Quilt Math Explained
Posted by Jen Lopez on Nov 24th 2020
I see quite a few posts on the quilting Facebook groups lamenting that a quilt costs hundreds of dollars to make and folks just don’t understand that, whether they be quilt-weary spouses or prospective quilt buyers. Let me take this opportunity to enlighten these gentle readers as to the real “cost” of making a quilt.
At a price of nearly $12 per yard for good quality quilting cotton, and many, many yards required for its construction, one can easily conclude that making a quilt is not cheap. If you want a cheap quilt, you can easily buy one at a big box store. So why spend so much more? The reasoning is simple, really: Most quilters quilt for the love of the process, not for the need of the end result.
Consider other hobbies or pastimes. How much does a round of golf cost? Or how about a day of skiing? Tickets to a major sporting event or concert? All of these cost hundreds of dollars for a few hours of diversion. Sure, the fabric for that quilt is also going to cost a couple hundred bucks, but it’s going to take dozens of hours to make. Comparatively speaking, the quilter’s cost per hour of entertainment is peanuts!
So quilt on, my thrifty friends. Next time someone says you could buy a quilt for $50 at Small-Mart, tell them to pick you up a bag of kitty chow while they are there… because you have some quiltin’ to do.
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