Handmade quilts are everyone’s favourite. But, the process of quilting is really very expensive as it takes a lot of time and effort to quilt with hands. So, how much does a handmade quilt cost? Well, we have an answer to it.
In this article, we have discussed all the aspects of quilting and its cost. You can go through the article to have a brief idea about the handmade quilt cost. But before discussing the price, let us first have some knowledge about a quilt.
What is a quilt?
A quilt is basically a warm bed-covering that is made of padding enclosed between layers of fabric and kept in place by lines of stitching. Typically, quilting is the process of joining a minimum of three layers of fabric together either by stitching manually by hand using a needle and thread, or mechanically with a sewing machine or specialised long-arm quilting system.
how much does a handmade quilt cost
Typically, handmade quilts are quite expensive as it takes a lot of time and effort for the quilters to make them. You can expect to spend $1500-over $2000 for a handmade one. Now, you must be wondering why this price is so high. Well, we have an answer to it. Let us discuss what makes handmade quilts so expensive.
Detailed Cost of Making A Quilt
The cost of a quilt depends on so many aspects. So, it is very hard to put an exact figure on it. If you take the basic factors leaving the complicated business of labour costs, then you can expect the cost of a queen-sized quilt having dimensions 90” x 100’’ to be somewhere around $350- over $400.
The price of a quilt massively depends on the quality of fabric used in it. Again, the price of fabric varies depending on the vendor, location and quality. You can expect to spend $7-$15 per yard of quilting fabric.
Let us estimate the costs mathematically.
Cost per quilting fabric= $12.95 per yard
Cost per 15 yards fabric = 15 x $12.95= $194.25
Pattern cost= $20
8.5 yards needed for backing will cost you = $12.95 x 8.5= $110.07
2.75 yards needed for batting will cost you = 2.75 x 12.95 = $35.61
Additional Border – Large Quilt = $45.00 per extra border
Total cost of quilt (excluding labour charges) = $194.25 + $110.07 + $35.61 + $20 + $45.00 = $404.93
Hand Quilting Price List Depending on Size Of Quilts
You can estimate the exact price as far as the cost of quilts is concerned. Prices fluctuate by $100 if you add some fancy borders or choose the most expensive fabric for your quilt. The fancier the design, the more will be the cost. But, we have given a rough idea about the cost of quilts depending on the size. Hence, you can expect the quilts somewhere around this price range for different sizes.
A Baby quilt having dimensions 36 x 36 costs $350.
A Small quilt with dimensions 40 x 54 will cost around $490.
A Twin size quilt having dimensions 63 x 87 will cost $600.
A Full size quilt with dimensions 81 x 87 can cost you $800
A Queen Size quilt having dimensions 90 x 100 will cost you $1300.
A King Size quilt having dimensions 110 x 110 costs $1500.
Factors Affecting Quilt Prices
Materials
The cost of quilt is mostly affected by the quality of fabric used. So, your quoted price for a quilt depends o various factors such as the cost of fabric, thread and any other materials you use to make it. The price may vary depending on how you choose, order, and buy the material.
To estimate the quilt, if cost of the fabric is $12 per square foot and you have to quilt 50 square feet in the quilt, then the price will be $600, excluding other decoration charges and labour charges.
Time and Labor
If you want to buy the best quality handmade quilts, remember it requires the best and skilled labour as well. Remember a simple, basic quilt requires less skill than one having a dense pattern. Hence, you should estimate the price accordingly. The cost of the quilt also depends on how difficult it is. If it takes a lot of time to make a quilt then you can expect to spend more on this type of quilt. So, the amount of time needed for quilting is also an important factor that determines the price off a quilt.
Other Costs
The cost of a quilt is also depends on the agent charges; this is an added cost. The quilt makers choose an agent to sell their quilts, which increases its price up to a great extent. The final price will be more than the above estimated price if we add the selling agent’s cost. If the seller wants to advertise their product, then it will add a few extra bucks in the total cost.
Pricing and Selling
If you add the above costs along with mark-up then the total cost may easily go over $1,000. This price is quite reasonable and people are also willing to buy quilts at this range also.
Quilt-Wholesale-Price
The wholesale price of a quilt will be double the actual cost of the quilt. If the actual cost of a quilt is $400 then the wholesale price will be $800. Now you may ask why the cost is doubled. The answer is to cover all the labour and electricity charges the wholesaler increases the price.
Retail Price
The final price will be the retail price. So, you can calculate is easily. The retail price is double the wholesale price. If a handmade quilt actually costs $400, its wholesale price will be $800. Similarly, the retail price of the quilt will be $1600. Sometimes the cost increases if the retailer chooses to advertise their products. The photography and advertising charges will add a few hundred dollars again to the retail price that we have just estimated.
Quilting-Cost-Per-Square-Inch
The traditional quilters use a simple method to calculate the cost of a quilt; the cost per square-inch. This includes everything from the type of fabric used, the skill level required, the material required for batting or backing, and the quality of the materials. Most quilters charge 5-15 cents per square inch depending on these factors.
Quilting Services Cost
The quilting services also determine the cost of the quilt. If you consider the factors that are responsible for the cost of a quilt, then you should consider the indirect costs of making a quilt. The cost of overheads is also added to the price of quilting.
We have enlisted a few overhead costs that you can go through to understand why a handmade cost is so expensive.
- Supplies (thread, batting, backing fabric).
- Utilities.
- Insurance.
- Rent if the makers are working in a professional premise rather than their home
- Advertising/ listing fees.
Preparation Cost
There are certain other procedures that are done before making a quilt, which is responsible for the cost of a quilt. You can also consider these factors while thinking about why a handmade quilt is so costly.
Design planning.
Patching and repair.
Thread trimming.
Backing and batting preparation.
Bobbin winding.
Billing and accounting.
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Conclusion
Handmade quilts are really very expensive as they require skilled quilters and a lot of time. These quilts are everyone’s choice as they bear certain type of elegance and give an expensive look to the space. If you want to purchase handmade quilts, then do a thorough research on where you can purchase them. Sometimes people may befool you and sell machine made quilts at handmade quilt cost. If you know the seller is authentic, you can purchase from them. Sometimes online shopping becomes a hassle if we choose handmade products; there are cheaters who sell ordinary products in the name of handmade product. So you should be careful while purchasing from them. We recommend you to personally visit the seller and feel the quality by taking the quilt in your hands, which will make you differentiate between ordinary and handmade products.
