooked rug and won't pay. I dye my own wool which takes a lot of time and I like the very finely shaded rugs so I spend many, many hours working on one piece. Each of my children received a wedding rug and family members receive hand hooked items as gifts but I don't sell many pieces. I don't quilt but I do appreciate the work that goes into them and admire the artistry of the maker. We are definitely undervalued by society.
I just did latch hook and that took forever! Ppl didn’t care to pay me (enough) so I quit trying to sell.
Wool is so exspensive! The yarn alone for fine wool for gloves sweaters for me starts at $10-15/110yards .
A friend and I made a quilt for a raffle, and it sold for less than the cost of materials. People really do not know how much it costs to make one. Thank you for this.
I really wish this video was around when my mom & dad were still alive. They made quilts together for years! My dad would design them, cut the pieces, sew them together on the sewing machine & mom would hand quilt every single one. My dad was a carpenter & he made many sets of quilt racks, for mom & family or friends. Sometimes they had 2 sets with quilts on in the living room at one time! Quilting etc. ran in our family. My dad's mom & one of her sisters quilted. My great aunt would never have dreamed of taking less than $1000 for a quilt she made & they were beautifully done! Of course she had been making them for over 50 yrs. When my Gram was widowed she moved in with my parents & she taught mom to quilt. Thru their later years, my parents must've made over 50 quilts. Mom entered a couple in the local exhibition & she won best quilting for over 80 (yrs.) She turned out to be a beautiful quilter & dad came up with amazing designs & colors. But could they sell them? Barely! They made quite a few specifically ordered ones & were paid but never anywhere near what they were actually worth. In the end everyone in our family ended up with one of their quilts & we had a huge family. I would take their quilts to craft sales & couldn't sell them for $200!! It was so sad bc I knew the work that went into them & they were very well made. Sure, we live in a rural area where people don't have a lot of extra money but tourists went thru & people from all over would visit the craft sales & markets. But people are funny. Like you said, "Why would I pay that when I can got to Walmart....." Of course they can but it won't be a hand quilted, piece of the Maritimes that could be an heirloom! Anyway, I get talking too much lol! Mom just really would've loved hearing everything you said here. I'm glad I watched it myself. Thank you.
Why are you lying, your dad could not have participated in producing them as it is womens work as she said.
I have a 100 + year old quilt thats been passed down multiple generations. I love this blanket so much and the details. Ive been told the pattern is a double wedding ring. Its beautiful white background with multi colors circles.
I hope to make a double wedding ring quilt for my bed! But, after 40 years of quilting, I don’t have one for myself. Just wild.
I have my great grandma's hand sewn quilt and it's an absolute treasure. I need to wash it though and am terrified to do so. I've bought pure soap flakes and read how to do it but I'm still terrified. It's so grubby though 🥺
A family member just gave my mom and I a Victorian era crazy quilt she had had on display in her house for years. It was probably made by my German American great great grandmother. It has two years as part of the design which I assume is a start and end year (1881-1891 I think) and is good condition aside from a couple degraded silk pieces. It’s amazing to have something like this from my female ancestors
This is why I don't do commissions. On top of that, people's favorite colors and patterns are ones I don't enjoy working on and it's TORTURE for me to put 50-60 hrs into something that I dislike. So, what I do if I want to sell a quilt (not often) is make whatever I want and then sell it. The price is the price with no negotiation. I normally quilt for family and those I feel called to make one for. When I was knitting, my coworker said, "You can sell those for $20. It's beautiful!" All excited. I was knitting with 100% cashmere and had already been working on it 2 months... If you know, you know.
Show her this video!
LOL - I got the same comments for my knitting. People have no clue.
And, for every other craft or needlework. People are always "You could make money on that! No, I couldn't. People don't want to pay for the cost of materials, much less anything else. You're better off designing and selling patterns if you have the talent for that. Because no one is interested in paying for labor when they're accustomed to items being made elsewhere with little to no labor costs by prisoners or other nearly enslaved workers.
I quilted on commission for a very good friend. She bought the fabric, and the batting. Had I seen the fabric before hand, I would have told her no. 🤦♀️ and it certainly wasn’t worth the $100 she paid me to look at that fabric.
@@aureyd2515 gouvernments make us habituated to very, very low costs of goods, only made possible by mass production (that has the scaling advantage in price but needs a very high amount of items to be made and great investments in very expensive machinery before it becomes profitable, discouraging small scale unique or personal products) unethical working conditions in very low wage countries (where people even get evicted from their own lands f.i. amazone to produce our foods) and by creating environmental disasters. But this process, ofcourse, happens out of our sight. If these companies were producing in our own country or backyard as they did elsewhere, there would be a national uproar. Low costs consumer products come at a very high price. In fact, we re better off buying nothing or very little and making things rather ourselves. We are destroying the planet and our fellow human beings with our hunger for cheap items.........................imagine you can only sell something you made after you made at least 1000 exactly the same of them........how artistic or personal your project would feel??!! What joy would there be left in the making process?
It’s frustrating to know that some people don’t see the cost of a quilt. I became a quilter because I wanted my kids to own a quilt but I knew I couldn’t afford them when they were little. Since then I learned that my son doesn’t really like quilts but he likes table runners for his home (at least one). My daughter loves her quilts and I totally enjoy making them for her and her friends as they are getting married. I also enjoy making baby quilts for my co-workers. Quilting pays off in the joy of being creative, the relaxed process (most of the time) and the happiness of the receiver. I knew then and I know now that it’s not cost effective to sell quilts.
I only ever made a single quilt (entirely sewn by hand), a baby blanket for my childhood babysitter's first child, and it took so long. She loved the result tho, and told me she was using it all the time for her baby boy. It made me very happy to hear my work was appreciated rightly.
Thank you for that lovely cost analysis. I sew, knit, weave, dry felt, wet felt and make jewelry. I've never received enough money to do more than cover my costs. Often I'll use low quality yarn to help me break even. Because of this I'm less willing to do my craft even for the fun of it. I've purchased so much yarn and fabric on sale in order to be able to make a profit, but basically these supplies are sitting on my shelf not being used because I can't bring myself to make something to sell for less than the value of my time. People just don't understand what it takes to create handmade items. Plus underpaid non USA labor with poor quality fabric and yarn is getting sold for really really cheap.
Absolutely with you! People want me to paint or draw for them for nothing! They have no ideal and would not pay if they did!
So so needed this discussion. As a weaver I have been lucky to find a market that values my work. I am so very grateful for that but it makes me mad and sad when I see people devalued by selling their work super cheaply. I would certainly buy a quilt from you 😊
Thank you for putting this out there. I create beaded jewelry and ornaments. I have a lot of people that say I ask too much for a beaded piece. They don't understand how much time and money goes into that piece. It looks beautiful because I bought quality and took my time to create it. They can buy at my price or pay less for crappy department store stuff. Sad for them to think that we would devalue our work to make some money rather than getting what we are worth. ❤
I am very lucky to have been gifted multiple hand made pieces by my relatives. I’ve received two quilts gifted to me, one was my blankie as a child, the second was a high school graduation gift. I treasure both of the quilts, and unless tragedy strikes, they’ll last me through my life. My grandma has also spent what must have been a year or so hand sewing and embroidering a Christmas stocking for me, with my name along the top, and the children in the design tweaked to look like my sister and I. I couldn’t be more happy to have such beloved things, and they’re so valuable to me. Each piece by itself would’ve cost an arm and a leg if they had not been made out of love, but with the intention to sell
I knit, crochet, paint and make tons of other items. I've done craft fairs where people won't pay even half of what the item should sell for because its "too much". If I had a dollar Everytime someone said their grandmom or mom makes "stuff like that" as a weird put down because I shouldnt charge so much I'd be very rich. Instead of treating it like it isnt a hard thing and anybody can do it they should appreciate the work it really is and the time and effort it takes whether it's grandmom or me. I create things your grandkids will be able to pass down to their grandkids....thank you for so clearly and logically spelling it out although i have a feeling most of the people watching are right there with you (and me)being frustrated, not the people who dont get it.
I would tell them to get their grandmother or mother to make then. But they had died!😢😢 I guess you are out of luck unless you learn the skills to make it yourself! MAYBE that will make them think about appreciating what they could have had.
I've been told it isn't fair to charge for my labour because I enjoy making things.
@@ZenaHerbertWow. Talk about devaluing. That takes a high level of insensitivity.
@@ZenaHerbert I guess they have never made anything worth selling or they don't have hobbies they enjoy.
It seems those people don't value their own mothers and grandmothers if that's what they're using to put down you and your price. Those kinds of people need a wake-up call.
So appreciate your video targeting the "real" world! Made my first ever quilt for my great granddaughter (slightly oversized crib quilt, highest end quilt cotton @ $15 PY, min), you've inspired me to go back and calculate materials alone. I don't think anyone ever gave thought to the fact that bc I"m 2K miles away fm family (sadly) I had UPS shipping costs ($89 with my senior discount), along with hand made heirloom day gowns (2) with slips, beautiful cotton lace, etc. Called my gift box a "sprinkle box" since I had to miss baby showers due to distance and very ill spouse. Bless you for your labors of love and to think you're donating to charity (did I hear that correctly?) Be safe and stay well and continue your wonderful educational YT videos, not to even mention your beautiful work. God bless you dear one.
About 15 years ago I gave a baby quilt as a gift at a baby shower. After the gifts were opened a woman I didn’t know approached me with a $20 bill in her hand. She explained her daughter was pregnant and asked me to make a quilt for her impending grandchild. The $20 was ”to help pay for the material.”
You have to laugh, otherwise you’d cry.
To your point, Kayla, women’s work is devalued and that’s why quilting is a “craft”, never art.
Yeah.... I'm not sure why people think you're going to pay your own money to make a quilt for someone you don't even know. They genuinely don't seem to understand. I quilt for my family, my church, and donation quilts. That way I don't get upset and don't have any real expectations.
@@lanellehatcher561 Well said. Once I give a quilt, I let it go. I can’t control what becomes of it so I only give to folks I think will enjoy and appreciate it!
I am betting those of us who quilt have all been there.
This is just so typical and I am laughing along with you, so not to be terribly indignant and scream. I was knitting a baby sweater, years ago. My sister, who does not knit at all, said to me: "That 's easy, you probably knit one in an evening." You know, it takes a whole week of making this sweater a priority in my "spare time" to have it ready to give away as we gift.
People always ask me what I do with my quilts. I always tell them I fold them up and put them on the shelf. Always this response …. Ohhh you could sell those. Always my response back… Uh nope.
Perfectly reasonable! I straight up refuse commissions because people moan about what I charge. And even if I love you, you’d be lucky to get a handmade present! I create for myself first and foremost
My mom died recently & I found an almost completed queen sized quilt she had stopped working on. She hand quilted every quilt she made, including lap quilts, baby quilts, twin, queen, and king sized. My dad made 2 quilt frames for her. When she finished one, she'd tell me how many spools of thread she used. I don't sew well, and handwork is hard for me, but I'm determined to either finish this one myself or pay someone to do it. I think she'd be pleased. Btw, a trick she figured out was to make the backing several inches larger and fold it over to the front for the border.
Well done. I am a quilter and a longarmer The 50 hours I think was a bit long and I don’t hand sew the binding so I make a quilt in less time. I am a perfectionist so any quilt would be spectacular. You did a great job of breaking this down. We have all had people not understand what is involved in making a quilt. And it is always fun to watch the reactions when reality hits them. Be well.
Great video, it's shocking how little people value other's labour. A few years ago I gifted a baby quilt to a colleague, and another colleague couldn't understand why I wouldn't make her a queen-sized quilt when she was willing to pay for the fabric and gave me "a bit extra for the time". I told her fabric alone would cost more than she expected, and even offered to show her how to make her own quilt. She turned down the offer because she was "too busy to spend time on hobbies". To get her to stop asking I put together a quote and explained the hourly rate I'd charge for a quilt couldn't be any less than we were paid for our days jobs. I think she finally understood at that point there was skill involved and that other people's time had value too. She said she'd think about it and has never once brought up the subject of quilts again. These days when people ask, I say a basic quilt starts at £1,300, before consultation fees and fabric costs. Most people change the subject.
Not to mention they are bespoke, unique items with quality workmanship.
it helps to see the cost breakdown and the cost of your labor. it makes one appreciate this artwork. one just doesn’t know unless one does this
I learned to quilt from my grandma, mom, and aunts, who learned from previous generations, for hundreds of years. They would make quilts for family members getting married. I wasn't allowed to touch the quilt until I could get my stitches on a swatch to my grandma's exacting standards. When I was 10 years old, I was finally able to help. Other than the top being done on a sewing machine, I hand quilt, and have made 6 quilts for my family. I only make them for those that I know will cherish and appreciate them. I made a very special one for my father-in-law that had special notes from all of the family. He cried when I gave it to him for his birthday. (Nobody had ever seen him cry before.) He said he had never had such a special gift. He slept with it for two years before passing away. He had it on his hospital bed when he was removed from life support. This is why I quilt. I pour all of my love into it, so the receivers of the gift know how much they are loved and they have something that ties them to the past.
I figured having a quilt made costs a lot of money; I just never considered how much. As a fellow artist, I appreciate you listing the costs and the hours spent making a quilt. I also appreciate you stating you would not charge less than $20 an hour for your time. I have always hesitated about charging that much for my time in making my jewelry, but I won't anymore. Thank you.
I am glad you made this video. People do not appreciate how expensive quilts are.
This is because of economy of scale and hight labor cost, not because women's work in undervalued. This is not to say that women's work hasn't been historically undervalued, *but* in this case, this is simply because an individual in america making a quilt is necessarily very inefficient. Fabric needs to be shipped in and marked up for sale in small quantities (an enormous cost), and then the actual manufacturing of the quilt involves lots of cutting and stitching by hand that might be more automated in a factory, or might just be made more efficient by having lots of people doing small jobs. All that inefficiency on top of the fact that the cost of living in the states is much higher than a manufacturing country making it it unfeasable for a skilled worker to work at the wages of a factory worker overseas makes it impossible to make a quilt a price people are willing to pay. It also doesn't help that people often don't care too much about the craftmanship of the quilt, being willing to buy a comforter that involves overall fewer cuts and stitches, especially when faced with a big price tag.
to add to that point, there is men't work that is like this. I prefer not to gender jobs, but let's take woodworking or wood carving as an example of 'men's work. It is very difficult for a wood carver to get a price for their work that actually justifies the labor and material cost. There are ways to make money wood working, but there are alot of projects that a woodworker simply can't make money on, and making a quilt is like making a chair with a hand carved seat and spindles; some people might value it, but most people will say 'I can just get a chair at the furniture store for half the price'
Let’s not forget the time it takes to shop for those lovely fabrics including gas for transportation and the wear and tear on our machines. My log arm with computer and high end sewing machines were not cheap and they require maintenance as well. And, while I don’t like to brag, it takes talent, tons of tools and lots of practice to be an accomplished quilter. You go girl🎉
Sooo glad you brought this up! I have wondered for years why handmade quilts sell for so little!! Stay on it!
thank you for this extremely important discussion and price breakdown. modern consumer culture has completely twisted public awareness of the price of labour and human-hours that go into producing anything handmade and/or fabric-related - from crafts of love like quilting and knitting for yourself and your loved ones, to mass commercial enterprises like OTR clothing production, where the labourers (predominantly women!) are criminally underpaid and work in appalling conditions. it’s so important to talk about these issues, and remind each other how the production and life-cycle of all goods, consumer or craft, really looks like from start to finish.
Yes! You are spot on!!! Thanks for sharing this. People don’t realize what goes into custom work!
I think that these are undervalued not because they are typically the product of a woman's labor, but rather because of the devaluation of the work due to globalization. Most fabric workers are overseas and making very low wages by American standards, the products typically are subpar in quality or are okay, but are standardized and mass produced. My friend just bought a quilt for $1400, people who realize the difference appreciate the arts and understand the value. As you put it, (Walmart Indian Pakistani made goods vs. Handmade with skilled domestic labor)
It's definitely due to mass production more than anything else. Carpentry or woodworking is an example of a traditional male craft, and those handmade items are less popular than furniture from Ikea or any other major company specializing in lightweight cheap furniture. It's no longer an issue based on sex. Most of us would rather spend far less money, own easily replaceable trends we can carry by ourselves, and not have to wait for a piece to be finished. Trends cycle too quickly as well, and that influences what sells. Cottagecore may have brought back an interest in crafts, baking, farming, and "lost" arts, but how long will that captivate people? It's a sad reality, but homemade and handcrafted items aren't practical nor affordable for many.
@jacqulineard140 Nah. As a carpenter who also knits in her free time, when a man makes a piece of furniture or jewelry box or whatever, nobody haggles and they understand that kind of stuff comes with a heavy price. Quilting or knits? People really assume it's easy labor from a woman's silly little hobby, while the dude is a business man with a career.
I get haggled with all the time when clients find out I'm a woman. Even had one guy assume it must have been low quality if a woman made it. Of course, that was a while ago I hope men aren't still like that today.
Male craft = expensive talented career.
Female craft = cheap easy hobby.
People are usually absolutely shocked when they find out how much handmade quilts are supposed to cost. They think the seamstress should be happy with like $20. Absolutely nobody would think a handmade jewelry box would go for that no matter what they see being sold on temu.
@@AmandaMerkel Totally wrong. The reason quilting is seen as a product from someone's hobby is because for most people's experience with a quilt, the quilt usually IS the product of someone's hobby, not a dedicated specialty luxury product meant for sale to people who can afford to spend over 1000 bucks on a blanket of the type the video author is producing.
Lower and lower middle class people (most human beings) could never even think of spending that kind of money. And remember the average man's salary is only 35k a year. Meaning most men are below that level given the absurd wealth of the uber rich pushing the average up. Your average man is not able to afford a 1000 dollar blanket under any circumstance. So this entire luxury handmade quilt industry is only catering to the small upper middle and upper classes.
The claim of sexism expressed in your comment and in the video is really an expression of the negative classism stemming from feminism's origins among upper class white women who had time to complain and look down on the rest of the poor, men and women, both of whom couldn't vote because they didn't own property, and were too buried in work to care, just trying to not starve.
My mother, my aunt, and my grandma all have made quilts. All of the quilts they ever made were for sentimental value to be used for my siblings and I when we were small children. My aunt is currently making one for her dog. Same stories for church groups and family friends who make quilts. None of the people I personally know who have made quilts did so on the basis of trying to be an economic competitor within the niche category of specialty luxury products catering to upper class people who can afford to spend over 1000 bucks on a blanket. And that same kind of story is the majority of people's experience with quilts, thus informing the attitude and pushback that quilt producers such as the author of this video receive.
And as for people accepting the price for carpentry products more easily, that also is not a difference derived from sexism either. It stems from the fact that people lose their fingers and hands regularly to saw blades, involve hard and dirty work in unconditioned spaces, and even with specialty wood pieces like the art projects my sibling makes are still fairly cheap with even an artsy owl only costing 50-100 bucks.
If you wanna cry about sexism, then first change the military conscription laws in your country so that women are equally conscripted alongside the men to be blown apart by Russian artillery. In the US, the law is called the Selective Service Act and men are not allowed to vote without signing up for it. If we want gender equality, then gender equality in conscription now!
Yeah with globalization, plus the massive value of USD against every other currency.. the skilled seamstress that sew all the wests clothes are getting 1-2 usd an hour and on price work assuming they keep up a certain level of speed...
So its only 1/10 the labour price to get item hand made in vietnam on 60 hours.. 120 usd vs 1200 for someone to hand sew it in USA.
Hard to compete on a global level with the mass exploitation of mostly women payed a tiny fraction for the same job. People so used to this they balk at you wanting just the basic costs and hardly above a min wage for over a weeks work.
This is what I was thinking too, but you said it a lot better than I would have.
I've wached my sister crochet for 10 years so when I went to buy my 20 yo cousin a rainbow wedding quilt I wasn't surprised to pay $500. It's beautiful and will last the rest of her life! Your work is very neat and probably worth even more ❤
You are so right! I have had requests for knitting a sweater and then people weren't even willing to pay for the yarn, let alone for my labour. Like they thought they were doing me a favour for "letting me get on with my hobby". It is not just for handwork projects alone though. Any job that used to be dominated by men and are now mostly done by women got devalued. Think: secretary, bank clerk, teacher, doctor, etc. Because "if even a woman can do it, it can't be worth that much" . Makes me so mad.
Critical tinking! As women were incorporated into the labor force, the supply of labor doubled. Low wages are a consequence of women entering the workforce and doubling the labor pool which isn't a bad thing! If you want higher wages, convince half the population to stay at home lol.
I love quilts. I love the history of quilts, the stories behind how various quilt blocks came to be, same for the names when we know the back stories.... I love the colors, and just everything about them.
And, I love this quote: "Whoever sleeps under a quilt, sleeps covered by love."
I have sewn my own *clothing* and some historical *costuming* for more than five decades. (People pay me the rather odd compliment of telling me, "You can't even tell it's homemade!" and that ought to tell us something about the modern mindset.)
I have *wanted* to have a go at producing a bed quilt and have one in slow-planning process.
But when my brother and his wife moved into their current house and just as soon as they could began redecorating it---not remodeling it, just redecorating---my sis-in-law took me on a tour of the nearly completed master bedroom, and told me she wants, for their queen-size bed, "...an all-silk quilt: silk top, silk back, and silk...whatever they call that insulation in-between; and I want it all sewn together by hand with *silk* thread: the top and the back and I want it to be hand-quilted."
(At least the silk thread she was stipulating was correct.)
My brain was scrambling to take this in because the first thing I thought about was that an all-silk quilt wouldn't stay put on the bed, especially not while people were sleeping in that bed.
Then she added, rather grandly and as if she were conferring upon me a great privilege and honor, "*You* can make it." And then, briskly and business-like: "I'll tell you what design after I've decided and what colors, too. Something custom."
This took my breath away.
I declined the honor, having two pieces of real estate to maintain at the time and of course the need to generate income for that purpose, and I explained that I don't have the time, energy or skills for this project.
Later I sat my brother down and explained to him that being able to sew clothes doesn't make anybody a good hand-quilter, that this is a different set of muscle-memories and bunches of things. I also told him why a silk quilt is just not practical because for one thing, there's that "stay on the bed" business and for another, around here dry cleaners won't touch them because they're too easily damaged. (And I KNOW my sis-in-law won't trouble herself to do anything as delicate and as mundane as hand-laundering an all-silk quilt.)
There is not a doubt in my mind that she had already acquainted herself with what antique silk quilts cost and I suspect that she'd done some searches to find out what individual quilters would have charged her.
/grumbling
That "flimsy" you're displaying in this video---man, that is gorgeous! And your piecing looks impeccable. This, too, takes my breath away, but in a good way.
Thanks for making this video and sharing it with us!
I used to borrow knitting books from the library, so I could see if there was anything in there I wanted before buying the books online. During that time period, I knitted myself a lace shawl, something I had wanted to do for years, until I finally found a pattern I loved. I decided to take it to the library to show to the young lady that worked at the checkout desk. This was a small, rural library, so she got to know all the regulars, and we always chatted when I went. She was so impressed, she suggested I should make them to sell. I told her I was not willing to work for five cents an hour, then explained that I worked on it for three entire months, probably for at least 40 hours per week, using expensive marino wool sock yarn from a specialty online store. I don't remember anymore how much the yarn cost, but it was probably at least $50. (This was years ago. I'm sure it would be much more expensive now.) I knew nobody would be willing to pay as much as my time and materials were worth.
Kudos - I hand quilt all my quilts, sometimes using three different sized frames. My lap frame is my favorite. I’ve often been told I should sell my quilts but I can’t see the point. Part of the great joy I get from designing, constructing and quilting is that each quilt has to have a person/event before I can even decide what I’m going to design. And then each stitch is embedded with the love I have for the recipient, the materials, and the centeredness I get from the whole project from start to finish. You can’t buy that.
There is so much LOVE that goes into these! My husband and I received a quilt from one of his grandmother's at a bridal shower. I was so excited to receive it! Even though my colors have changed through the years we STILL have it! And I STILL LOVE IT!
Thank you for this video. I've been a multi media artist for most of my life now. Ppl are always saying why don't you open a shop? Sell your stuff? 😂 Well, because I would rather GIVE my product as a gift than be insulted by the typical offer I recieved for my creations. I've done Commission work as well and never made more than minimum wage. Less once you take away my supply costs etc. Starving Artists...is an actual thing. I'm sharing this EVERY time someone asks the question 😂 THANK YOU 🙏
I'm greatful to my 8th grade teachers for having us all make banner quilts by hand. We made the pattern in math class and read books about pioneers and learned about their history. We all sat around in quilting circles and had to do everything by hand. It was maybe 15x25 inches but it made me appreciate the art of it so much.
My mom was an artist and the amount that someone would pay a man was not what they were willing to pay my mom 😡
Thank you for this I'm wanting to ask a quilter I know to make me a quilt and wasn't sure how much to offer. This helps greatly.
Long arm and hours worked is what I needed
🥰 Thank you