a question on what price

How much time would it take you to make one? What is your time worth to you? Do you want to do it?

Julia in MN

I personally have never made one myself (want to one day!) I do have a friend who made them and sold them for $25.00. I hope this helps. Launie, in Oregon

Several years ago I saw them for sale at about $25.00 at craft shows. I forgot how many yards you need, but if you buy the material on sale or at JoAnnes you could make one for less than 25 but if you use really good Quilt shop fabric, its going to cost to make one. Since they are usually used and left in a car, most of the times for kids, I wouldn't buy expensive material. It doesn't take much time to make one so labor costs can stay affordable. Kay.

most of the time it takes about 4 hours to make one but its been taking a bit longer the new ones I have been doing because like the one that I am making now its made with Tinkerbelle fabric and I am using silver stars to "tie" it with that you have to sew on by hand.. I have always just given them away to family and friends and this one is a Christmas gift.

I used to sew for a living and got $18.00 an hour for doing things like this in a shop but there is no way someone is going to pay that amount..

Deborah Central FL

thanks Laurie, they are very easy to make really and if you make one make the pillow section bigger then the square they say to do and it will come out alot nicer. Mine fold up to be the size of a travel pillow. Deborah Central FL. (formerly from the Oregon Coast)

I buy 6 yards, three of each color I use and there is a half of one yard left over by the time I am done.. I have told her she has to buy the fabric, buttons and bat for it so what she gets is up to her. Deborah Central FL

IMO you'd be better off at least going with her to buy the fabric, especially if she has no sewing experience. People unfamiliar with fabric stores can come up with the oddest things, they really have no clue!

Second, don't shortchange your labor too much. Tell her what you earned doing it professionally and maybe offer to do it for half price (assuming this is a one-off and you won't be required to pay taxes on your earnings).

I don't see how $25 could possibly be a fair price for 6 yards of fabric, batting, thread and buttons! Roberta in D

"gswife" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news:4E96i.179$d63.89@trnddc06...

When people ask me to make something -- sweater, afghan, quilt, pillow, etc. -- my standard response is that I don't make things for sale except occasionally for charity auctions. If pressed, and depending on whether I enjoy that person's company, I may offer to help the person make one by teaching the basic skill and walking the person through the pattern. A man at my office was really pestering me to knit him a sweater once, and I finally said, "OK, but you would be better off to buy one at the store since I don't think you really want to pay what it would cost. He got out his wallet, and I said, OK, you want acrylic yarn and I only use the good stuff, so figure $50 for the yarn. For a cardigan, that means buttons, so figure $20 for good buttons. As to my time, I'm very quick, and average 50 hours for a sweater from design to finish. My time is worth 2 times the current minimum wage per hour." He put his wallet back in his pocket and didn't say another word about it, but he did happen to spend just over $200 for a pullover I made for a charity sale and thought he got a bargain.

Don't sell yourself short on labor charges. $6 per hour is about minimum wage at the present; four hours at $6/hour is $24 just for labor. Add in the cost of 6 yards of fabric at a minimum of $3/yard gives you $18 for fabric. So you've already got $42. Add batting, and you should probably be charging close to $50.

If you really want to do this, you can cut your labor charge. If you don't want to be bothered, raise your per hour rate. I suspect that when she hears you want $25 just for the labor and then finds out what the materials will cost her, she'll change her mind about wanting one :)

Julia > IMO you'd be better off at least going with her to buy the fabric,