A look back at 2008

January 8, 2009 in Misc by emily | 5 comments

Wow, what a year.

Unless I did my math wrong (which is entirely possible) I made 93 quilts and sold 71.  The 93 quilts included quilts for the kids, me, the house, etc.  So I came close to selling almost everything I made. This fact is only going to enable me in my horrible fabric shopping addiction.

For those curious about the cost to make a quilt (see the first comment), here is a breakdown for the last video game quilt:

Fabric: $65.  I already had a couple colors in my stash.  Wholesale isn’t a good option for this since most colors only use a couple strips.  Most stores have a 1/2 yard minimum which adds to the cost quite a bit.
Thread: $5.  I got it wholesale.  It took almost 1000 yards of thread to complete.
Batting: $10.  I buy it in 40 yard bolts to help keep costs down there.
Etsy and Paypal fees: $30
Electricity to run the sewing machine, iron, washer, dryer: Who knows but with 93 quilts I’m sure it added up over the year.

So after all that it’s $340.  It took about 45 hours to make the quilt including the time to take and process pictures, list on Etsy and turn Donkey Kong into a workable quilt pattern.  That’s $7.55/hour.  Current minimum wage is $6.55/hour.  Sean says I should take my dollar profit and go buy more fabric.  Perhaps I’ll take him up on that offer.

Then Sean wondered exactly how much time I spent working this past year.  A very rough guesstimate for an average quilt in the shop is about 18-20 hours.  Baby quilts are a bit quicker.  Queen or detailed quilts are much, much longer.  So 93*19 is 1767.  A fulltime job is 2000.  And that number doesn’t even include designing, writing and producing eight patterns.  I think I need a better boss that offers some vacation days.  Or a trip to the spa at least.

  1. Sean Cier’s avatar

    Sean Cier on January 8, 2009 at 2:00 pm

    You didn’t mention equipment, studio space rental, or HVAC. Or time spent blogging, buying fabric, and other supporting activities. Or payment for the marketing department’s copy writer slash general pattern editor slash network administrator slash quilt holder (hey, I think I get *less* than minimum wage!).

    And good thing Baby Jane (say ~5-6 hrs/week?) is categorized as a hobby or you’d be in serious violation of federal labor statutes, ma’am.

  3. Cathy’s avatar

    Cathy on January 8, 2009 at 11:28 pm

    too funny, I can totally relate. At year end, I did some math too and this is definitely a labor of love, not one for money! I reminded my husband that I have been happy every day this year vs. last year when I made lots of money but was miserable. He agreed that this year was better.

  4. Nevis’s avatar

    Nevis on January 9, 2009 at 12:03 pm

    I’m with you, except my hobby is scrapbooking and I don’t sell any of it. *laugh* So all that money is just for us. But my fiance’s hobby of video gaming is just as costly! Man, games cost $60!

  5. Shanna Ragan’s avatar

    Shanna Ragan on January 9, 2009 at 12:44 pm

    Hello! I just found your site and I love your quilts!! I have been wanting to make a Mario quilt for a long time now, and you have seriously inspired me. I am impressed at how many quilts you have made this year!! That is incredible! I look forward to seeing more of your work!