I love knowing that I'm starting this hobby, this skill, at a very young age compared to so many. I love thinking that because of this, I will be able to at some point be as good of a quilter as my grandmother and my aunt.
I love knowing that my interest and my participation is helping to preserve a lost art. One that is completely under-appreciated and misunderstood by modern society.
I have been approached by a few friends and family members, asking if I could make something (specific) for them. I have always been extremely fair in my price quotes. Actually -- I've been unfair to myself in these quotes. In these quotes, when I work out the total, I don't even make the minimum hourly wage. And even with that consideration, the prices always shock the friend or family. They never follow through because of the price. And I understand. It's expensive. Quilts are priceless, and even when a price is put on them, they are almost never properly priced out when both creative time and labor time are considered.
I was browsing esty earlier today and was so relieved to see that there are some people who are asking appropriate prices for quilts...
For example, this Strip Quilt $537. This isn't even a complicated quilt! It's literally just strips sewn together with a clever color scheme, mimicking an ombre effect. There is no complicated piecing or cutting or squaring. I was so so so pleased at the price! Because it's APPROPRIATE. She isn't short changing herself.
And this beautiful art quilt in a beach landscape motif, roughly 2ft square. $275. The intricacy with the quilting and the fabric layering... APPROPRIATELY PRICED.
And this primitive style rag quilt, queen size, $395. I have literally made a quilt in this style (mine is twin size). And that is a VERY reasonable price for the amount of work involved in this quilt!
But then I see listings like this one.... A beautiful drunkards path quilt, queen size. This quilt is GORGEOUS. But it's also a very complicated quilt. A lot of measuring, cutting, piecing, sewing, squaring up. And it breaks my heart that this very talented artist is short changing her artistry by only charging $285. This quilt is easily worth over $1,100 in my opinion. But this master fabric artist would never be able to sell it for that price. No one in our culture would pay. Because no one understands the time, work, heart and soul that a quilter pours into a project like this.
And that just breaks my heart. And that drunkards path quilt is not an exception in the pricing arena. It's actually more of the norm. Etsy is wonderful for many reasons. Access. Availability. Connection. But it does a lot of damage to an artist's bottom line. A lot of times they end up lowering their prices in order to stay competitive. I know. I had to do it too. And even then, the amount of people attempting to sell their wares gets overwhelming. It's easy to get lost and forgotten and to never sell an item.
So, like many fabric artists, I've retreated away from trying to sell my items and am instead just enjoying the process of learning, growing, and creating.
