What would you do?

Or - a little b*tchy I guess - tell MIL that while you are
happy to help her out IF you have enough time, the quilts
would be worth $### (be generous in costing and INCLUDE
labour) and that you feel you should check with DH before
giving away so much to someone (the bosses) you don't know.
((smirk))

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http://community.webshots.com/user/witchofthewest
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"Roberta Zollner" wrote in message
...
: Just say "I'm honored you asked, but no thank you." Then
if she tries
: arm-twisting, explain exactly how much a quilt costs to
make (use LQS fabric
: prices!) and how many hours of your time. Have this
information prepared and
: typed on a piece of paper. Be firm. Alternative idea: find
a pro quiltmaker
: online and print out a price list. Give MIL the address
and kindly suggest
: that she could purchase her gifts there. Another
alternative: agree to make
: a couple of simple tops and give them to her along with
the address of a pro
: machine quilter. Then MIL can organize the rest.
: Roberta in D
:
:
: "Debbie" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
: news:SrJGg.27251$uV.15838@trnddc08...
: Hi all,
:
: Just thought I'd get some opinions on a problem that has
come up.
:
: When people find out you make quilts they all want one.
Problem is, I
: don't mind making relatives one for free, but my MIL has
asked me to make
: her bosses one each (she has two bosses) for Christmas.
She says she will
: pay me for it. If I charged by the time and effort I put
into it, she
: couldn't pay me for it. I know she's thinking $20-50.
:
: Another thing that has irked me is that I made my MIL
one in January and
: she informed me (the same day she asked me to make her
bosses one and to
: make her a bedspread and matching shams for her bed)
that she is going to
: put the one I made for her in January in a yard sale. I
said, "Don't sell
: it in a yard sale, I'll buy it back." And she said,
"Well, it's faded."
: !!!!!!!!!!!!!
:
: How do I get across to her that this stuff takes a lot
of time??? She told
: me that making quilts for people at Christmas was a
*cheap* way to give
: presents, too. I don't think she is trying to be mean,
but she has no
: idea the time and effort that goes into this stuff.
Hubby has somewhat of
: an idea of how much time and effort I put into it, but
he is real
: protective of his mother, so I have to approach this
delicately. LOL
:
: Thanks for any help and advice you can give me.
:
: Debbie
:
:
:

"Maureen Wozniak" wrote in message
lobal.net...
How do I get across to her that this stuff takes a lot of time??? She
told
me that making quilts for people at Christmas was a *cheap* way to give
presents, too. I don't think she is trying to be mean, but she has no
idea
the time and effort that goes into this stuff. Hubby has somewhat of an
idea of how much time and effort I put into it, but he is real protective
of
his mother, so I have to approach this delicately. LOL

LOL. Tell her that you'll 'think about it' but in the meantime, you'd like
her to come to the LQS with you, to see what kinds of patterns/fabrics she
might like to have you use. Then, show her the prices on the fabrics.
Explain how many yards of fabric the quilt will take to complete (include
the $$ for batting and backing). Then say "So if you buy the materials,
then I can figure out how much time it will take me to make the quilts, and
we can agree on an hourly price from there". By then, she'll be in sticker
shock and hopefully will give up.

My MIL did this once. I made a quilt, largish lap size, quilted heavily
with rayon and metallic threads, wool batting, etc. She told me "You should
sell that, you'll probably get like $75 for it". After the coffee finished
spraying out of my nose, I said to her, "the batting in the quilt cost $35,
and there is about $50 worth of thread in it, and that doesn't even begin to
take time or fabric cost into account. I spent about 80 hours working on
this, do you think that I would sell it for $75?". She never said another
word about it.
LOL

OMG. That is too funny. I started my little spiel with the husband today.
Told him that family comes first, which includes him, , my kids, my aunt,
his aunt, my sister and my sisters-in-law. So have prepared him. Next up is
the MIL. Which when she brings it up again, I will read back over these
answers and tell her politely, but firmly, family first and oh BTW, this is
how much this, this and this costs. Still want to pay for it?

Thx a bunch you all!!!
Debbie

LOL. Tell her that you'll 'think about it' but in the meantime, you'd
like her to come to the LQS with you, to see what kinds of
patterns/fabrics she might like to have you use. Then, show her the
prices on the fabrics. Explain how many yards of fabric the quilt will
take to complete (include the $$ for batting and backing). Then say "So
if you buy the materials, then I can figure out how much time it will take
me to make the quilts, and we can agree on an hourly price from there".
By then, she'll be in sticker shock and hopefully will give up.

My MIL did this once. I made a quilt, largish lap size, quilted heavily
with rayon and metallic threads, wool batting, etc. She told me "You
should sell that, you'll probably get like $75 for it". After the coffee
finished spraying out of my nose, I said to her, "the batting in the quilt
cost $35, and there is about $50 worth of thread in it, and that doesn't
even begin to take time or fabric cost into account. I spent about 80
hours working on this, do you think that I would sell it for $75?". She
never said another word about it.
LOL

When the time comes, stand tall and know we are all behind you, Debbie

--
Mary
http://community.webshots.com/user/mardor1948
"Debbie" wrote in message
news:Hm7Hg.10984$St4.8039@trnddc01...
: OMG. That is too funny. I started my little spiel with the husband today.
: Told him that family comes first, which includes him, , my kids, my aunt,
: his aunt, my sister and my sisters-in-law. So have prepared him. Next up
is
: the MIL. Which when she brings it up again, I will read back over these
: answers and tell her politely, but firmly, family first and oh BTW, this
is
: how much this, this and this costs. Still want to pay for it?
:
: Thx a bunch you all!!!
: Debbie

"maryd" mardor@*net wrote in message
...
When the time comes, stand tall and know we are all behind you, Debbie


Thank you Maryd! I really do appreciate all the kind words of encouragement.
I needed it!!!!

Debbie

I've only made three so far and working on the fourth one and I just can't
do it all by Christmas. If I get em all done by this time next year I'll be
happy!!

I never knew this would snowball like this.

Debbie


Ah, a quilters work is never done . Over the years I have only
managed a few quilts to keep for myself. I quilt because I find it
rewarding and relaxing. I can feel productive when I quilt.
You will get use to the snowball effect someday. Of course you can
always make ME a snowball quilt.
julia

Please report back when the time does get here! I've followed this thread
with interest, as I've found that people have no idea what fabric costs or
how long that it takes to make even a simple quilt.
--
Donna in Idaho
Reply to daawra3553 at yahoo dot com

"Debbie" wrote in message
news:UO7Hg.8807$E_.1151@trnddc06...

"maryd" mardor@*net wrote in message
...
When the time comes, stand tall and know we are all behind you, Debbie


Thank you Maryd! I really do appreciate all the kind words of
encouragement. I needed it!!!!

Debbie

I never knew this would snowball like this.

Debbie
Ah, a quilters work is never done . Over the years I have only managed
a few quilts to keep for myself. I quilt because I find it rewarding and
relaxing. I can feel productive when I quilt.
You will get use to the snowball effect someday. Of course you can
always make ME a snowball quilt.
julia

Oh my. Let me add you to my list. ;-) LOL

Debbie

Actually, I've been taught that one never gives a gift to a boss as it is
totally inappropriate.

Sally Swindells wrote:


Just thinking of it from another angle. Is it usual to give one's
bosses a gift worth that much money? Would they be
embarrassed/suspicious?

I'd tell her since the quilts I make fade, she needs to find someone who is
better at it than I am. (And no smirking while you tell her).

Debbie wrote:

Hi all,

Just thought I'd get some opinions on a problem that has come up.

When people find out you make quilts they all want one. Problem is, I
don't mind making relatives one for free, but my MIL has asked me to make
her bosses one each (she has two bosses) for Christmas. She says she will
pay me for it. If I charged by the time and effort I put into it, she
couldn't pay
me for it. I know she's thinking $20-50.

Another thing that has irked me is that I made my MIL one in January and
she informed me (the same day she asked me to make her bosses one and to
make her a bedspread and matching shams for her bed) that she is going to
put the one I made for her in January in a yard sale. I said, "Don't sell
it in a yard sale, I'll buy it back." And she said, "Well, it's faded."
!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How do I get across to her that this stuff takes a lot of time??? She told
me that making quilts for people at Christmas was a *cheap* way to give
presents, too. I don't think she is trying to be mean, but she has no
idea
the time and effort that goes into this stuff. Hubby has somewhat of an
idea of how much time and effort I put into it, but he is real protective
of his mother, so I have to approach this delicately. LOL

Thanks for any help and advice you can give me.

Debbie

--
Toledo,Ohio