Spring Quilt Crazies

[NateTheChops]

In Vermont, you hardly see quilts at crafts shows anymore. It's said really, because I've had this quilt from childhood that was made by high school students.

It just never ceases to amaze me the amazingly stupid depths people will drop to just to get something for free. Like the effort you put into something isn't worth paying for.

[Betweenshades]

I can't even IMAGINE.

I'm a knitter that doesn't sell her wares and I get dumb requests all the freaking time.

[ShadowBall]

Ugh, I hate morons like this. People who are not creatively inclined in any way seem to think that you just mass-produce everything on an assembly line and hey, the bunny doll at Wal-Fart is only five bucks, so YOUR hand-made one of a kind bunny doll should be the same price too!

I make my own plush dolls and I have a few of them on DeviantArt. I've had many people say to me, "OMG can you make MEEEEEEE one?" But I mention that I do not do charity work since it takes me about an hour to sew and stuff a single arm, suddenly they are not interested. Same goes for my drawn artwork - "Oooo, do you do requestssss?" Yeah, but not for free, asshole. I did requests once before on another art site and I had dozens of them piled up from idiots who wanted me to draw their precious Sonic fan characters.

My work isn't gorgeous, but dammit if I'm gonna sit for weeks and weeks making a custom doll, I expect payment. I've only done free stuff for friends as gifts. Last time I tried selling a doll on eBay, the fucker who bought it didn't pay and then got banned so I couldn't push an unpaid item case.

[wagegoth]

The idiot gene pool seems to be growing disproportionately.

I have a friend at work who quilts. He also makes quilts only for gifts. People have approached him about making quilts, and when he's quoted a price, they either walk away or demand to know why he's so much more expensive than Walmart. He doesn't even bother explaining anymore. And the thing is, he's amazingly fast! He can piece a quilt together in a day, and these are quilts with very small pieces. But then you have to figure in the time to actually doing the quilting, and you're talking days, as he does some amazing patterns.

I knit. Very few people could afford to pay me for my time and expertise, and the ones who can usually buy designer crap instead. I make items for my family and for gifts, and the gifts have been greatly appreciated. I have a bus friend; we sit together (don't have to worry about creepers that way) and chat (we have some of the same interests, and we can safely bitch about work to each other since we work in completely different fields). She is a graphic artist, and I totally admire the time and energy required to tweak illustrations again and again, and some of the beautiful work she's done on websites. She loves to watch my knitting projects grow in front of her, amazed to watch the items created using two or three needles and some yarn. Okay, we've got a mutual admiration society.

The most important thing is, we all have respect for what the others do. And most people just do not.

[Reyneth]

Another knitter here.

People can not understand why I don't want to sell my stuff. Ummm, I don't even have enough time to make what I want for me and my loved ones! And really, a pair of socks costs $20 for nice yarn and 40-50 hours. Who wants to pay for that? (Although they are totally worth it!)

I wonder if some of this is that these skills were once necessary or at least very important. Therefore, they are old-fashioned, pedestrian and "common" and thus not valuable?

Who knows. What I do know is that the OP is probably going to sell a quilt tonight! (My internet is being crappy so I don't want to try to purchase anything right now.)

[Merriweather]

It's a cultural thing, with sexist overtones, IMO. Going back thru a few hundred years of history, until fairly recent times, almost all art (paintings, sculptures, etc) was done by men. Women sewed useful items - beautiful tapestries kept castles warm, embroidered items were worn, as were clothing. But as it was made by women, and of everyday use, it was never considered art.

I believe there's still a bit of that left in society, sewing and making useful items is not perceived as art, therefore not perceived as worth high prices. Doesn't matter what sex is doing the sewing, sewing and related arts just don't get the respect of other arts.

[Kanalah]

Thanks guys

The funny thing is the "retail gods" (my mom and grandmother for those playing at home) keep waffling back and forth. My mom will even say "You should charge more for these, you're not making any money" and "Gosh these are expensive!" in the same sentance.

At a lot of the shows I've attended, I am the only quilter. (with the one exception of my grandma makes these quilts to stay senile-free and I'm selling them for $10 at one of my shows. Yeah, she was a winner.) Tons of jewelry, though. To the point that some people walk by my booth and say "thank god, no more jewelry!"

I also do a couple of small "art show" style events, because I'm friends with the sculpter who runs it, and I've made 3 t-shirt quilts for him.

[Seshat]

First, I wish I could afford the awesomeness that some people on the forum make.

I've found that if you talk to them, there's smaller items they make too.

I'm getting a painting of my ElderlyCat done. Been saving up, and finally found the right reference photo, so next week I will actually place the order.


Choose whichever of our artists, tell them what you love and what sort of budget you have (and what sort of lead time to save up for it), and they'll work with you.

Yes, I'd prefer a larger painting, or maybe a triptych, or .. well. Whatever. But I'll have a unique painting to remember my darling with. Spark will have work. And when I win the lottery.....

[spark]

I was just thinking I should ask you about that...

It's true that if somebody approaches me with a budget, I can pretty much always do *something* for them. Well, except the UTTER cheapskates at the local market who want me to have stuff for $1. Ha. No. But I have things down to just $5. And up to $3k or so. I agree that most artists have a pretty broad price range and can find something to do for those on a budget.

[Kanalah]

Yep Seshat, that's very true.

I make all kinds of fabricy goodness, from quilted journals, to fabric wrapping paper, and quilted stockings, table runners and quilts.

And I'm always budget-friendly. I do payment plans and trades, and stuff like that.

[auntiem]

Oh, my! I had to go look at your shop - that monkey quilt is adorable!
I'm a fabric hoarder myself. The sad thing - I don't quilt. Doesn't stop me from ordering fabric though. I'm even set up to get emails about sales from a particular quilt fabric website. If you ever get stuck looking for fabric shoot me a PM - I may have it. I may not have much good for baby quilts, unless someone custom orders a tropical drink themed baby quilt or some other oddball / retro theme.

[charred]

It's a cultural thing, with sexist overtones, IMO. Going back thru a few hundred years of history, until fairly recent times, almost all art (paintings, sculptures, etc) was done by men. Women sewed useful items - beautiful tapestries kept castles warm, embroidered items were worn, as were clothing. But as it was made by women, and of everyday use, it was never considered art.

I believe there's still a bit of that left in society, sewing and making useful items is not perceived as art, therefore not perceived as worth high prices. Doesn't matter what sex is doing the sewing, sewing and related arts just don't get the respect of other arts.

The "other arts" don't get much respect either. People are always trying to lowball my paintings, and don't get me started about graphic design clients.

[XCashier]

My mom designs craft kits, and once upon a time she actually had a storefront (that sold supplies -- but also her kits). Some SC brought one of my mom's kits to the counter and asked my mom if she could open the kit and photocopy the instructions for her, because she didn't want to pay for it.

So, she wanted to blatantly break copyright laws, and render an item unsellable...and what exactly was in it for your mom?!

This is what happens when people can't be bothered to think. This SC must've been booted from the set of Idiocracy for being too stupid!

[EricKei]

I believe there's still a bit of that left in society, sewing and making useful items is not perceived as art, therefore not perceived as worth high prices. Doesn't matter what sex is doing the sewing, sewing and related arts just don't get the respect of other arts.

Either that, or they were just being skinflinty bastards Lowballers are lowballers, no matter the industry. Don't let those turkeys get you down, and don't give in to them. Better to hang on to something you've put so much time and effort into, until you can find it a proper home!

I am the first to admit that I could not afford this sort of stuff (I had a tech support client who ran a quilting shop -- the fabric alone for a quilt big enough for me to disappear into would be obscene (hard to find something like that for someone who is six-foot-four and pleasantly "overstuffed" ), and time/labor on something like that would reasonably be no less than triple the fabric cost, probably more)...Tho it would be cool. Someday, tho...it will be mine

[Dreamstalker]

I just got my first lowballer on Bonanza (marketplace site). I have a few vintage/antique needlepoint kits listed in the Consignment section of my booth that generally has no wiggle room on prices--my booth policy states that I don't set the prices for those items. I think the kits are reasonably priced...I get a message on an item offering $3 shipped ...at least that covers shipping

I'm about to list some yarn and kits for my mom and am almost dreading the penny-ante offers I'll get.