Should I make and sell quilts for a living?

[Kay-VW]

I'm wondering if I should just forget getting a job and just make and sell quilts for a living. I just started sowing earlier this year, and have already made several different projects including: Two quilts, a tree skirt, an apron, pot holders, Christmas stockings, and a pillow.

Anyway, ever since I completed my first quilt, people keep asking me now to make quilts for them. I'm beginning to wonder if i should just make and sell quilts for a living? What do you think, good idea or not a good idea?

I am also planning to learn a few other crafts such as cross stitching and knitting.

I'm also looking for some other kinds of crafts to do, anybody know any good ones?  

[damnatio memoriae]

I don't see anything wrong with trying to make a living selling your quilts. Maybe you could also offer sewing/quilting lessons for some extra money. Starting a website is pretty easy and a great way to show your work to the public. As far as other crafts, check out http://blog.craftzine.com/ they are always offering new and cool tutorials. I also love http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/ domokun  

[fishkisser22]

you could try it but i would back it up with a job on the side if I were you  

[Moonhail]

I wouldn't try and make a living off just selling quilts, because you can never guarantee how many you'll sell. That could cause problems when bills or something are due.
However, it'd make a great part time job. That way you'll have some extra income on top of whatever you make at a real job.  

[JJKo]

Are the people asking for quilts offering money for them? I've found that when you make something cool people go "Oh wow! Can you make one for me?!" but they don't intend to buy it. They want a freebie.  

[Volatile Rainbow]

@ Kay-VW: I think you should check around first, see how many people would actually pay (instead of expecting the freebies, as JJKo mentioned) and what sort of profit you could make. Maybe advertise a little--put up a few handmade flyers in well-frequented places, specifying what you do with photos of your work and how much you're willing to customize. See where that leads before you make a decision.

@ damnatio memoriae: cutoutandkeep.net is AMAZING. I can't believe I've never come across it before! Thank you! heart  

[Aki Yasu]

Trying to make a living sewing can be really difficult. If you get hurt or can't work for some other reason, you can end up in a real bad place. On the other hand, people spend a lot at craft fairs and farmers markets, expecally the more impressive it is. I have a friend who bought a knitting machine and is making things for craft shows to pay for college. You don't want somthing you enjoy doing to become somthing you hate because of the stress of having to pay the bills, or to become bord with it alltogeather. So you should definitly take into account the extra stress, but you may as well test the waters and see if you could get a little cash doing somthing you like to do.  

[Radetzky March]

One important thing to keep in mind if you are trying to make a living off your crafting is, are you paying yourself enough?

Often, when we price our goods at what we think of as a competitive price, we end up paying ourselves far less than minimum wage.

To figure out what your work is -really- worth, factor in the cost of your materials for one project- everything, mind you, not just the fabric for each individual project but also stuff that you keep from project to project, like thread, sewing machine needles, etc. (Lets call this quantity Cost)

Then, figure out what you want to pay yourself. It's best to base this on what other artisans in your market are valuing their work at. If you are going to be using Etsy or another crafting site, talk to other quilters there and see how they price their products. If you are going to be selling locally or at craft fairs, talk to local artists and crafters. Try and find people who are actually making a living off their art, they will have put more thought into this than people who craft as a hobby and sell their work as a sideline. Taking into account any differences between their skill and experience levels and yours, calculate what your hourly time is worth. (call it Wage)

Then, make a sample of what you are going to be making, and keep track of the time it takes to make it. Be accurate- turn the clock on if you're absentmindedly stitching while talking on the phone, turn it off if you're watching TV with the needle in your hand but not really working. (call this quantity Time)

Then, use the following formula: Cost + (Wage x Time) = Total value of your project.

Once you have a value, ask yourself "Would anyone pay this much for my work?" Be brutally honest with yourself, and remember you are competing with mass produced, store-bought merchandise as well as other crafters. If you can't decide, ask the people who are telling you that you should sell your work. If their answer is no, find out what they'd pay and work the formula backwards:

(Total value - Cost)/Time = Wage

If, at this final total, your hourly wage is less than what you'd be making flipping burgers, get a day job and keep quilting as a hobby. If you find that people would buy your work at a price that doesn't leave you cheating yourself, by all means give it a try.  

[ellayaxP]

in my opinion i think u should have a real career/job but still sell some of the quilts u make for extra money! heart  

[Zahra Ovaci]

When you are young (and not so young) the experience you get from working are invaluable. Yes, food service can suck - and it can also be a lot of fun. I heartily second what Radetzky March was saying about wages - don't sell yourself short! The general number I've heard bandied about for wages for artisan work is 10/hr, but it's hard to find someone who'll drop a grand on that object that took you 100 hours to complete. I would suggest keeping the quilting going as a side thing, especially when you're still learning, and don't be afraid to tell people NO when they ask you for freebies. I would also recommend, when/if you start making items for sale, making smaller things along side your blankets - pot holders, hand towels, pillow cases, whatever - so that people who enjoy your work but can't afford the queen-size piece of art you've created can still buy things from you.  

[55may55]

I think it would be better to sell quilts and such as a side job if anything. Also, if you turn it into a job then it will probably get really stressful keeping deadlines and everything and you may not have as much fun making them as you do now.  

[CMaSiriusgirl]

I think you should do it as a side job and see if you could support yourself that way. I would also like do do my craft for a living, it would be wonderful, but I don't know how realistic that would be... good luck!!  

[Knit Happens]

Radetzky March has a good point about the cost-benefits analysis and business approach to answering your question.

I would look for a primary source of income that may or may not involve doing something that you like and, if you still have free time, go ahead and try to customize/sell your quilts.

I know that most people will either (a) destroy something hand-made that you worked so hard on or (b) keep the quilt in a plastic bag and never use it, passing it down as an heirloom for the next of kin to keep or use as he/she sees fit.  

[Supertheory]

The problem right now is that anything that YOU can make by hand, a machine can do a lot faster, and for a lot less money, driving the value of hand made products down drastically.

For example: I made a crocheted stuffed giraffe (From Roxy Craft) for my boyfriend. I used 3 balls of yarn (well, most of two in a tarnished yellow, and a little of one in a very nice shade of brown) that were both 100% organic wool. I probably spent about $50 on supplies in total, AND I spent a week making it. Unless I sold the thing for over $100, I wouldn't make any kind of profit.

Another thing you need to keep in mind is that you can't sell anything that you make from a pattern that you didn't also create. It's copy right infringement to make a profit off of someone elses pattern. This includes images from the media (cartoon characters and video game characters).

On the other hand, I have made and sold things that I just make for fun. I've been doing it for almost a year now, and all it really does is pay to keep my habit going. The best I've been able to do is break even.  

[madame trash heap]

You should check out the book Craft Inc. (http://www.amazon.com/Craft-Inc-Creative-Hobby-Business/dp/0811858367) It gives a really great insight into craft-based business and provides a very thorough step-by-step guide from the smallest home based business to large craft businesses. It's eye-opening without being dream-crushing...