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Keep, sell or give away?
Do you keep, sell or give away your quilts? I've made well over 100 but I only have four in my possession. At first I made them to give away to family members, then I started making them to donate to various charities (Project Linus, Quilts for Kids, AAQI, etc.). Lastly I made them to sell. Recently I sold 35 to one party and I'm having a really hard time missing them. A few I didn't really want to sell, but we desperately needed the money and I got a very good price for them. Has anyone given away or sold quilts and regretted it?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mary Christopher on
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Wow, that's a lot of quilts. I've made about 15 but only own 2. I've donated most of them to charites, but have also given several as gifts. So far no regrets. The recepients have been very appreciative. I've enjoyed sharing my work with others. I take pictures to remember them.
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Permalink Reply by QuilterBridget on
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I take pictures as well, and I'm so glad I did that from the beginning or I'd really be missing some of them! I keep a journal writing about each quilt and where it went.
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I don't seem to keep any of the quilts that I make. So far, I have made each of my sons one apiece. I am on my 4th wedding quilt (the top is pieced, quilting must be done by the June 25th wedding date). I have made around 8 "ministry quilts" (to give to those who need them or need to be reminded that someone cares), at least 7 baby quilts as gifts, and I do have a couple of quilts to sell. I have pictures of most, and that is what I recommend. The only ones that I regret are the ones of which I do not have a picture.
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I have one that I forgot to take a picture of...of course I regret it now. It's funny to me that when a person starts quilting most quilters give them away to family and donate them; I thought I was learning to quilt just to make one quilt! Like most quilters I have a bunch already planned ahead!
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Permalink Reply by Ruth on
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Wow, girls, you really amaze me. I'm new to this -very new-, and I thought of doing it just for the fun of it, but I'm already realizing that I won't be able to keep all the quilts I want to make. I thought of giving them as presents (when I learn a bit more and they are as good as I want to make them), but it turns out nobody in my close circle appreciates quilting, and I'm not giving them to someone who is not going to cherish them. Do people really buy quilts? I can't even imagine what would be the going price for one! It has to be very hard to see them leave, even for a good price.
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Most people don't appreciate what really goes into making a quilt. I cringe when someone says "thanks for the blanket"! The quilts I've sold are twin size and I charge between $4-500 each. That covers the materials, but certainly not all the time that goes into one! I wanted to sell them to be able to support my quilting hobby. Anyway, in the beginning I gave them to family members as gifts. The first two I didn't want to give away because I thought they weren't good enough. My sister-in-law appreciates quilts and she loved the first one I did, so I ended up giving it to her as a wedding gift. I've come to realize that if I give a gift of a quilt, it's up to the recipient to do what they want with it...yea, it's hard seeing one on the floor being used as a dog blanket, but I figure it's their quilt now. So if you want people to really cherish what you make then I'd probably make them for places like Quilts of Valor or Quilts for Kids, or any number of organizations. And if you sell them, keep in mind, you most likely won't get near the amount of what you put into a quilt unless you're a famous quilter! That's my opinion anyway! By the way, it IS really hard to see them go when you sell them (for me anyway).
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Permalink Reply by Nancy Gardner on
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I have made most as gifts for family and close friends. I too take pictures of them, and have put some of them up on MyQuiltPlace as a place to celebrate what I have learned and accomplished. I haven't sold any, but I have donated blocks for various guild projects and plan to make a quilt for a hospital auction.
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I have donated blocks as well, and more quilts than I can count, but I've never had the opportunity to make one for an auction. That would be exciting to me! I did make a top for a Mennonite group and they quilted it (they tie theirs and only want the tops). It's going to be auctioned off soon and I'd be curious as to what it sells for. Usually less than you think, unless the audience is a generous one. Afterall, auctions are supposed to be fund raisers! Good luck with the quilt!
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almost everything i make is for the grandchildren..made table runners for myself and odds and ends,make a lot of quilted bags, totes, appliance covers, as for selling.... well i dont think i'm good enough yet, only made small quilts, never made a bed size one yet... but... one day i will get the confidence to have a go!!!
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I wish I could make items like quilted bags, potholders and things like that. I'm all thumbs when it comes to sewing! I don't understand how I can make a quilt, but can't figure out sewing instructions! I think I have a mental block because I absolutely hated any kind of sewing when I was young. I actually made a few easy bags and super easy aprons and now I'm working on a mug rug. Someone here gave me excellent directions. She has a way of turning the backing to the front and using it for the binding. I tried making one using regular binding, but it was a pain and I got frustrated and set it aside for a later day...like never! Anyway, selling the odds and ends at gift fairs is a good idea. I did make some journal covers and sold them all at a gift fair...the only quilts that sold were baby quilts. People don't want to spend a lot of money at those things. Etsy is a good place to sell those kind of items as well.
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I make quilts for family members and give away most of the rest of them! I have kept a king size Christmas blanket and now in the process of finishing a king size Dresden plate quilt! I will keep the Dresden plate also! I just can't wait to finish them so I can give them to someone! I would love to sell them though! Knowing that they never sell for enough for as much time as they take! I've given some quilts away that I know were not appreciated, that is very disappointing! Nevertheless I just keep on making them and giving them away!
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I have given away some to family and friends. But at my first quilt show I had people ask if they were for sale. I said no because I don't know-how to price them. I do mainly wall quilts of various sizes. How do you price your quilts?
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